Sir, – Barry Hennessy (July 22nd) protests too much about "nationality denial". It is not, as he suggests, a uniquely Irish problem. I have frequently mistaken Canadians for Americans, New Zealanders for Australians and Welsh for English. Perhaps this confusion is inevitable when a small country has a larger neighbour.
Another factor that he fails to consider is the cultural similarity between Ireland and Britain. The late Conor Cruise O’Brien in 1966 concluded that the State had failed to realise Pearse’s vision of a united, culturally distinct Ireland.
He observed that the only significant cultural difference between the two countries was our devotion to Catholicism. That difference has largely disappeared so what is left? The GAA? RTÉ? Red lemonade?
Finally, Mr Hennessy omits to mention that a significant minority of the population of the island of Ireland insists it is British and not Irish.
Outside observers should be forgiven their confusion. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL DURKAN,
Rialto, Dublin 8.