Sir, - Leaving aside for the moment Ken Maginnis's comments regarding Prof McAleese, I cannot agree with the assertion in his article (The Irish Times, October 23rd) that "fashionable, nationalist, upper-middle class Dublin is consumed with an inherent hatred of all things British and all things unionist." (What's fashionable got to do with it?).
For his authority, Mr Maginnis claims 16 years visiting and speaking in the Republic. I have spent longer than that in the Republic, not just giving talks, but living there, mixing, listening.
What he mistakes for hatred is, in fact, the usual second-city competitive syndrome to be found within all developed countries, and between nations geographically close. Cork has no great love for Dublin; Derry hasn't a lot of time for Belfast; Dublin is miffed because Fleet Street seems hardly to know Ireland's capital, and won't reply to the comparisons flung at the British, as for example in the Eurovision Song Contest, and as when a long, speculative lob from by a green-shirted player sailed past the English goalie into the net. This attitude spills over into other areas of conversation, but I wouldn't regard this as evidence, much less proof, of antiBritishness. Indeed, the Irish upper- middle classes are having too much fun talking about each other for there to be much room for any other topic.
As for anti-unionism, the Dublin upper-middle classes are not anti-unionist: in fact, like myself, they're bored by unionism, as presented by the UUP and DUP: I wouldn't for the world trivialise the peace process, but it's about as mentally stimulating as watching a soccer match where one side keeps returning the ball to the goalkeeper.
Regarding Ken Maginnis's comments about Prof McAleese, well, just before John Bruton went to the country, I pleaded in the Seanad for the peace process to be kept out of the election campaign. Bertie Ahern chose not to: he stomped the country accusing John Bruton of failing adequately to represent Northern nationalists, thereby sending wrong, inflammatory signals to both sides in the North. Since then he has compounded the error by tightening the nationalist consensus in the Oireachtas, and taking a Northern nationalist as his party's choice for the highest office in the land.
Instead of attacking Prof McAleese, who is fully entitled to hold her present views, Ken Maginnis and, indeed all those who are concerned at the possible after effects of the Presidential election on the North, should direct their outrage at Bertie Ahern, the only begetter of the present shambles. - Yours, etc.,
From Sam McAughtry
Comber, Co. Down.