Madam, - Greg Carley's splendid little letter (June 30th) sums up brilliantly the caricature-looking juxtaposition of the Irish and English language names of this State proposed for EU meetings.
"Belgique Belgie" is reasonably apt, as the two languages of Belgium are spoken by substantial, if not equal, numbers of their population. Olivia Mitchell, addressing some of the Fine Gael party faithful here recently said: "Ten years ago, the first language in Ireland was English, and the second, Irish. Today, the first language is English, and the second language is Chinese".
Does this mean we should have the name of the State in Chinese and English at EU meetings? I rather like the idea. - Yours, etc,
DANIEL LAWRENCE, Sweetmount Park, Dublin 14.
Madam, - Philip McGarry, writing from Belfast (Letters July 4th), asks what country he is living in. On the assumption that his domicile is his address, he is living in Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
This is a country whose territory comprises the whole of Britain and part of the island of Ireland, this latter being a geographical entity. I, however, live in Ireland, which is both a political and juridical entity and part of the geographical one.
Perhaps Mr McGarry can divert his promised €145 to me rather than the Minister for Finance, who has far too much money at present. - Yours, etc,
ROBERT TOWERS, The Crescent, Monkstown, Co Dublin.
Madam, - Why all the fuss about Éire/Ireland? Maybe now some of the neighbours will understand what Éire actually means. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL A MacNAMARA, Newgarden, Castleconnell, Co Limerick.