A chara, - At last, under the pressure of Irish public opinion, the so-called republican movement has decided to commence decommissioning of arms. This is a welcome and progressive move. However, there are two other essential moves the republican movement will have to make if it is to be fully forgiven and fully welcomed into Irish democracy.
Firstly, it must for the first time in its history recognise the British identity of the unionist people and their right to union with Britain. Up to now, republicans looked on the unionists as at worse agents of British imperialism or at best as Irish people in a state of aberration about their own identity. This false attitude must come to an end.
Finally, and most important of all in the healing process, the republican movement must repent, with humble and contrite hearts of its past misdeeds.
An Anglican clergyman whom I met while on holidays in Northern Ireland during the first IRA ceasefire said to me what Northern Ireland needs most is a spirit of repentance and forgiveness. This is absolutely true; repentance by the perpetrators of violence, on both sides, and forgiveness from the families of the victims.
The IRA must sincerely apologise for such things as the killing of over 500 young British working-class soldiers, brutally cut down in the prime of their life, and the many natives of our land that they killed. Only then can the republican movement be fully forgiven and fully accepted into our Irish democracy. Only then will the whole of Ireland be, in spirit, united. - Mise, le meas,
Diarmaid ╙ hAnnluain, Teach Meall≤g, Baile atha Cliath 16.