Sir, – In the spirit of Swift and on the first day of April, may I suggest that the long-suffering people of Ireland badly need something to distract them as they continue what now feels like a centuries-old struggle against “the restrictions” .
In light of proposals for a border poll in Northern Ireland, it might be worth considering a modest proposal to first end partition within the 26 counties.
Your well-informed readers will doubtless be aware that on St Catherine’s Day of 1542 an Act for the division of Meath into two shires of Meath and Westmeath was commenced and that this Act remains in effect.
The ending of this ancient act of partition, which effectively robbed us of our fifth province, now needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency, if only to take our minds off the serious challenges facing us in health, housing, childcare, education, employment, defence – not to mention the inability to have a pint and a packet of cheese and onion crisps in the local.
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A border poll on the partition of Meath could be organised for April 1st, 2022, and, in the meantime, talks regarding the future form of government for the new entity could be convened at Tara, which has been suggested as the new capital so as to avoid continued association with places such as Navan and Mullingar.
The practical implications of a united Meath could be teased out in these talks and the views of the GAA and the Christian churches sought regarding inter-provincial games and diocesan synods respectively.
This border poll process, were it to be successful, could inform the planning of a New Ireland, confuse Jim Allister and the Traditional Unionist Voice party and greatly reduce calls for a 32-county Republic. – Yours, etc
MERVYN TAYLOR,
Boyle,
Co Roscommon.