This is maybe not for me to say, because I have a small contribution (very small): but our symposium today on Ireland and the Irish is really quite beautiful. Rich, informative, diverse, and, again, beautiful. My thanks and congratulations to those who put it together.

P.S. My first glimpse of Ireland was unforgettable. It was from the porthole of a ship. There were dramatic cliffs and the most alarming green. It was truly an Emerald Isle. I felt I was looking at some Walt Disney Ireland, a display at Epcot, a mirage. But it was real — really Ireland.

Many Irish hate it when their country is sentimentalized, because of all the heartache and horror and so on. I understand that. There was once an ad for some charity. The slogan was “When Irish eyes aren’t smiling.” Again, I understand all this. Still, it is a beautiful place, which people are drawn to for a reason.