Ireland finds itself at a cultural crossroads this St. Patrick’s Day. A float in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo referencing the Epstein files has been roundly condemned, as the nation’s president used the holiday to promote migrant solidarity and “global citizens.” Meanwhile, videos show Irish parades increasingly reflecting the realities of mass migration that figures like Conor McGregor have decried as overrunning the country.
Video of the float shows it being pulled by a tractor down the street with men chasing people dressed as girls alongside it. On the float itself, a number of people were seen mimicking the rape of people dressed as young girls on a mattress while another person dressed as a garda pulls one of them away and puts them in a mock cell.
The float was adorned with Irish flags and signs that read: “Prince Andrew going to jail.” The video shows numerous children in the crowd lining the street in Ballinrobe as the float passes.
Rachel Morrogh, chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, said the float “trivialises the awful reality of sexual violence and is extremely insensitive to victims and survivors”.
She also said it is “further evidence of a lack of awareness of the impact of sexual violence and of the harm and trauma it causes”, which can have life-changing effects.
“Parading acts of sexual violence through our main streets and turning rape and assault into a joke trivialises and stigmatises the experiences of victims and survivors,” she said, adding that it has sent “a very harmful message that sexual violence is something to mock and make light of”.
Hellbound and Down 