Sir, – While having some sympathy forJoe Henry's point of view (May 6th) with regard to the sudden interest in obtaining an Irish passport, I have to ask that some consideration be given to people such as myself.
Having an English father and an Irish mother, I was born with the right to dual nationality. Although born in Sheffield, I chose an Irish passport when I first required one. That was in 1972, when it is fair to say that maybe the Irish weren’t quite as popular as they are now.
There were numerous reasons for my choice, including the fact that over 95 per cent of my known family are Irish and I inherited a dislike of monarchy from my English father.
The main reason, however, was my affection for Ireland and its people, all my childhood summers were spent in Co Clare, and I never met with anything other than good humour and a sincere welcome, and still do.
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Now, however, I’m in the position of feeling some rare sympathy for the genuine supporters of Manchester United who have family connections with the club and attend matches when they hear someone from Essex who’s never been north of Watford claim to be a supporter. We don’t have that problem down at Bramall Lane, so it’s a new experience for me.
From now on when passing through customs posts I'm going to be tempted to hold my passport up in the air and declare its provenance, followed by singing the first two verses of Spancil Hill.
With my singing voice this won’t be a pleasant experience for anyone, let me tell you!
So let us be careful with any changes; the law of unintended consequences can be painful, especially on the ears! – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL WILLIAMSON,
Norton,
Sheffield, England.
Sir, – I am a dual national of Ireland and the United States, my citizenship of the latter obtained through my mother long before I would have had an opinion on the matter.
Far from being an “administrative convenience”, my dual nationality causes considerable complication – not least the requirement to file and pay taxes in two countries. Nevertheless, I have accepted the various obligations as part of who I am, and I am proud to be both Irish and American. – Yours, etc,
RICHARD BANNISTER,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin 4.