Freeloading as a security policy

Sir, – I’d agree with the point made by Enda Scanlon (Letters, May 24th) that we need not worry much about defence expenditure as long as we can get a Nato member to cover it for free.

Being joined to one by a land border of several hundred miles which is often hard to identify makes any attack on this small island tantamount to invading a Nato country. Any discussions of Irish unity should entail joining that alliance or, alternatively but less credibly, a massive increase in military expenditure. Other ideas of a united Ireland are, to my mind literally, indefensible. – Yours, etc,

BRIAN O’BRIEN,

Kinsale,

I found a Chanel jacket for €50, but even charity shopping feels like cheating now

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When the extreme heat hits Ireland, we’ll be grateful to the trees

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A large swathe of the country look at the 2 Johnnies and see themselves

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‘Talbot Street is known as Tablet Street now’: Will a €2m makeover be enough to turn things around?

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Co Cork.