Sir, – Tom Cooper (December 21st) decries the practice of "awarding titles of nobility to leading Irish notables as if they were British subjects" and argues that it is evidence that we "see ourselves as part of the Anglosphere, realigning ourselves ever more closely towards Great Britain".
But why does Mr Cooper limit his complaint to British honours? Do I really need to ask that question?
Many Irish people have appropriately accepted honours from, for example, France, Spain, Austria and the Vatican. It is no less valid for an Irish person to accept an honour from Britain – and it is nonsense to claim that to do so is inconsistent with a distinct Irish political identity.
Did Ronald Reagan and Edward Kennedy see themselves “as part of the Anglosphere” when they accepted honorary knighthoods from Britain? Of course not. – Yours, etc,
FELIX M LARKIN,
Cabinteely,
Dublin 18.