Madam, – My eye was caught by the impressive display of academic and other signatories to a letter (March 23rd) pleading for our return to that curiously unmodified entity, “The” Commonwealth. And yet in their hearts, and despite their collective courage, they must in these latter days be feeling somewhat daunted. Who now can expect the Irish to want membership of an organisation soon to belong with those whose “sad names/linger in the histories”, as Derek Mahon puts it.
I think I can help. The only Commonwealth of any real political significance was Cromwell’s. It was the first English republic, established some century and a half before the more famous French model, validated like the latter with the decapitation of the monarch.
Not only this: res publica, as any Latin dictionary will confirm, means the public (or common) riches (or wealth). The commonwealth is the republic. Since they are perfect synonyms, why not simply change the name of "The Commonwealth" to "The Republic"? In view of the lessons of language and history, no one could object to a change in wording when the substance remains the same, nor could the Irish reasonably object to joining "The Republic". The problem would be solved once and for all and we could turn our attention to other things. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The British empire is dead. The Commonwealth is a support group for post-imperial trauma or monarchy fetishists – take your pick.
I would like to suggest that since there is, at best, a few dozen of these souls, we could give them a deserted island off our coast, let them declare independence and join the Commonwealth. Her majesty could visit and they could take part in the Commonwealth Games and so on. My only condition would be that they would be forbidden from annoying decent people by writing to newspapers. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Lest any confusion arises from the institutional attribution of the letter “Time to rejoin the Commonwealth?” (March 23rd), I wish to confirm that the department of history, University College Cork, has no association with the campaign in question, nor, with one exception, are any of the signatories staff members of the department. – Yours, etc,