BERNARD J. BARTON,
Sir, - There is, I'm afraid, ample and very public evidence to support the remarks made by Mr David Trimble at his party conference concerning the Republic of Ireland.
Notwithstanding the Belfast Agreement and the declared and often repeated policy of the Irish Government that parity of esteem must be afforded to both traditions in Northern Ireland, the Taoiseach and Ministers of his party in government still refuse to practise in this State what they would have others do in Northern Ireland.
For example, while they quite rightly attend annual commemorations for the Republican leaders of past generations and recently afforded State funerals to a number of volunteers of the War of Independence, they continually refuse to attend the annual Remembrance Service at St Patrick's Cathedral for the Irish dead of two World Wars, this being the event which, perhaps more than any other, would demonstrate to all that in this State the Government practises what it preaches about parity of esteem.
Respect for the symbols and symbolism of both traditions on this island is a central theme of the Belfast Agreement and the Patten Report on policing in Northern Ireland. In this State, past and present governments have demonstrated an inability to accommodate the symbols of traditions other than the nationalist and republican, particularly those of past connection to Britain.
The Irish government of 1966 completed the job of the terrorists in blowing up the remains of Nelson's Pillar, removing Foley's equine masterpiece, the Goff Memorial, from the Phoenix Park, and William of Orange from Dame Street.
The Government of 1988 exported the statue of Queen Victoria, that once stood outside Leinster House, to Sydney, Australia, as Ireland's present to mark the bicentenary, and the Government of today refuses to make funding available to properly preserve and protect what is left, never mind restore what has already been lost.
Mr Trimble's remarks have been characterised as without foundation and offensive. Undoubtedly, they were less than diplomatic, but they were hardly without foundation. - Yours, etc.,
BERNARD J. BARTON,
Crosthwaite Park East,
Dun Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.
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Sir, - Gay Mitchell, TD, (March 15th) needs to brush up on the constitutional and political structures of the United Kingdom.
He implies that the British heads of government and judiciary are positions which are not open to Catholics. The office of First Lord of the Treasury (or Prime Minister) was not one of the several offices closed to Catholics under the 1829 Catholic Emancipation Act. The Lord Chancellorship of Great Britain (which was barred to Catholics even after Emancipation) was opened to Catholics more than 25 years ago.
Belfast (despite Mr Mitchell's claims) has had a Jewish Lord Mayor. Sir Otto Jaffé occupied that office twice. And while it is true that only bishops of the Church of England occupy seats in the House of Lords as of right, ministers of other denominations (such as the late Lord Soper) have been given peerages. Under the current provisions of Canon Law, Catholic clergy are barred from occupying positions in legislatures - a provision that the present Pope is not disposed to alter.
One concluding thought: politicians in the Republic of Ireland might find it easier to counter the charge that their State is sectarian (whether or not such an imputation is truly justified) if they supported legislation against religious discrimination in their own country. - Yours, etc.,
COLM ARMSTRONG,
Windrush Avenue,
Belfast 8.