The Republic should seriously consider rejoining the United Kingdom and it should be put to the people in a referendum in the light of the connotations of Brexit. British/Irish relations are going to be very tedious and fractious in the post Brexit era.
A united Ireland has only been considered from a Irish point of view, but never once has it been considered that Ireland should be reunited by rejoining the United Kingdom. Why not?
A 32-county republic is never going to happen and the closest it has come is an on-the-blink devolution which is going to be replaced by permanent direct rule very soon.
The Republic itself is a failed ex-colonial state which has driven out many generations of people to find work in other countries, while looking after an old shop who hand down their jobs to sons and daughters through tight connections in precluded interview processes.
The Republic is a hinterland outside of Cork and Dublin in a highly unstable economy with a rickety financial system. It has never been considered by this country because of issues to do with pride and 1916 and Sinn Féin-IRA.
Many negative things are going to come against the Republic in the not too distant future. Brexit is sure to create trade barriers between the Republic and the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland cannot stay within the United Kingdom and have special status with the EU. It is not going to happen.
You are either in or out of the EU from a trade point of view and there will be no exceptions.
A recent EU commission ruling on Ireland’s corporate taxation rate has also come as a big shock and by all accounts, the big giants in this country are watching Apple Computer’s appeal very closely on the billions the EU says they owe the Republic. Some large multinationals like Hewlett Packard are already on a slow pull out of Ireland.
Coming soon too is fiscal harmonisation under enhanced cooperation which will force Ireland minus Northern Ireland to accept a common and higher rate of corporate taxation.
The Irish government have previously stated they will be not budging on the issue.
That said, it will then be faced with a choice either to stay in and accept the taxation regime or get out of the EU and one other alternative, to rejoin the United Kingdom.
The only reason why foreign-direct investment is here in Ireland is because of the controversial dual corporate rate for foreign registered companies.
But already the stay of execution on these giants opening their books is up very soon under previous legislation on top on massive pressure from the EU to harmonise.
This land may have no future unless it is within the United Kingdom and it is something we in the Republic may have to accept.
It will the irony of all ironies that a united Ireland may come about in bringing the Republic back into the United Kingdom and ending partition that way, and not by the Republic annexing Northern Ireland?
MAURICE FITZGERALD
Shanbally, Co Cork
Many noble martyrs among pantheon of Irish heroes
Val Morgan (September 7) states that he had a ‘thought’ concerning the presence of a statue of John Mitchel that stands in Newry. I do wonder if Val had been supping with Nelson McCausland as they pondered this matter. As for my questioned position on the mooted removal of this statue, I would be strongly in favour of such.
John Mitchel was a confirmed and ardent racist who lost two sons in the Confederate fight to preserve the vile practice of slavery, among other issues. He should have no place in the pantheon of Irish republican heroes.
I will go further, and swiftly bat the ball back into the court of Val Morgan, by stating that Roger Casement should also be removed from that pantheon. Recent tests have largely confirmed that the infamous diaries of Casement, which ultimately cost him his Royal Pardon and his life, were genuine. Therefore, whatever good Casement did during his life, and it was considerable, has surely been negated by his sexual misconduct which, even by today’s standards, would have been deemed grossly inappropriate.
Anyone interested in the life of Casement could do worse than to read (the Nobel prize winner) Mario Vargos Llosa’s book, The Dream of the Celt in which he sympathetically recounts Casement’s life.
Republicans should not be afraid to ask questions about those who gave their lives for Irish freedom (Mitchel didn’t, Casement did). There are many noble and honourable martyrs within the republican pantheon. The 10 martyrs who died on hunger strike, for example, are each deserving of many statues
and tributes.
Irish republicans, therefore, have no need to cling stubbornly to the tainted memories of those who tarnished the cause of Irish freedom by their own immorality. I wonder just how many thoughts Val has on that.
ANTAN O DALA AN RI
Newry, Co Down
Leader of political correctness
It took a little while for me to figure out Leo Varadkar and how he’d be as taoiseach. I know exactly now that he is so far showing himself to be the leader of political correctness.
Leo appears to demand the ‘Irish change our attitudes’ in matters where he decrees there might be cause for offence to gay men and lesbian women.
We voted for gay marriage, is this not a decisive ‘change of attitude’? There is a tyranny doing the rounds. When the opinion of a radio host is deemed a national crisis so important that the leader of the Irish people feels justified to step in to make us understand that he is not best pleased with this ‘attitude’ and for the rest of us to behave as to how we might think.
Folk are a bit fed up with all this sideline stuff.
Personally, I believe that so far he has not been doing anything of substance to enhance the lives of the citizens.
I will begin to take notice of him if, for example, he announces the building of 100,000 local authorities houses. Otherwise he is merely the fun taoiseach and minister for offence and outrage.
ROBERT SULLIVAN
Bantry, Co Cork
First minister of Ulster Scots
It must be reassuring to those of an Ulster Scots bent to have First Minister Arlene Foster extolling the worth of their culture, while acknowledging insufficient attention has been given to its requirements.
Mrs Foster quite correctly emphasises an obligation for the culture, heritage and language to be researched, promoted and embedded in the education system, in addition to teachers being developed to pass on the tradition to the next generation.
That she has recognised this and suggested Ulster Scots must be supported to move up a gear is an indictment of the Ulster Scots Agency – so-called custodians of the Ulster Scots culture – who despite having been granted vast amounts of money by way of government grants have failed the Ulster Scots community.
WILSON BURGESS
Derry City
Experiencing God’s healing
I’m writing to tell about the wonderful time I had attending a Catholic youth summer festival through youth 2000.
I volunteered assisting 1,000 young people to experience God’s healing and love and to grow in faith. Many brilliant priests, brothers and nuns, all full of wisdom and joy, helped and spoke at the festival.
There’s a peace and goodness at the youth 2000 retreats and I encourage any young person between the age16 and 35 to attend and parents to encourage their children to attend. Youth 2000 have upcoming retreat details at youth2000.ie. Young people, full of faith, peace and joy, please come along and experience it.
SEAN BARKER
Dungannon, Co Tyrone
