Sir, - I was amazed to hear, from an announcer on your national radio station, that when your Head of State visited Northern Ireland recently, her "team" had been reconciliation. Fanciful visions flashed through my mind of Mrs Robinson leading a squad of players to take part in some exotic form of sport.
Not until later did I realise some Irishmen have a special way of pronouncing words starting with the letters "th". It was not Mrs Robinson's "team" being spoken about, but the "t(h)eme" of her visit to the North.
As a visiting Caribbean journalist, that is just one of the interesting experiences I have enjoyed. Another is the unique way in which some of your motorists solve the parking problem. In those streets with the twin yellow lines, they simply cross those lines. They park on the other side. On the pavement. No doubt, parking on the pavement is illegal, but I have noticed no parking tickets on the windscreens of these yellow line jumpers. It can be only that the Garda are unwilling to penalise this display of genius.
Viewed from the distant Caribbean, problems of Northern Ireland are remote. I would like to say, Mr Editor, that from a base in Dublin, these problems have become clear to me. I cannot. In fact, the more I know, the less I understand.
Cutting through what seems a lot of schoolboy posturing, it appears that the product of generations of nurtured hate has dulled reason. I am told the British must take blame for this in that, traditionally, they have showered the Protestants with favouritism. And now, they would like to pull out. I am told also the Protestants are scared stiff that that "pull out" will take place and they may have to look for union with the Republic.
At least one indicator says they have a right to be scared. On the national radio station, RTE, there are two daily pauses for the Angelus to be rung. This is on the station paid for by everybody's taxes. If that station is now made to identify with such a strong Roman Catholic rite, Northern Protestants must ask what other favouritisms may be extended to followers of Rome.
Let me list just one other experience which underlines the friendliness and small town charm of your beautiful city. Last T(h)ursday, having selected my groceries in a shop where I was not known, I found I was 8p short. Seeking to put back some of my packages, I was told by the charming cashier: "No big t(h)ing! you can pay me the balance when next you're around". And I could say in reply was one word. "T(h)anks". - Yours, etc.,
Synge Street,
Dublin 2.