Normalising our Tricolour

Sir, – Conor Pope's colourful piece on "greedy retailers" gives examples of cashing-in on the 1916 centenary ("Irish retailers cash in on Easter Rising centenary", March 12th).

Gaudy souvenirs, circus-like double-decker tours – what’s so wrong with these? They indicate a normality, even a maturity, coming to our remembrance of 1916.

One result of this normality is that our national flag is being reclaimed by the ordinary people. In countries such as Sweden and the US you often see flagpoles in front gardens flying their national flag.

Acts of pride, not held back by the worry of sending out the “wrong message”.

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So, long live the arrival of normality! Anyone for a tri-coloured ice-cream?

– Yours, etc,

DESMOND GALLAGHER

Portmarnock,

Co Dublin.