Madam, - Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan's call for shoppers to support the retailers of the 26 counties is in keeping with the more partitionist stance of Fianna Fáil in recent years. FF has been trying to ditch its "Republican Party" tag for some time. Does this also call for a look at possible northern influences on the trappings of state?
First there's the national flag. John Mitchell, with strong links to Newry, was certainly closely associated with its conception and its sentiment of the green and orange brought together by the white of peace seems totally irrelevant to this State today. In any case there have always been more Tricolours flying in Newry than in any other town in Ireland, so logically it has to go.
Next the national anthem. The popularisation of Peader Kearney's The Soldier's Songis strongly associated with the author's internment in Ballykinler camp in Co Down, so I'm afraid this too will have to go. Ireland's Callwould be the obvious replacement but again I fear there has been Northern involvement.
Maybe President McAleese will have to leave Áras an Uachtaráin as part of this general push against northern influence, giving Bertie a shot at the Park. - Yours, etc,
TERRY CASSIDY,
Trim,
Co Meath.
Madam, - In An Irishman's Diary last Wednesday, Frank MacNally permits himself a little gentle bigotry on the subject of Northerners being careful with a shilling.
As a Northerner who has lived south of the Border (in what my Northern nephews call "Mexico") for many years, I would accept that Northerners are different.
We should note that this is not exclusively an Irish phenomenon. There is a common view in places as far afield as Britain, France, Italy, the United States and India that northerners tend to be honest, hard-working, hard-nosed, practical, zealous, clannish, competitive and aggressive. Southerners, by contrast, are widely seen as soft, sottish, idle, pampered and pleasure-loving.
You can see why I live down here. - Yours, etc,
ARTHUR DEENY,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin 4