Sir, – Donald Clarke claims that "we do not, it is true, have a term for the inhabitant of a province" ("You pretend to like us Northerners but you don't," Opinion, November 14th). Well it is not true. We have a very good word: "provincial". In an island of four provinces, we are of course all provincials so there is no shame in using that word.
As someone not born in Ireland what I do not like about “Northerners” (to use Mr Clarke’s term) is that they live in a most beautiful part of the world, have the best of both British and Irish culture and facilities at their disposal and have more in common with each other than with either Britain or the Republic. And yet, they continue to live with past grievances, vote for extreme politicians, go out of their way to offend each other and be offended, and seem to have a total disregard for the consequences of such behaviour on the future generations who deserve to live in peace and to have the chance of prosperity which only peace can supply.
The biggest mystery for me is that I have almost never met a “Northerner” who wasn’t kind, funny and intelligent but then I’ve yet to meet a “Northern” politician. – Yours, etc,
KEVIN O’SULLIVAN,
Letterkenny, Co Donegal.