Madam, - I wonder are any other regular readers of The Irish Times letters pages as bewildered as I by the correspondence on the issue of whether the British government should apologise for the events of 1169 and after? An event itself which is shrouded in debate, due to dispute as to the legality of Dermot Mac Mourrough's actions in passing the Kingdom of Leinster on to Richard de Clare (or Strongbow as he is better known).
Darragh Higgins seems to want an apology from the British government for all invasions which have originated over the last 800 years from Britain's shores. Yet surely such an apology would be inherently meaningless, since those who would be apologising in his diplomatic fantasy land would bear no responsibility for the actions which they would be apologising for. So what is it all for? Where should it stop?! Should the vast majority of the Irish population, who are likely to have some percentage of invader's blood, be it from the Celts, Vikings, Normans, English, Scottish collectively hang our heads in shame for what Mr Higgins perceives to be the sins of our fathers?
A point very eloquently observed by the Mac Murrough infants in the (August 24th) edition. - Yours, etc,
TIMOTHY SMYTH, Kells, Co Meath.