Madam, – Once again the British head of state is engaged in undermining the republican, egalitarian and separatist ethos of the sovereign Irish State. I refer to your report on the conferring of an honorary OBE by Queen Elizabeth II on the artistic director of the Gate Theatre Michael Colgan (Home News, March 18th). The intervention into our republican system by the British monarch to elevate chosen Irish citizens and to place them symbolically above their fellow Irish is an unwelcome intrusion into our political and civic space.
This is not a case of petty, mean-spirited anti-British rhetoric. It is an issue of fundamental political principle. We are a sovereign republic that has repudiated monarchy and imperialism. My views on these awards are no different to those of Canada, a country that has been a most loyal member of the Commonwealth. Because Canada is not a republic, Queen Elizabeth II is head of state. Nevertheless, when it comes to matters of citizenship and sovereignty, Canada takes a very firm line.
Despite the British ancestry of most of Canada’s population, no Canadian may accept a British knighthood or peerage unless he/she first renounces their Canadian citizenship.
In the past 20 years, the British monarch has bestowed in excess of 50 titles/awards on Irish citizens resident in the republic, as if they were her own British subjects. By accepting these awards and titles, the recipients become, objectively speaking, part of the British establishment. Inexplicably, the Irish Government has remained silent on this issue throughout.
The Irish State should adopt the same policy as Canada in this matter, and any Irish citizen who accepts a British title should be denied the privilege of Irish citizenship and surrender their Irish passport. The esteem and affection of one’s fellow citizens is the ultimate honour and accolade that can be bestowed on any person, for such an honour cannot be bought, sold or bartered. – Yours, etc,