The Irish mess

Sir: I continue to read your magazine particularly with reference to Northern Ireland, now mostly described by you as an overspilling 'Irish mess.' It is overspilling, but is it a mess? Or to what extent is it a mess, and if it is, who should be most blameworthy?

Praise or blame may well be irrelevant, but we must still try to understand the significance of what happens there. I believe that by now a solution must be related to the development of the British Isles. The uniting of the disparate parts of the island of Ireland does not suggest itself tq any degree. Therefore there may well have to be considered the constitutional framework of the neighbouring islands.

Fifty million flexible Great Britain-resident social democrats must bear the greatest weight against two and a half million Eire citizens an dthe sixty/forty proportion of Unionist/disaffected who are the populace of the disputatious Northern Ireland.

I am a Whitelaw-supporting, British-resident Southern-Irishman, I am moved to try to write this letter in answer to Mr Milne (Letters, December 9) because I believe he is right that the solution of a vicious tragedy must involve an intra-island solution rather than an inter-Irish one.

The Ireland resident population are now so inflamed that they can never live in peace. The regionalist attitude must extend through Northern Ireland into the Republic and there must. be a feedback of Republicism into mainland Britain.

My idea may be simplistic but I want Prince Charles to devolve into some Presidential role within a Europe-orientated British Isles.

Joseph D. McConnor 35 Victoria Road, New Barnet, Herts Sir: In what was basically a very good article, entitled 'Ireland: can there be peace?' there were some blemishes which were unworthy of such a piece of writing and tended to lend it an overall tone which I trust was not intended.

Let me first protest at the continued use of 'Ulster ' for Northern Ireland. Ulster is a province of nine counties, only six of which are in Northern Ireland so that much of what is said about ' Ulster' can be inaccurate.

You write about the possibility of the British troops leaving Northern Ireland and "letting the Irish stew in their own purulent juices." A little further on you state "this island could catch the virulent Irish pox"! These nasty phrases imply a very hostile and corttumptuous attitude on the part

of the writer, hardly the background for a serious article intended to make some contribution of a constructive nature and unworthy of serious journalism.

You go on to mention "the Irish disease" which, you state, "could corrupt the British body politic." This, of course, would never do — the "British body politic" must be preserved pure and intact!

Did you ever consider that the root cause of Ireland's troubles could, in fact, stem from the British disease of constantly through the ages, wanting to interfere in the affairs of other countries? Ireland would have suffered a lot less and had a much happier history had it not been for constant British interference in her affairs.

Then you attack what you call the ' Roman church in Ireland.' To so describe the Catholic Church in Ireland is offensive and destroys the value of your criticism. Your reference to Auschwitz smacks of the yellow press at its worst rather than of serious journalism.

It seems to me that it would be wiser to refrain from writing again about Ireland rather than do so in the virulent and unsympathetic manner of this article in which what was sound and constructive was overshadowed and ruined by the unfair and graceless references scattered through it.

J. A. Brennan St. Edward's College, Sandfield Park, Liverpool

From Mrs Jo Camp

Sir: In Ballymurphy, Belfast, the people at ' grass roots' level are starting autonomous groups to pursue activities of an artistic, cultural or practical nature, i.e. not general association or social events. Cookery, gardening, dressmaking, music and drama classes are being started, but I would like to appeal to your readers for help especially for the children. A teacher has started a children's library in her own home. The nearest children's library is "down the Falls " and it could be a hazardous journey for a child to make. Some books have been lent by the Library Service and others have been bought from funds given by friends, but already over 100 children are borrowing books, so that the choice is very limited. There is a particular need for books suitable for the under-nines.

New books would be marvellous but secondhand ones in good condition would be very acceptable. I could collect any in the inner London area, but otherwise donors could send any books direct to Mrs Jenny Quigley, 14 Glenalina Park, Ballymurphy, Belfast. I am sure that your readers will wish, with me, to have a book in a childs' hands rather than a stone or a hoarded rubber bullet.

Jo Camp 63 Kennington Road, London SE1.