Sir, - Several letter-writers have commented on Nuala O'Faolain's column of August 11th but none has adverted to the peculiarly valuable questions she asked, nor did anyone raise them with her on radio a week later. She asked: "What is it he [John Hume] has made respectable? Does he, after all, or doesn't he want a united Ireland, and if he does, what would he plan for his fellowcitizens who do not? Or does he not want a united Ireland? And if he doesn't, is that quite clear to the Southern electorate?"
She spoke of our furtive relationship with nationalism. A good phrase. For my part, I like being Irish, a citizen of this Republic. To misquote Groucho Marx, I do not want to be a member of club which includes members who vehemently do not want to be members of club which includes me.
I would like to see unionists settle for a territory which would contain as far as possible only people who chose to be citizens there, but they do not show any inclination to do so. - Yours, etc.,
Whitechurch Rd., Dublin 14.