Madam, - On a recent visit to my native Dublin, I struck up a conversation with a taxi driver. We got on to the subject of the recent terrorist bombings in London. My driver told me that "the Brits" deserved to be bombed as retribution for how they had treated Ireland and other countries of their former empire.
While this incident is just anecdotal evidence, the general strength of anti-British sentiment in Ireland shocks me. Britain bears no grudge against Ireland for the IRA bombings. It bears no grudge against Germany for the London Blitz and most British people bear no grudge against the Muslim community for the actions of extremists.
Perhaps we need to get over what happened in Ireland hundreds of years ago and maturely recognise the fact that our nearest neighbour was a source of solutions to many of modern Ireland's problems during the 20th century.
Just ask the million people born on the island of Ireland who now live here. - Yours, etc,
MARTIN J DONNELLY, Deptford, London.