Sir, – Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney says partition was a "terrible mistake" (News, October 12th).
Are the hundreds of thousands of people in Northern Ireland who support the northern state therefore mistaken?
Were the northern counties that decided not to elect members to the first Dáil also mistaken ?
Were Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins mistaken in agreeing to a Border, and were they and WT Cosgrave mistaken to have voted for it in cabinet and in the Dáil?
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Was Garret FitzGerald mistaken in giving recognition to the northern state and the Border through the principle of consent in the 1985 Anglo-Irish agreement? And were we in this State mistaken to have overwhelmingly voted recognition of the northern state by removing the revanchist claims of articles two and three of our Constitution in 1998?
Perhaps Mr Coveney might reflect on his remarks, between now and next year’s centenary of Béal na Bláth, and clarify if his mistaken Border was an intemperate remark or new policy for his party. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL GANNON,
Churchtown,
Dublin 14.