Time to realise goal of fairer, better Ireland

IN 1997 I sent a letter to your newspaper regarding many commentators who questioned the right of Belfast-born Mary McAleese to run for the Presidency of Ireland.

I described it as a “partitionist mindset” that ignored the constitution and the vision of Ireland that men like Collins, Seán Moylan and Lemass etc had.

So now 14 years later, sitting at a laptop, rather than with pen and paper, bulkier than 14 years ago, I find that I have changed but political commentary has not.

It is still stuck in the past. You describe McAleese in glowing terms and yet at the end of a recent editorial, you knock Sinn Féin for not picking a candidate born in the Republic.

Of the eight Presidents this state has had, none have been born since the declaration of the Republic.

One was born in America, five in British-ruled Ireland, and two born in the state prior to the 1948 declaration.

I know, unfortunately, that we’ll have to listen to the condemnations of varying pundits, knocking McGuinness’ right to run. Míchéal Martin did likewise to Gerry Adams in February, insulting the men who founded his party, like Aiken and many others in the process.

Will FG forget Tyrone-born Austin Currie running in 1990?

Please can you show me where you, at the time, castigated them for fishing in the waters of the North?

The old politics of backing partition to maintain the closed shop of Irish politics, has brought this country to destitution three times in 80 years.

Isn’t it time that we moved on, and actually implemented the Republic that people fought and died for over 90 years ago?

That would be a fitting memorial for 1916-1923 and the hundred year anniversaries of Collins and Liam Lynch who, though in the end opposed to each other, had a shared goal — a better, fairer Ireland.

Danny Sheahan

Barley Hill

Newmarket

Co Cork