Royal formula

IN her letter headlined ‘Griffith and royalty’ (July 12), Judy Peddle does no service to historical truth when she says only a few of Arthur Griffith’s colleagues took dual monarchy seriously.

Dual monarchy was deep-rooted in Sinn Féin and earlier Irish nationalism with no less a figure than Éamon de Valera recognising its value as a non-violent mechanism for unity and independence in the island of Ireland.

Though the First Dáil declared a Republic it let certain room for ambiguity and dual monarchy was right there in the frame as a possible compromise. The Anglo-Irish Treaty proved its validity and its relevance is still appreciated today by, among others, Dev’s grandson, Eamon O Cuiv.