Madam, - I agree with John Waters (Opinion, July 2nd) that peace and stability in Northern Ireland must not, in the rush to single out the disaster of Iraq, be overlooked as an indispensable part of Tony Blair's legacy.
Mr Waters correctly observes that "after 800 years of hatred, [ Blair] changed the relationship between Ireland and Britain in a way that seems too good to be true, but actually is the kind of thing that would have happened long ago if we'd had leaders of his calibre before."
Reading these words, I was immediately reminded of a preface which Mr Blair contributed, along with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, whose work for peace in Northern Ireland should also never be forgotten, to Britain and Ireland: Lives Entwined - a compilation of essays examining the relationship between the two nations through the eyes of a number of well-placed and respected commentators.
"The blurring and re-drawing of boundaries - physical, political and cultural - between our countries has taken places many times over the centuries," Mr Blair wrote. "Frequently, these shifts have produced tension, division and hardship. "That a unique bond exists between Britain and Ireland is perhaps a result of - not in spite of - our turbulent shared history." - Yours, etc,
CIARAN McCABE, Beechpark, Lucan, Co Dublin.