A chara, - I thought I would let Laura Watts's letter of May 9th pass, but I feel urged to respond to Stephen Nolan's letter of May 11th.
Firstly, I am not an "elitist". To me, an Irish person is anyone born in Ireland, and I am delighted that hundreds of Nigerians, Brazilians, and Filipinos are coming to our shores, each adding their own unique way of life and enriching our sense of Irishness.
However, to me, it is un-Irish to make English sports (football, rugby) the centre of Irish life. What about our own native sports? Children growing up today have less and less reason to differentiate between being Irish and being English. After all, they watch Big Brother, play soccer, and use English slang words, surely to Mr Nolan's dismay?
At least in de Valera's Ireland, Irishness found its expression in neutrality and peace, grounded in our sense of uniqueness. The European Union cannot cater for this.
Mr Nolan and others should keep their own stereotypes ("Padraig Pearse's limited, narrow sense of Irishness") to themselves.
Should I deny any involvement in the IRA now, or wait for that nasty comment to show up on this page? - Is mise,
IAIN Mac EOGHAGÁIN, Páirc Raithlin, Baile Bán, Gaillimh.