Madam, - At last: an Irish Times supplement that I don't feel a strong urge to bin (including that unfailingly binnable Saturday magazine). To counter-balance that cranky urge, may I now express my appreciation of your excellent New Europe supplement and wall map? Congratulations; you've risen to an historic occasion and given readers something worth keeping. - Yours, etc.,
MICHAEL COADY, Clairin, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary.
Madam, - Thank you for the beautifully produced poster-map of the enlarged EU (The Irish Times, April 27th). Applying some simple arithmetic to the statistical information on the margin, I note that the population of the EU will be about of 455 million after May 1st. Adding together the Roman Catholic, the Orthodox and the several Protestant faiths, there are almost 370 million stated to be Christian. All of these presumably accept, in one language or another, the oldest Christian prayer, which runs "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. . ." I am sure Jews and Muslims, and probably other faiths, have similar aspirations in their prayers.
In the light of this it seems extraordinary to me that the political representatives of so many of the states consider it divisive to make an acknowledgement of God in the constitution of the EU.
They seem to have been satisfied with comparatively slender majorities in deciding issues such as membership and common currency. - Yours, etc.,
PETER F. CONLON, Readsland, Drumree, Co Meath.
A chara, - Ar an Luan 26 Aibreán foilsíodh pictiúr san Irish Times dóibh siúd a bhí ag máirseáil le stádas oifigiúil san Aontas Eorpach a bhaint amach don Ghaeilge.
Ar an Mháirt 27 Aibreán foilsíodh forlíonadh do scoileanna ar an Eoraip Nua, le léarscáil urraithe ag an Roinn Oideachais agus Eolaíochta. I mBéarla amháin atá an forlíonadh agus an léarscáil.
Cén t-aitheantas é seo do dhaltaí scoileanna Gaeltachta agus Gaelscoileanna na hÉireann? - Is mise,
ULTAN Ó CONCHUBHAIR, An Dara Bliain, Coláiste Eoin, Baile an Bhóthair, Co Bhaile Átha Cliath.