Madam, - In her excellent column of February 9th, Mary Raftery questions the glorification of the violence of 1916 as shown in the RTÉ docudrama Insurrection in 1966, at the time of the 50th anniversary in 1966. She suggests that Mary McAleese's recent speech was hewn from the same wood and argues that for the centenary of the Rising, a "national day of argument" would be more appropriate than another day of commemoration, as these "have a habit of turning into uncritical orgies of celebration with potentially lethal consequences".
So far so good, but surely arguing is what we do best and in fact do most of the time. What we need is a "national day of decision" to move on and create a 21st century which moves above and beyond the conflicts and disputes which preceded it. Can our main political parties not define themselves by their visions of the future rather than by their positions in relation to the Civil War? Is Sinn Féin not seeking a democratic mandate in the here and now based on its current political programme, rather than a mythical mandate from the 1916 Rising? Can our President not speak on behalf of all the people in this corner of Europe which is becoming more cosmopolitan all the time?
Let the men of 1916 rest in peace. Let them be judged by the circumstances of their time and let us not seek to exploit their legacy for the needs of ours. Who are the heroes for our own time? - Yours, etc,
FRANK SCHNITTGER, Blessington, Co Wicklow.
Madam, - It was with sadness and deep disappointment that I read President McAleese's speech at UCC. On her election, I initially feared she would bring a narrow, closed vision of Irish nationalism buried in cliché and sectarianism to her new office. It seemed to me that a vote for her was a vote for an outmoded vision of the island, as propagated by Fianna Fáil.
But, like many other members of Fine Gael, I was proved wrong in her first term. She built bridges to the unionists of Northern Ireland and paid homage to those Irishmen who died fighting for the people of Belgium in the first World War. Here was a President truly for all the people regardless of race, creed or politics, who embraced the true meaning of the tricolour: green in reconciliation with orange. So it was with that experience that myself, Enda Kenny and the vast majority of Fine Gael members gave our backing to Mrs McAleese in her quest for a second term as President. The President seemed to honour all those on the island including those who did not ascribe to narrow "Republican" values and we wished to see her inclusive presidency continue.
But her speech given at UCC was like an adjunct of the party leader's speech at a Fianna Fáil Ardfheis. Gone were any references to the devotion and labour of the great Irish democrats Parnell, Butt and Redmond for self-determination, replaced by the old formula of republican ideology, violence and martyrdom.
I therefore appeal to the President to leave that old war behind and return, not as a Fianna Fáil spokesperson, but as someone who used to represent all the people of Ireland with dignity, grace and honour. - Yours, etc,
RONAN GUCKIAN, Fine Gael, Mount Merrion Branch, Stillorgan, Co Dublin.