The Irish have shown the world what amazing language can sound like, have bred poets and minstrels of the first order, and kept the Mystery alive in thousands of corners where it might have succumbed to ordinarity.

The Brits have shown the world how to take a pummeling and come back fighting. They have demonstrated an awesome capacity for untrammeled introspection and the tireless concatenation of odd thoughts one after another.

The Canadians have provided the world with the ultimate Refuge.

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