Madam, - I am very disappointed at the way the Taoiseach announced the return of the Rising parade at a party conference. The proper way to do this would have been for Mr Ahern to stand on the steps of Leinster House accompanied by other political leaders to make a joint announcement.
This would have let us see our democratically elected leaders standing united to tell Sinn Féin/IRA that our Republic, and our national history, honour, symbols, identity, and pride, belong to the people, and not to any party.
Mr Ahern's announcement at a party conference was nothing more than a self-serving, selfish expropriation of our Republic for electoral gain.
It is hilarious to watch Fianna Féin and SF/IRA fighting over which is the most republican, when the reality is that neither act like republicans. Both confuse the party with the people. Both abuse our national identity, history and symbols for their own ends.
Both believe that only they are the inheritors of the State's founders, and only they are entitled to rule the country.
Mr Ahern had an opportunity to be a statesman, to put the political future of himself and his party to one side, to stand back from partisan politics and put the people first by announcing the return of the Rising parade without using it for his own re-election.
Instead we are to be subjected to the undignified sight of our Army being used as cheerleaders in a cheesy Fianna Fáil election rally. It is not enough to take our Republic back from SF/IRA; we are going to have to take it back from Fianna Fáil as well. - Yours, etc,
JASON FITZHARRIS,
Rivervalley,
Swords,
Co Dublin.
Madam, - Would not St Patrick's Day be a more appropriate day on which to celebrate our national heritage than the anniversary of the Easter Rising?
Are we the descendants of the Island of Saints and Scholars, or are we the descendants of people who viewed violence as a means to an end?
Whichever we choose will affect the values we base our lives upon in the present day. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL THOMPSON,
Brookfield Place,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
Madam, - In the interest of historical accuracy I would like to respond to the report by your correspondent Mark Brennock on the statement by Bertie Ahern that the Government intends to reinstate the Easter military parade in Dublin (The Irish Times, October 22nd).
Mr Brennock refers to the "small parade outside the GPO" that was the official 75th anniversary commemoration of the Easter Rising. He is correct in this respect - for the official ceremony was not only pathetic but also managed to insult the few survivors of the Rising who had gathered on O'Connell Street.
However, he fails to mention that there was another commemoration that year, an unofficial one organised by a national 75th anniversary committee under the title "Reclaim the spirit of Easter". It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; if that is so, all I can say is, "Thank you, Taoiseach!"
During that anniversary year the "Reclaim the spirit of Easter" campaign organised lectures, debates, concerts, an exhibition of watercolours by Constance Markievicz (opened by Bertie Ahern TD), a week of film, organised in conjunction with the Irish Film Institute, a schools' poetry and art competition, which drew thousands of entries from national schools all over the country, a céili mór in the Mansion House and many other activities too numerous to mention. The culmination was a parade in Dublin on April 6th which was witnessed by a crowd of about 20,000 people.
Sadly, I believe that omission can often represent a form of censorship and should have no place in proper journalism. - Yours, etc,
ROBERT BALLAGH,
Broadstone,
Dublin 7.
Madam, - With the FFled Government looking past its sell-by date and with our hospitals facing intolerable pressure, it is little wonder that Bertie Ahern has chosen to play the history card rather than the health card.
However, in the interests of commemorative fairness, shouldn't Bertie Ahern see to it that an appropriate State celebration is put in place to mark the declaration of the Republic of Ireland by Fine Gael taoiseach John A. Costello in 1948? - Yours, etc,
ANDREW GREANEY,
Castle Avenue,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.
Madam, - The establishment of Forum for Opportunity, an élite club where political influence can be bought, the re-commissioning of a military parade to celebrate 1916 and a standing ovation for Charles Haughey at the recent party ardfheis all indicate that Fianna Fáil has learned nothing from recent history.
Irish citizens should prepare themselves for Groundhog Day. - Yours, etc,
ANTHONY SHERIDAN,
Carraig Eoin,
Cobh,
Co Cork.