JAMES McGEEVER,
Sir, - Dermot Shortall asks why "our" flag was flown at half mast as a mark of sympathy on the death of the Queen Mother (April 13th). His attitude is indicative of the general and official failure, all down the years, to address the essential meaning of the Tricolour.
Although it is "our" state flag, the Tricolour has long replaced the green flag as the national flag of the Irish nation. It is therefore, in that sense, not just "ours" alone, but ours jointly with the British-Irish of the State and the Protestant unionist and loyalist people of Northern Ireland.
That is because it symbolises the concept of nationality, all-embracing of "Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter", which was preached by Thomas Davis, (and which, incidentally, is established as de jure in the much misunderstood "cherishing" section of the 1916 Proclamation).
As conceived by Davis, this nationality was to be one such as to "inflame and purify" the people with a lofty and heroic love of country" and to empower Orange and Green, jointly, to secure the freedom of our mutual country. That is possible only if the partition of hearts and minds is fully healed.
The flying of the Tricolour at half-mast was not merely appropriate as a response to respecting the culture of those represented in its orange strip. It was also the essential kind of gesture needed if that partition is ever to be healed. - Yours, etc.,
JAMES McGEEVER, Dublin Road, Kingscourt, Co Cavan.