Sir, – As a native of Belturbet, Co Cavan, I found Alan Dukes’s remark about the people who live near the Border to be ignorant, gratuitous, ill-informed and unacceptable (“Dukes apologises ‘unreservedly’ over comment that Border people have violence ‘in their blood’”, News, December 2nd). It will take more than one apology to sort this one out! – Yours, etc,
ITA McCORMACK,
Maynooth,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – Alan Dukes has apologised for his suggestion that a predisposition to violence was endemic along the Border.
Those who harshly condemn him remind us that the majority of people living there deplored the violent actions of the minority, on both sides.
Does the electoral obliteration of peaceful parties and the success of parties which saw violence as a means to an end not give us a different answer?
The anonymity of the voting booth tells all.
And that goes for all Ireland. – Yours, etc,
EUGENE TANNAM,
Dublin 24.
Sir, – Might I remind Alan Dukes that Derry is a Border city and John Hume was one of those “Border people”. – Yours, etc,
SÉAMUS MARTIN,
Dublin 8.