Ex-QUB professor becomes Irish citizen at 86
A FORMER professor at Queen’s University who has become the oldest person to be granted Irish citizenship at 86 said he wanted to become an Irishman before Brexit “inflicted itself”.
George Leonard Huxley was among 3,000 people granted Irish citizenship this week at a ceremony in Killarney, Co Kerry.
Born in Leicester with no Irish ancestors, Prof Huxley is an Oxford University graduate who was made a Doctor of Letters by Trinity College and Queen’s, where he was a professor of Greek and worked until 1983.
Speaking about his new citizenship, which was driven by “the follies of Brexit”, he told the Irish Times he has questioned the legality of the withdrawal process.
He said: “I’m very fond of Ireland
and the Irish. I am devoted to Ireland. I didn’t choose my ancestors very carefully. I have no Irish ancestry at all. I have long taken delight to living here.
“I was determined to become rather more Irish if possible before Brexit inflicted itself on us. Certainly my desire to be an Irish citizen was greatly increased by the follies of Brexit.
“I question its legality. I am no international lawyer but when two nations in the UK vote Remain, their wishes cannot be ignored even if the larger part of the territory voted Leave.
“I would say that the total inability to compromise and the vituperation that one now sees — and the general incivility, which is alarming when you consider the pathetic performance of MPs — can only be paralleled with the 17th century and the time of the civil war. “
Prof Huxley fears a move potentially catastrophic consequences.
He added: “I hope we will learn to have a civil society which is welcoming to foreigners, outward-looking but aware for historical reasons that we really are Europeans. We are moving into the unknown and the social consequences could be very severe.”