A chara, - Enda Kenny's speech at the celebration of the centenary of Arthur Griffith's foundation of Sinn Féin made repeated reference to Griffith's non-violent policy (The Irish Times, November 28th). It is important to place that policy in context.
A month before Sinn Féin was founded, Griffith expressed his view in an editorial in the paper he edited, United Irishman. He wrote that the paper "has never advocated armed resistance because - and only because - it knows that Ireland is unable at the present time to wage physical war with England. But it has maintained and always shall maintain the right of the Irish nation to assert and defend its independence by force of arms - a right which no human being to whom God has given the ordinary complements of intelligence and honesty can venture to deny".
A failure to contextualise, given limited time at such an event, may be excusable. But surely, in the context of a Sinn Féin commemoration, the Fine Gael leader's vehement opposition to even very limited participation of MPs from the Six Counties in the Dáil, sitting in committee, must baffle any human being with "the ordinary complements of intelligence and honesty". - Is mise,
MÍCHEÁL MAC DONNCHA Cill Bharróg, Baile Átha Cliath 5.