Rewording national anthem a bizarre suggestion

THE suggestion by Julitta Clancy (Irish Examiner letters, May 2) to help achieve reconciliation on this island is somewhat bizarre.

Her proposal that a competition be held for rewording our national anthem suggests there is a demand from the public for such a change.

If Ms Clancy had been at Croke Park when Ireland played England in the Six Nations rugby championship, when Catholic and Protestant from North and South, Irish men and women from the world of rugby, Gaelic, soccer and many other sports sang Amhrán na bhFiann with pride, intending offence to no one and without a belligerent thought whatsoever, Ms Clancy may even have joined in.

On the issue of contributing to peace and reconciliation on this island, I remind Ms Clancy of what has been achieved. Unlike loyalist paramilitaries, the IRA has verifiably decommissioned all of their weapons, Articles 2 and 3 of Bunreacht na hÉireann have been deleted and the constitutional position of the North can only be changed by consent.

I do not for a moment question Ms Clancy’s political and peace bona fides, for which she has received wide recognition and honour, and which include being made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in February 2004."

Tom Cooper

23 Delaford Lawn

Knocklyon

Dublin 16