Sir, - Our political leaders patronisingly tell us that it is a modern concept to define the nation in terms of its people rather than its territory to justify their proposed insertion of a rather weak Article 2 into our Constitution. The following quotation dates from 1923:
"I developed very rapidly in the nationalist direction, and by the time I was 15 years old I had come to understand the distinction between dynastic patriotism and nationalism based on the concept of folk, or people, my inclination being entirely in favour of the latter." (Adolf Hitler)
I am not suggesting that there is any similarity between our present leaders and Hitler, merely showing that the concept of nation as people is not new.
It is also interesting to note that under the new Article 2, the founding father of Irish republicanism, Tomas O Cleirigh, and the founding father of Fianna Fail, Eamon de Valera, while recognised as legally Irish are no longer recognised as being Irish through birthright. It would seem that those who framed the Constitution were wiser than those who would now alter it. - Yours, etc., John Lacken,
Tawnylea, Drumkeerin, Co Leitrim.