A chara, – I wish Heather Humphreys well with her invitation to Kevin Myers, late of your parish, to join in the all-inclusive 1916 celebrations. I would also like to assure Derek Henry Carr (Letters, July 29th) that he is not alone in his distaste for the manner in which many in this country are succumbing to 1914 revisionism and toadyism.
What is particularly galling is that any effort to mount a tribute to the needlessly dead men and women is hijacked by the very establishment that sent them to their deaths in the first place.
In a similar vein I was informed last year that it was proposed that a memorial be built in this country to commemorate the Irish men who were killed in the American forces in Vietnam. I objected to this at the time it was proposed.
I lost a cousin in this venture and can see no reason to allow the American forces to revel in this and exclude a memorial to the Vietnamese who lost their lives.
To add insult to injury the defence forces of this country, in which my father served for many years, are now turned against citizens who choose to remonstrate against the American forces at Shannon airport. Can no one protect us from sleeveenism? Yours, etc,
PÁDRAIG UA BRIAIN,
Brú na Fána,
Coill na bhFearraibh
Baile an Chabháin
Sir, — Patrick Cooney (Letters, July 30th) claims that the Easter Rising “belongs” to those who are republicans. The republican ideal is an all-inclusive one, in which people of differing beliefs and opinions are accommodated. Sadly, not only in an Irish context, but also in the USA, it has come to mean the polar opposite. That Mr Cooney should claim that 1916 should “belong” to republicans to the exclusion of others is richly ironic. – Yours, etc,
PADDY SWEETMAN,
Clarinda Park East,
Dún Laoghaire
Sir, – Well, well, the apologists for 100 years of division, strife and terror have finally let a chink of light shine from their lair. I for one do not want to own a part of the actions of a few unelected and self-appointed so-called revolutionaries. So Patrick Cooney can rest assured he can have his commemorations to himself. – Yours, etc,
JOHN K ROGERS,
Ballydorey,
Co Westmeath