Sir, - I see that I have two things in common with Patrick Fagan (November 16th), who seeks the reunification of Meath.
One is that he and I originated in the part of that kingdom snipped off by Henry VIII. He is not more specific about where exactly he hails from, but some foresight tells me that it is not too far from where the water flows up the hill. Near my own birthplace there is no hill for it to flow either up or down, so it gathers in a great big puddle called Lough Ree. Although leafy Tang has one leg in Longford, I'm from the south bank of the Tang River, so I'm what Mr Fagan calls a Westmeathian.
I have no quarrel at all with his ambition to join together what Henry VIII put asunder - indeed what could be more appropriate? What I must insist upon is that in the subsequent administrative arrangements his notion of an east and west "riding" he kept as far away as possible - certainly further than Tipperary. Not only would it add to the anglicisation of which we've already had too much, but also, as I understand it, ridings come only in threes.
Anyway, the second thing we have in common is residence in Dublin, so should we both not leave the matter to those who stayed behind, especially as they now find themselves in what is being called the BMW region? - Yours, etc.,
Frank Farrell, Lakelands Close, Stillorgan, Co Dublin.