Sir, – I write in support of your contributor Andy Pollak (Letters, October 29th) regarding the subject: “Northern Ireland is being detached from UK”.
Northern Ireland has always been detached from the rest of the UK by a stretch of water known as the North Channel. However, as Mr Pollak writes, almost “900,000 people in Northern Ireland feel passionately British”. This, of course resulted from an event in history, when a large number of people from Britain were moved there in the “plantation” of Ulster. A great pity, but it is a fact of history.
Nowadays, a large number of people here look towards a united Ireland. That seems reasonable enough, but, as your correspondent asks: “What will the consequences actually be here in the Republic?”
What indeed? Presumably Ulster unionists will still want to “wave the Union flag and sing God Save the Queen”.
Personally, I feel that since there has never been a united Ireland, except as part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from about 1800 until the 1920s (and we don’t want that) we should accept the status quo.
Otherwise, as I see it, the “troubles” will move from Belfast etc to Dublin etc. Anyhow, we simply could not afford it. I read recently that the annual subvention the UK pays to Northern Ireland is £9.2 billion. Let those calling for a “united” Ireland remember that. – Yours, etc,
WILLIAM MURPHY,
Malahide,
Co Dublin.