Don’t expect a successful Irish unity referendum before 2098

Sir, – I welcome Michael McDowell’s column that “Political violence was the decisive factor in the creation of the Irish Free State,” (August 12th). It is an excellent rejoinder to Stephen Collins’s column last week.

Mr McDowell writes that “The path to Irish unity lies through reconciliation.” Like many others, I would like to see a unity referendum. However, there is a general belief that a people need four generations – about 100 years – to recover from a trauma.

I am aware that in west Cork there still is a lot of bitterness over the Civil War. On that basis, I don’t expect to see a successful unity referendum before 2098 at the earliest. Accordingly, I think the Government’s “Shared Island” initiative – softly, gently and slowly – is the correct approach. – Yours, etc,

PASCAL Ó DEASMHUMHNAIGH,