Pledging an oath

Sir, – Brendan O’Donnell (August 13th) reminds us that on entering the Dáil in 1927, Eamon de Valera dismissed the oath of allegiance as an “empty formula”.

But what if he had regarded it as such in 1922? – Yours, etc,

IAN SCOTT,

Silchester Park,

Glenageary, Co Dublin.