The International Rescue Committee did a survey last month on nations attitudes toward Syrian refugees. Ireland was voted the “most sympathetic” nation, which conjures a moment of pride, until appreciating the weight of the wording used. 76% of those surveyed said that they had “a fair amount or a small amount of sympathy”- which it would seem translates into, enough to acknowledge that there is a place called Syria and it is a shame what is happening there- yet so disconnected from the reality, that the notion of doing something about it is as far off as a fantasy.

This truly is the case; in September 2015 Ireland made a commitment to take in 4,000 Syrian Refugees by the end of 2017. Even this poultry drop in the sea of refugees was met with criticisms by those who believed that 4,000 was too many. Perhaps it brought joy to the critics to discover that by May 2016 we’d taken only 41 people. Our progress in this regard has been disastrous and nothing less than a disgrace.

In this moment, the people of Ireland are apart of a greater tapestry; a tapestry which was woven by those who came before and their moments in history. Irish concerns were not always fixated on corporate tax evasion and water charges. In the 1840’s, the island experience the Great Famine. A cycle of failed potato crops which led to the estimated deaths of around 800,000 Irish and the emigration of over 1.5 million Irish Refugees; creating the 60 million Irish diaspora around the world today. It is a black corner stone of this country, and the nations darkest hour- which we carry on our chest when we call ourselves the Irish.

For far too many, it may come as a surprise that it was in this hour, when so many nations did nothing to ease the Irish suffering; that the Ottoman Empire- including modern day Syria, loaded three ships with food and the equivalent of €1.5m in charity and sent it to Dublin; to ease the suffering of the island.

The Sultan offered to send £10,000 of aid to Ireland. Queen Victoria refused; this was too much, he may only send £1,000 as to not rival her donation of £2,000. The Sultan obliged, yet also sent the three extra ships across the Mediterranean and north through the Atlantic to Dublin city where it was refused by imperial customs. The ships then traveled to Belfast, where they were again refused- only on travelling south, did they secretly drop the relief to the people of Drogheda.

In May 1995, Mayor Alderman Frank Goddfrey honored this kindness with a plaque on the Westcourt Hotel- which was the City Hall at the time and where the Ottoman Sailors had rested. The city adopted the crescent moon and star as their emblem to honor the Ottomans, in time, so would Drogheda United FC. Both last as an immortal testament to humanity; that was given from an Islamic nation, a whole world away.

On the 19th of September world leaders met in New York at the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants to tackle an issue which has spiraled into the abashed chagrin of our legacy. Forgo the bureaucracy; let us not worry about how many we can take- but rather ask how many we are willing to leave to drown in the Mediterranean. Silence echoes whispers of hate. Do not be silent. If there is any humanity left, let us rise to the challenge and be bastions of it.