The call by a Conservative MP, Michael Fabricant, for Ireland to rejoin the British Commonwealth following the successful state visit to the UK of President Michael D Higgins comes as no surprise. However, the response by Fine Gael TD Brian Hayes who said “such a proposal should be considered”, does.

Bangladesh’s ruling party has won one of the most violent elections in the country’s history, marred by street fighting, low turnout and a boycott by the opposition which made the result a foregone conclusion.

IT IS difficult to imagine now the intensity of the controversy that was stirred by the Treaty oath, or the fact that history could have ignored for so long that it was Michael Collins who essentially proposed that oath.

Senior management at the Irish Coast Guard has slated parts of the first draft of a report into the service which Transport Minister Leo Varadkar is using to push through major reforms and cost-cutting rationalisation, with the likely closure of Valentia and Malin Head stations.

Jamaica's prime minister says she wants her country to sever ties with the British monarchy soon so it can turn the page on its colonial past and focus on development.

The Anglo-Irish Treaty was the subject of much debate, even among the Irish delegation, writes Ryle Dwyer

The Anglo-Irish Treaty was the subject of much debate, even among the Irish delegation, writes Ryle Dwyer

IRELAND should discuss rejoining the Commonwealth, Gay Mitchell has said.

I BELIEVE that presidential hopeful David Norris has expressed a preference for rejoining the British Commonwealth.

YOUR columnist Steven King (October 6) recently advocated rejoining the British Commonwealth.

IN his column headlined ‘Where’s the Irish Mandela to lead us back into the Commonwealth?’ (September 29), Steven King performs a welcome volte-face in his apparent admiration for Nelson Mandela.

NOT only was Senator Liam Twomey’s attack on Finance Minsiter Brian Lenihan out of order, it was also historically inaccurate and, as a student of history, I feel I should correct this.

I BELIEVE the Irish Examiner, along with many other media outlets, has given a disproportionate amount of coverage to the supposed success of Ireland playing under the symbol of another’s national sports emblem, the British Lion.

IN his response to my letter (June 9) on the acceptance of British titles by Irish citizens, Cian Martin (‘Flawed case against accepting honours’ (June 30) accuses me of xenophobia — a charge I reject emphatically.

AS the ‘No-No’ tribes disperse to their hugely diverse comfort zones after the nine-day booze-up to which they were electorally entitled, those of us who are committed to the literally essential strategy of Ireland in Europe must regroup.

CIVIL servants are often called the permanent government. They are the faceless men and women who implement policy and frequently formulate it, but political decorum requires that they keep a low profile rather than outshine their nominal masters.

Fiji is likely to be suspended from the British Commonwealth and its former colonies later this week in response to a coup, Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon said today.

AT the end of November Michael Collins had proposed a new oath to be attached to the draft treaty: “I... do solemnly swear to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the Irish Free State as by law established and that I will be faithful to His Majesty King George in acknowledgment of the Association of Ireland in a common citizenship with Great Britain and the group of nations known as the British Commonwealth.”

WHEN apartheid was introduced in South Africa in 1948, racial discrimination became official government policy. Apartheid was often referred to in government pronouncements as ‘separate development’.

IN recent times there have been demands for our national flag to be changed, the words of our national anthem to be rewritten and for consideration to be given to rejoining the British Commonwealth.

One of the most famous protestors against multinational oil companies will be represented at Saturday’s national rally to free the Rossport Five.

THE participation of the Naval Service flagship, LE Eithne, and the training ship Asgard II in the international fleet review by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II to mark the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar is to be regretted — but not unexpected.

ALONG with the State Papers released annually under the 30-year rule, other documents that should have been opened in previous years have also just been released.

Tony Blair’s attempts to keep Zimbabwe suspended from the British Commonwealth were dealt a fresh blow today when a summit deal collapsed.

FOR the past two years Ireland has been a member of the Security Council of the United Nations. It has been a momentous couple of years and in time people may question the role we played in what could well be the build-up to many years of strife.