It’s foolish to meddle in the business of others

FRENCH President Nicolas Sarkozy, especially while in Dublin, should respect the decision of the Irish people and not try to impose the Lisbon Treaty by any circuitous route.

Valuable lessons can be learned from history, none more so than that of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan who, in his quest to discover a route to the Spice Islands, met his demise — or in a term more familiar to Mr Sarkozy, his Waterloo — on the Philippine island of Mactan after he became involved in a dispute between the natives of that island and those from the neighbouring island of Cebu.

Like the people of Mactan, we island people cherish our autonomy, and Mr Sarkozy should remember that.

If Taoiseach Brian Cowen has notions of running a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, he should remember (with apologies to Oscar Wilde) that to lose one referendum might be seen as a misfortune, but to lose two would be seen as careless.

Thomas O’Sullivan

Gilcaugh

Vicarstown

Co Cork