The Irish fled the horrors of famine on coffin ships

I don’t think that any nation should fear taking in a few thousand asylum seekers on compassionate grounds. There will be a small percentage of undesirables among them, but on the whole it will be a positive move.

If we look at the amount of people who have emigrated from this country since 2009, it runs into the hundreds of thousands leaving huge voids in counties like Mayo or Donegal. Many small towns here in Donegal are dying on their feet due to emigration and lack of footfall; what we need is a modern version of the plantation of Ulster to regenerate and revive depopulated areas.

To combat whatever fears peoples may have, this resettlement should not happen at the expense of our own housing needs. A system should be put in place of entry into the country to ensure that all take an oath to abide by our laws and regulations.

‘A one strike and you are served with deportation’ policy should be enough of an insurance ticket to calm anyone’s fears.

Our sporting facilities are suffering because of participants moving overseas in search of work, and wouldn’t it be great to see a few Syrians or Iraqis lining out for Donegal at an All-Ireland final in Páirc an Chrocaigh in a few years time?

We should not forget our history. Many died on what was known as the coffin ships, due to malnutrition and disease. We have plenty of army buildings, garda barracks and industrial units lying idle.

James Woods

Gort an Choirce

Dun na nGall