Sir, – Peter Mulvany (August 25th), in response to my letter of August 23rd, in which I opposed the retired gardaí commemoration for members of the Royal Irish Constabulary, wrote, “There are many Irish citizens who have a British dimension to their Irishness and vice versa; and no doubt there are members of the Garda who may have family links with the former RIC who feel it is their duty to remember the fallen.”
I am an Irish citizen with not just a British dimension to my Irishness but also a Protestant dimension to my faith.
This does not mean that I feel duty bound to condone, justify, defend or associate myself with the behaviour of the RIC or their colleagues in the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries. I believe that the sole criteria to influence our morality, ethics, values and standards is right and wrong, not political, religious or family associations. – Yours, etc,