Madam, - Iain Mac Eochagáin (May 7th) displays perverse economic beliefs and an insecure sense of nationality. It was the protectionist economic policies of the past which contributed to what he describes as the process of "being bled dry by emigration". It has been adherence to the theory of Comparative Advantage, and our involvement in the EU, that have played significant roles in our economic development - even if this does entail buying "cheap English imports".
Recognising and celebrating others' cultures in no way lessens our own; I believe the opposite is true. Our ability to rejoice in and embrace other traditions is an intrinsic part of what it means to be Irish, and is a manifestation of the freedom and civil liberty which the leaders of the Rising sought.
As an Irish person living abroad the fact that I hear "foreign" voices and purchase "foreign" products does not diminish or dilute what it means to me to be Irish, or the level of Irishness that I feel, and in no way do I fear "cultural extinction". And as for not celebrating our own nationhood in any way, March 17th is, I believe, the day set aside each year for such festivities. In addition, those who are secure in their nationality celebrate it in the way in which they live their lives, and how they view other cultures, not merely in the products they buy. - Is mise,
LAURA WATTS, University of York, York, England.