I've had a busy week or so and I've only just got around to catching up on things online. I read about Alistair McCoist and his over-inflated salary, and I'll save my thoughts on that for another time, because what really caught my attention was the launch of a free monthly newspaper in Scotland aimed at 'the Irish diaspora.'

Its launch was reported as follows:

"The Irish Voice was unveiled last night and will be distributed free at football, cultural and other events that can be expected to attract a large Irish, or of Irish descent, crowd. The editorial team are Gerard Gough and Dan McGinty, both of the Scottish Catholic Observer, and its publisher is freelance journalist, Mary McGinty (pictured), who currently writes for the Scottish Catholic Observer, the Catholic newspaper, The Universe, and the monthly official journal of the Archdiocese of Glasgow, Flourish."

"Says a media release announcing the launch: "The Irish Voice… seeks to give the Irish community a definitive voice in Scotland's multicultural society. The publication, while including a wealth of news and features, will also include contributions from all sectors of the Irish community in Scotland, including dance, music groups, Irish language groups, the Gaelic Athletic Association and much more. Community groups can be assured of full involvement in The Irish Voice. "The newspaper has received the backing of many within the Irish community in Scotland and we hope that many more will support us in our endeavours to better represent the Irish community here in Scotland through The Irish Voice."

After reading that, I wondered why there was no mention of the Protestant Irish people or Protestant people of Irish descent who make up a sizeable proportion of our population, and I thought that perhaps I should do a bit more research, particularly if I was going to comment on it. I found the website and started reading. I wish I could say I was stunned, but to be honest, I wasn't. It contains no reference to Irish Protestants living in Scotland or Protestant people of Irish descent living in Scotland.

It does mention the Rangers Supporters Assembly though. In an article about proposals for a memorial to be erected in Glasgow to those who died in the potato famine, they state this:

The Glasgow Irish Heritage Group works to represent the Irish community in Glasgow, and they welcomed the early proposals from within the Irish community for a monument in Scotland's biggest city.

"The idea of a monument to mark the contribution of the Irish to Scottish society is one that we in the GIHG welcome," Pat McAleer of the GIHG said. "This is a truly fitting way to salute the past generations and is most inclusive as it would mark every generation. This idea is from the grass roots of our community and I feel we have a proposal here we can all get behind."

The approval from one of the most influential Irish groups in Scotland reinforces the broad base of support from within the community that is emerging for a memorial that will honour all the Irish the immigrants who made their way to these shores and recognise the huge impact they had.

While there are proposals for a 'Famine memorial' led by Glasgow City Council already in place, the announcement of its planning drew criticism from ordinary members of the Irish community as well as caution from high profile academics such as Professor Tom Devine.

After initially welcoming the proposals, which were made by Councillor Feargal Dalton, himself an Irishman, many in the Irish community subsequently expressed their surprise and unease that among those involved in the planning of such a monument would be the Rangers Supporters Assembly, who consistently defended the notorious 'Famine song,' a mocking and racist chant that calls on Scotland's Irish to 'go home.'

In addition to the fears that the history of the Irish in Scotland is becoming a political football, concerns have also been expressed that a false picture of events is being established, and both played a part in the calls for an alternative memorial for the Irish community which celebrates the whole story of Irish immigration."

Well, let's start with the racism accusation first shall we?

Since when did the Irish become a race? They are a nation, not a race. The potato famine did not discriminate between religions and the famine song was no more than a chant which mocked the supporters of Celtic who conveniently chose to ignore the fact that Protestants were among the victims of the famine, as much as Catholics were. Something which 'The Irish Voice' also fails to recognise. Yes, it could be seen as being offensive, but is it really more offensive than seeing banners displayed at Celtic Park proclaiming IRA murderers as some kind of heroes? Like many, I am aware of and have seen the work of the IRA and quite frankly, it disgusts me.

I actually read more and the more I read, the more it became apparent that 'The Irish Voice' simply isn't the voice of Irish people and people of Irish descent living in Scotland. It is the voice of Irish Catholics living in Scotland and Irish Catholics only. It seems that protestant is a dirty word in 'The Irish Voice' because in their world Irish Protestants don't exist. After reading through their website I was insulted and offended that Irish Protestants seem to have been erased from society and history.

I have read and been disgusted by the sectarian rants of Phil McGillivan and his fascist ideals, which are more suited to Nazi Germany than modern day Scotland, and this new media outlet seems to follow similar lines.

After reading through their site, I felt that I was informed enough to be able to make an enquiry to the moderators of the site:

A serious question. Is this the Irish Voice for Catholics only? I clicked on the link hoping to find a site which was inclusive of all denominations and instead find nothing but Catholic this and Catholic that. Don't you acknowledge that many people of Irish descent, myself included are Protestants, and that the great hunger did not discriminate between religions? Do you not acknowledge the Protestant Irish people and people of Irish descent living in Scotland? I am disappointed that your claims to be the Irish Voice seem to apply only to Irish Catholics, and that is not only divisive, but it reeks of religious apartheid.

Rather unsurprisingly, they failed to reply.

This type of religious apartheid is commonplace in Scotland. In Africa apartheid was racial, in Scotland it is religious. Apartheid is apartheid and there is no place for it in modern society. Quite why it is accepted without challenge here in Scotland is beyond me.

It is about time that changed.