In an interview with The Irish Times last week, the rugby great Paul O’Connell said something very simple that still made headlines because it confirmed a characteristic of our country that is seldom recognised in certain circles, but which still rings true.

He said he saw very little difference between a rugby player from Limerick or Cork or Kerry and those from private schools in Dublin. That they are the “nicest fellas you could ever hope to meet”. It was an antidote to all the talk about there being an urban-rural divide in our country. It would restore your faith in our common decency. A sense that we are in something together, no matter what province, county or parish you are from.

It is the very opposite of what is put forward by those who trade in identity politics which is all the rage at the moment. Such politics thrives by sowing division and promoting doubt around what we need to do as a country. It is a particular threat for the environmental movement where we need the majority of our people on board to face the three-way crisis in climate change, biodiversity loss and local pollution.

Rising to that challenge is not helped by the fact our media so often frame green stories as a fight between farmers and environmentalists, neither of whom come out well........

© The Irish Times