CIARÁN COSTELLO (Letters, February 24) should not be so sensitive. He should realise “The British Isles” has always been used as purely a geographical term.

CIARÁN COSTELLO (Letters, February 24) is unhappy that the Open University describes Ireland as part of “The British Isles” (as indeed do most atlases, dictionaries and encyclopaedias).

RECENTLY I studied a course with the Open University, a British institution. Throughout they constantly referred to Ireland as being in the “British isles” and, when contacted, insisted that it was.