Sir, Kevin Whelan's review (September 21st) of my book, Colonialism, Religion and Nationalism, was both thought provoking and provocative. Obviously, it is impossible in the course of a short piece to convey the nuances of all the arguments. This is particularly so in relation to a collection of essays. On the central issue of oppression in the Irish past, let me stress the point that the judgment made was a relative one.
I quote (page 223) Irish history is replete with instances of persecution, of evictions, of famines". But I also see European history as "brutal, bloody and oppressive". While open to persuasion, I am not as yet convinced that the Irish experience was of such singular intensity as to place it outside the European mainstream. Yours, etc., Department of Economic and Social History, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 INN.