Madam, - Some commentators seem to have been taken by surprise by Dr Ian Paisley's last major speech in Ireland as First Minister when, at the commemoration of the Battle of the Boyne, before assembled guests, he met Bertie Ahern, who like himself was about to leave office.
In my view, Dr Paisley's speech was thoughtful and appropriate. While he spoke reassuringly of the peace he had helped to broker, his overall message, set in the context of the history of the battle itself, held distinct meanings for nationalists and unionists. To the former he said that he brought them peace and goodwill, strongly urging all sides to live in harmony on this island for the sake of posterity. To the unionists he seemed to say that his helping to bring the negotiations for peace to a successful conclusion was not achieved at the expense of their most deeply held convictions and hard-fought values, but that it was a step on the road to transformation.
With that in mind, he redefined the word "Boyne" to give it a new significance, symbolising that the peace we have gained can be made to endure.- Yours, etc,
DORIEL MOLLOY, Zion Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6.