Madam, – It is interesting to read the colourful ruminations of an unreconstructed irredentist “republican” such as Joe Lynch (March 14th).
They remind us how far so many of us have come from the spittle-frothing, fascist “republican” ethos he so admires and supports.
Following the Treaty of 1921, the unionist majority of Northern Ireland voted to remain in the UK. Such is democracy. This democratic decision was again put to a vote 77 years later, in 1998. It was approved by all the Irish people. The renewed state of Northern Ireland is now better organised constitutionally to ensures a fair deal for all its people. That is why genuine Republicans accept it.
Northern Ireland may opt to join the Republic if and when a majority wants it. That’s real democracy. Political unity is not a prerequisite for freedom. There is no army of occupation in Ireland. Two states, two armies. Perhaps a federal union under a Council of Ireland may come to pass eventually.
The Real IRA, the Continuity IRA and the evil drug-smuggling gang called the INLA should be rounded up, charged, and gaoled if found guilty. These people are not bona fide Republicans. They are armed and dangerous terrorist criminal scum. Joe Lynch’s views seem to be far from those of our finest Irish leaders – Collins, O’Connell, Tone, Parnell or the great Sinn Féin founder and president of the Irish Free State, Arthur Griffith. People who promulgate fascist, anti-democratic, terrorist views and civil strife insult the tradition of these fine Irish patriots. It is they who should stay far away from all commemorations. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – There is a responsibility we all share for creating the climate in which violent republicanism is allowed to flourish. We should no longer accept the distinctions, so important to Joe Lynch, between the IRA, Official IRA, Provisional IRA, Real or Continuity IRA. They are just spokes in a wheel that we all happily push down the generations. Until we look hard at our own glorification of terrorist violence, peddled in our schools and popular culture, we will never be rid of this scourge. Alas, a new generation is now added to this cycle.
I fear that obsessing about the current incarnation (be it Real or Continuity IRA) only diminishes our collective responsibility for creating this climate. We risk making them scapegoats that allow us to postpone a long overdue self-evaluation.
Isn’t it time we weeded out the cult of Collins, the myth of 1916, and the poison of the War of Independence? Isn’t it time to slay some golden calves instead of police officers and young servicemen? If we continue to plant in poor soil we will forever harvest bad crops. – Yours, etc,