That wind didn't shake my barley!

Spoilers included.

I might have known that Ken Loach and I wouldn't agree about what happened in the Irish Civil War.

Why is it that people who are slightly to the left of you, are miles and miles away, whereas people who are slightly on the right of you are only slightly to the right of you?

Not that I mind really. Except for the fact that I know there's a whole cinema full of Canadians who now think that my grandfather and his fellow Free Staters were bastard mercenary pigs who only fought the War of Independence to protect the rich and perpetuate the capitalist system that ground the poor under.

Also they think that a shower of west-Cork Republicans would think nothing of having a Jackeen socialist member of the Citizen's Army fight with them.

Which is of course much more ludicrous than the idea that my grandfather fought for anything other than what he thought was the best for his people.

However, as most of the dialogue in the film was conveyed in a thick Cork accent, I can only hope that they are confused. As most Canadians are about Ireland.

Even Himself. Who has had several lectures on the subject. As we left the cinema, I was explaining why the Free Staters had shot their own people, using a reversal of the England's difficulty is Ireland's opportunity argument.

"They thought that the British government would use the continued Civil War as an opportunity to re-invade the south."

Himself considered this, then said, 'but they did anyway.'

"No, they didn't."

"Yes they did."

"Ehhhmm, no.."

"So there were no British soldiers in Birr when you were growing up?"

"No!"

"Oh."

Silence descends as we walk to the car and I try to think what I might have said to make him think that.