The year of The Scattering?

Sir, – Last year, 2013, the Irish nation happily celebrated an event the Government termed “The Gathering”.

But after the Christmas break, with so many Irish people leaving the country, ought not the Government, in turn, mark this sad New Year event of 2014 as “The Scattering”? – Yours, etc,

SEAN O’BRIEN,

Clonliffe Road,

Dublin 3.