A chara, – Richard Irvine (“An inclusive Ireland can surely find a place for the union flag”, Opinion, January 3rd) makes some unfortunate errors. To suggest that Sinn Féin, and nationalists generally, only started to object to Orange parades and associated symbols in the 1990s is patently ridiculous.
These coat-trailing exercises have been a source of contention since they began.
Current opposition is merely a resurgent nationalist population finding its voice in rejecting situations which have been foisted upon them from since before the Act of Union but especially in the six counties from 1922 to 1972.
I find it interesting that rather than pressing for unionists to accept nationalist parades in majority unionist areas (which would be a true compromise), Mr Irvine suggests that, as usual, it is up to nationalists to capitulate.
His solution regarding flags on public buildings again urges nationalists to yield. It is worth pointing out that the measure to fly the British flag for “only” 18 days a year was simply to bring the North in line with the rest of the UK.
Why not, in the spirit of the Belfast Agreement, fly both flags over public buildings in the North? This is surely the only equitable solution, particularly in Belfast, which is a majority nationalist city! – Is mise,
PAUL LINEHAN,
Thormanby Road,
Howth,
Co Dublin.