Unification is a very divisive word in Ireland but perhaps we should look at the bigger picture. The Brexit referendum which was imposed on both Scotland and Northern Ireland produced a vote in favour of staying in Europe in both countries (or parts of the UK if you prefer). But there are many things that unify the Irish, north and south and the Scots. In the north of Ireland there are some who consider themselves Irish and others British and again others who are Irish and European or British and European. It is the same in Scotlland. There are many historical links between Ireland and Scotland, linguistic and political. In one direction there is the link between Irish and Scots Gaelic, and in the other is the plantation of Ulster by Scots. So should we not consider a united Irish/ Scot federation. Ireland, north and south and Scotland, whose citizens are currently members of the European Union, of which, in the north and in Scotland, a majority wish to remain in the EU. Each part of this federation is at this moment a member of the European Union and therefore should not be forced to leave. In addition, during the last Scottish referendum on independence, the British government said that Scotland could not use the pound sterling as a national currency. As Ireland is in the Euro-Zone, one could expect that this new federation would have the Euro as its currency. I believe that this would be a solution for those currently part of the United (or should that be dis-united) Kingdom who wish to remain in the European Union. Brexit has two years to be negotiated. Politicians in the north and south of Ireland and in Scotland have the same period to put this federation in place.
MALACHI O'SULLIVAN
Limoges, France
Clerical abuse victims ‘haven’t gone away you know’
Every time I hear or read of the child abuse epidemic involving the Catholic Church in Ireland I get triggered usually in a negative way that is personal to me. But sometimes the trigger has a positive impact on me, brought up from somewhere deep in my soul. Patrick Murphy’s article (March 18) was one of those times. The man Patrick spoke to was born in the mother and baby home in Tuam and felt first hand the horror, physical deprivation and inhumanity in the Catholic Church in the 20th century. I felt it too, albeit in a different setting along with 100s of others.
What has changed now we are in the 21st century? Nothing.
Marie Collins resigned recently from the Papal Commission for child protection, because too many in the Vatican were unwilling to implement the pope’s reforms. Yet again we the abused children of Ireland have to continue fighting on our own.
At a group counselling years ago a priest – himself abused as a child and who spent a lifetime trying to fight for justice ‘from within’ – told me it was worse than fighting the Mafia.
Years later when I asked a bishop for help I was told certainly they would help “it’s not the 60s and 70s anymore we do things differently now”.
What help did I get? Nothing.
Let me say to all the clergy in Ireland who have helped to cover up the barbaric abuse by the Catholic Church that all the victims and survivors of your ongoing scandals – including the 800 babies in Tuam, the 100s of men and women who told their stories to the Hart Inquiry in Banbridge and 1000s of individuals like me – “We haven’t gone away you know” and we won’t stay silent so you can stay comfortable in your ivory towers.
We are going to get justice.
GERARD GORMAN
Newcastle, Co Down
Proper jobs needed for Derry
In and around Belfast is buzzing with new 21st century proper jobs. Many generated by DII. But Derry isn’t buzzing with proper jobs.
That’s the reason Derry SDLP (Foyle Constituency) had 2,162 first preference votes lower than Derry Sinn Féin.
Or in raw simple numbers for every 100 SDLP first preferences Sinn Féin got 115.
So Derry SDLP must do more to help get proper jobs in to Derry in the new assembly. Otherwise Derry folk will tell them to ‘buzz off’ in the next election. With Sinn Féin taking three or more of the Foyle seats.
Therefore to help deliver Derry jobs the SDLP must take up the ministerial job on offer under the d’hondt rules and not pantomime about in pretend opposition in the new assembly.
Ministerial jobs are power. There’s a big difference for example in an opposition backbencher asking to see the head of INI and a minister asking. The difference is power.
That’s why Derry folk voted for the two SDLP Foyle MLAs – to exercise power resulting in new proper jobs – be they in aerospace, life science or IT.
So none of this pretend opposition nonsense.
SDLP must take on board Mary Harney’s famous quote – ‘a bad day in power is better than your best day in opposition’.
TOM BRADLEY
Derry city
Salient facts omitted
Much praise has been given, and rightly so, to the speech by An Taoiseach on St Patrick’s Day in Washington.
Knowing that the media can only broadcast sound bites, I have checked this against the government website. It is unfortunate that An Taoiseach omitted some salient facts, which distort the contribution made by our forefathers to the development of the United States.
Enda Kenny said: “Four decades before Lady Liberty lifted her lamp we were the wretched refuse on the teeming shore”. Given that the Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886 this suggests that he was only making reference to the ‘famine Irish’.
It was during the life of George Washington, to whom he referred, that some 200,000 citizens left these shores for America. They left for the same reasons – “because deprived of liberty, opportunity, safety and even food itself”. The vast bulk of these citizens were Ulster Presbyterians.
Seventeen presidents can trace their ancestry to the Presbyterians of Ulster origin, who emigrated in the 17th and 18th centuries.
It is unfortunate that the migration of Ulster Presbyterians appear to have been left out of what was otherwise an excellent speech.
BRIAN KENNAWAY (Rev)
Co Antrim
Martin will be sadly missed
I wept when I heard that Martin McGuinness had died. As someone reared in Co Down I heard from my parents and witnessed the intransigence and hostility of the British government and its bully boys, the unionists.
Martin McGuinness and other men and women stood up to defend us and by their sheer determination the British started talking and we see the consequences today of what they did.
He was a beacon of light and had ‘a way about him’ that softened your initial hostility towards him – the qualities of leadership. He will be missed. I will miss him.
PAUL DORAN
Clondalkin, Dublin 22
Human rights sidelined
There has not been one prosecution for female genital mutilation in the UK to date, yet Human Rights NGOs such as Amnesty International and other equality campaign groups highlight and push trivial issues such as transgender toilets or changing the ‘green man’ on traffic lights to a ‘green woman’ because displaying the man only is seen as sexist.
It’s an injustice to focus on trivial issues when real concerns of inequality and human rights are sidelined.
M CAIRNS
Belfast BT15
