Madam, - Who will Irish fans be supporting in Germany this summer? We will have no part in World Cup 2006 - at least not on the field of play. We can, of course, do what we usually do, which is to grudgingly follow the exploits of England until they are knocked out of the tournament, or we can surprise ourselves and the English by doing what they usually do for us, which is to wholeheartedly support their nearest neighbour when their team is not in the competition.
I wonder if we have at last become sufficiently self-confident to set aside our 800-year whine for the duration of the world's premier sporting event, and for once be seen as a modern, outgoing people.
Can the many of us who are inclined to confuse xenophobia with patriotism rise above the self-pity and bitterness that makes us dislike, and even hate our nearest neighbour, or are we too shallow and afraid to forgive past wrongs lest the ghosts of our forefathers follow us into light?
So, come on England! - Yours, etc,
NIALL GINTY, The Demesne, Killester, Dublin 5.