Sir, - I am sure that most of "The powerless bystanders" of Ireland would love to discover some of the New Ireland" outlined in your editorial (June 4th).
Perhaps they could become "tourists" in their own land and stay at some of the lovely guest houses and hotels and partake of "the craic and the ceol of the pubs; open spaces and free roving hill walks; easy conviviality and rapidly improving food standards; broad, un polluted waters and certainly "enjoyment of the Irish milieu" would be enhanced for many thousands of Irish people if they first had a home of their own, a garden, some money, a holiday and a recognised place in this fine "New Ireland".
For many "the tormenting ghosts of the past" are of remote interest as they try to deal with the day to day torments of basic survival.
There is little hope of true, lasting peace all over Ireland unless people with power and influence re discover their hearts and souls and look beyond political rhetoric, games playing and narrow economics and attend to the basic needs of the excluded. Marginalised people cannot wait for talks and more talks and talks about various kinds of talks - their pain needs to be eased right now.
Violence, anger, murder, mayhem and abuse of drugs are all fuelled by exclusion, oppression and repression. Has anyone got the courage to initiate the kind of changes necessary to alleviate the pain of thousands of abundantly talented men, women and children all over this island? - Yours, etc., Cambridge Terrace, York Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.