Madam, - I was lucky to be on holiday in Ireland during the week leading up to the 90th anniversary commemorations and enjoyed reading your articles reflecting on the events of Easter 1916.
As a member of the Scottish National Party, whose prime aim is to restore Scotland's independence, I was particularly heartened by MEP Eoin Ryan's article of April 13th. In this, he remembers marvelling at his grandfather's recollections of those momentous days when he served as medical officer in the GPO. He recalls how, as a youngster, his parents took him to the parades and pageants marking key dates in Ireland's history.
However, it is the closing paragraphs of Mr Ryan's article to which I wish to draw your readers' attention. In these he relates 1916 to contemporary European politics and says that "Ireland's struggle was an early example of a small nation opting for self-determination". Although we in Scotland have had a degree of self-determination since our devolved parliament was established in 1999, we do not yet have all the powers of normal, independent countries such as Ireland.
We in the SNP therefore look to Ireland's economic success as a role model in our quest to restore full independence to our country. It is my sincere hope that by the time you are celebrating the centenary of 1916, Scotland too will have regained her independence. - Yours, etc,
KATE YOUNG, Dundee, Scotland.
Madam, - With reference to your Editorial (April 14th) and items purchased by the National Library, no reference is made to the shameful failure of the State to purchase Tom Clarke's farewell note to his wife, Kathleen, written hastily on a page of his notebook in Richmond Barracks after the surrender when he expected to be shot out of hand. He entrusted its delivery to a British soldier, giving him his watch as payment.
As one who attended the auction, I was shocked and dismayed to see the representative of the National Library shake his head to indicate he was finished bidding when his competitor (by telephone) made the final and successful bid of €75,000 - substantially less than it would cost to buy a top-of-the-range SUV in modern Ireland. This document was from the hand of a man who had served over 15 years in penal servitude, who had the honour of being the first signatory of the Proclamation, and who happily went out and gave his life for his country and future generations.
While it is regrettable in many respects that such important documents were offered for sale to the world at large, there remained an indisputable onus on Bertie Ahern's Government to secure without fail an item such as Tom Clarke's "farewell note".
It may not be too late to contact the purchaser and offer a reasonable excess to the purchase price (perhaps with the exemption of capital gains tax) and correct our error. - Yours, etc,
JOHN FITZMAURICE, Kilpedder, Co Wicklow.
Madam, - Some of your correspondents in the past few weeks have harped on about the 1916 Rising not having been given a mandate from the people of Ireland.
Did the fighters of England have a mandate from the people to oust the Normans? Did Cromwell have a people's mandate to oust the king? Did the American revolutionaries have a mandate to oust the British? Need one continue? - Yours, etc,
P. W. KELLY, Walton-on-Naze, Essex, England.
Madam - T. O'Connor (April 17th) referred to James Dillon's reply to a Dáil question as to his whereabouts during the 1916 Rising. It reminded me of a reply made by a Kildare man to the same question. He said: "It was Easter Monday, 1916, and I was at Fairyhouse Races". - Yours, etc,
PATRICK POWER, Mount Prospect Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3.