Sir, – The old joke was that the difference between Iceland and Ireland was “six months and one letter”.
Now add to that for Iceland a growing economy and a sovereign people, and for Ireland the indignity of listening to economists Joseph Stiglitz and Jeffrey Sachs telling us to grow some backbone (Derek Scally, Business, January 26th).
On our national holiday we will once again parade before the world as laughing Paddies and drunken fools. Please join me, stay at home and phone an emigrant. If you must go out on St Patrick’s Day, wear black. What is there to celebrate? – Yours, etc,