Sir, – Colm Tóibín's mentioning of Sinn Féin (a pro-EU, pro-immigration, centre-left party) in the same context as Ukip (an anti-EU, anti-immigration, right-wing party) is either decidedly muddled, or disingenuous ("What Brexit Britain doesn't understand about Ireland", Books, October 5th).
Colm Tóibín then cites a rationale for opposition to the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement: “The Dublin government suddenly had a say in the affairs of Northern Ireland, but no one in the North could vote to remove the Dublin government” and “this opposition to arbitrary authority was at the very heart of Protestant identity”.
Of course, the considerable irony, which Colm Tóibín appears to miss entirely, is that the London government has a major say in the affairs of Northern Ireland (such as forcing Brexit on a region that voted against it) – but nobody in the North can vote to remove it either. – Yours, etc,
SEÁN MacCANN,
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Trillick,
Co Tyrone.
Sir, – Fair play to Colm Tóibín for exposing the injudicious “mystical blather” about a united Ireland “in my lifetime” we have to listen to from our senior Government politicians.
It’s time we realised that “A nation once again” is in the same dark fantasy category as “Make Britain great again”.
We should know better by now. – Yours, etc,
CHRIS FITZPATRICK,
Dublin 6.