Our role in Trafalgar review was regrettable

THE participation of the Naval Service flagship, LE Eithne, and the training ship Asgard II in the international fleet review by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II to mark the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar is to be regretted — but not unexpected.

Despite the fact that we are a sovereign state, we now participate at the Royal British Legion’s remembrance day ceremonies in Ireland and conform to the pomp and solemn pageantry of the British military ethos.

This is nothing less than a surrender of sovereign control over state ceremonial to those who oppose separate Irish nationhood.

Having surrendered articles 2 and 3 of our Constitution following the Belfast agreement, and the awarding of titles and honours to Irish citizens at an unprecedented rate, one wonders when we will be asked to consider re-entry to the British Commonwealth to complete the ‘reanglicisation’ of the State.

Tom Cooper

23 Delaford Lawn

Knocklyon

Dublin 16.