Sir, - Families mourn the 300 RUC men and women murdered in the 30 year conflict in the North of Ireland - all were Irish citizens. Families mourn the 265 British soldiers murdered in the North - all human beings, some of them Irish citizens.
The vast majority of Irish people, North an South, had no quarrel with these people - certainly they were not at war with them. They could settle their differences by the laws of democracy and government and by the European Convention of Human Rights.
Many people in the North of Ireland were murdered by IRA or UVF/UFF - Unionist and Nationalist in politics, but all Irish citizens. About 150 unarmed citizens were shot by the RUC and British Army with lead and plastic bullets with no suitable investigation: many others were ill treated in interrogation centres or on the roads.
What is clear is that all sides have suffered fatal attacks, ill treatment and personal harassment - note that the Catholic side have had a lot of fatalities, punishment beatings, expulsions and serious intimidation from the IRA, INLA groups.
The healing process is an important part of the peace process. It calls for compassion from all of us to all families who have suffered. We have no quarrels with them. We do not wish to exclude them in any way. We do not want to see bitterness prolonged, but we want to exchange gestures of good will.
One feels that the GAA, which does so much good work in every part of Ireland, will see its way to including all in its games. A time for thought and meditation until October 1998, when the marching, the elections and All Irelands are over, would give all an opportunity to put on the other man's boots and see his point of view. - Yours, etc., (Rt Rev) Monsignor Denis Faul,
St. Patrick's Academy, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone.