A chara, – In your editorial "The Fianna Fáil/SDLP merger: a cross-Border union takes shape" (August 21st) you take the view that a "merger" between Fianna Fáil and the SDLP "may inject a fresh appeal for moderate nationalists".
There is nothing fresh about either the SDLP or Fianna Fáil. When a larger ageing dinosaur swallows a smaller more frail one, you don’t break out the champagne and celebrate the birth of a “new” dinosaur.
What moderate nationalists want are genuine alternatives to sectarian extremes and to grubby jackeen politics.
The North and South of Ireland are calling for a new nationalism, not for the ghost of Redmondites past. – Is mise,
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STIOFÁN Ó BRIAIN,
Dún Dealgan,
An Lú.
Sir, – I read with interest the possibility of merger between the SDLP and Fianna Fáil. I write this while on holidays in the beautiful town of Newcastle, Co Down. The SDLP is a spent force in the North and has been for a long time. The big question I and many like me would ask is when are Fianna Fail and Sinn Féin going to merge? They both have very similar policies and are populist by nature. – Is mise,
PAUL DORAN,
Clondalkin, Dublin 22.