Pretty certain he was Irish, will double check when I get home. He's also pretty certain about the connection with the identification between religion and the nationalist struggle, though it was more rooted in the era of the late 19th century up to partition, nowt to do with the modern troubles. There's a whole bit quoting various dignitaries from Rome in the 16/17th centuries saying, 'blimey I wash my hands' etc. And I think he meant it as a complement, rather than anything else. Plus the references for both the points were in the early chapters so 16th century where the whole idea of nationality was only just beginning to take root. The dangers of my quoting out of context eh? Whoops.