Madam, - The Tricolour of green, white and orange may be the national flag of the Republic of Ireland. But it is also the flag and symbol of Sinn Féin/IRA.
To the vast majority of our fellow countrymen in the North of Ireland and many in the South, it symbolises the violence and hatred that has befallen our beloved country since 1916 and it is no use hiding ourselves from the truth.
March 17th is a great day for the Irish at home and abroad. St Patrick is not only our patron saint but God's greatest gift to the Irish people, because he brought us Christianity. St Patrick alone unites Catholic and Protestant, Loyalist and Republican. He is indeed the patron saint of all the Irish at home and abroad.
So why not make the white flag with the red cross of St Patrick the national flag, instead of the Tricolour, which is the inspiration of violence and hatred? This could be a big step towards peace and reconciliation in Ireland. It would be honouring our patron saint not only on his feast day but the whole year round.
In time this flag could become, with the help of St Patrick, the flag of a free, united Ireland, a flag that every Irish person would be proud of and call their own. - Yours, etc.,
FRANK MEEHAN, Portlaoise, Co Laois.