Sir, Mary Holland is indeed to be commended for finally broaching what has long been the unspoken yet obvious truth about Northern Ireland (Irish Times, August 8th). Compromise may not be possible. If possible, it may not be enough. The time has come, for a more radical appraisal.
Parity of esteem the seemed bedrock of Anglo Irish hopes for a solution, wild not allow full expression for two competing nationalisms. Only a nation state can in the final analysis allow for such expression and just to a single nation. If Northern Ireland remains in the Union, then Protestants who profess to be British will belong to the nation state in which they live. Catholics who claim to be Irish will remain alienated from it. The problem is that at its roots the conflict in Northern Ireland is primarily about nationalism and only secondarily about civil rights. Parity of esteem arrangements can solve the latter but not the former. A further problem arises when Protestants perceive those same arrangements as encroaching on their rights to express their sense of nationalism, of which much evidence recently.
So we have two nations in need of belonging to their own nation state. By and large, Northern Protestants want to remain with Britain, Catholics with Ireland. That is not unreasonable. It is the constant attempt by both the British and the Irish governments, church leaders, media commentators, etc., to deny that such is a reasonable desire on the part of both sides that makes both nationalist and unionist attitudes seem unreasonable. The obvious if somewhat daunting solution is to divide Northern Ireland once more.
Once re partitioned along the line which best separates the bulk of the two communities, the Protestant unionists will have a secure homeland probably no smaller than the total of that which in reality they currently occupy in the six counties if you take into account the territory occupied by the nationalists. The nationalists will in the main rejoin their fellow Irish in an enlarged Republic. Special arrangements would have to be entered into for Belfast because of the large Nationalist population but that is not beyond the wit of political minds. For those caught on the "wrong" side of the new border, generous compensation and relocation expenses could be paid. That would surely sweeten an otherwise bitter pill for many. The re-partition process would not have to happen all at once. Various transitional arrangements might be useful.
An important point to understand is that nothing like a hostile or closed border Would be created. Quite the opposite. Ireland and Britain are friendly nations in a converging family of EU countries. The frustration of nationhood which has blighted this island would be at an end. The two nations, unionist and nationalist secure in their own homelands, would be able to cooperate as any others in the EU. Nationalism is only negative and fervent when threatened. Before long our familiarity and ease with the lesser Northern Ireland and its people would far exceed the distant and fearful scenario that currently prevails. When we are no longer a threat to each other we will be friends.
Irish republicanism constitutes a perfectly reasonable set of aspirations. So does British unionism. The difference between them can not be split, so the territory must be divided. Mary Holland is right. It is time to think seriously about the prospect. Yours, etc., Farranwilliam, Ardfert, Co Kerry.