Tír gan Teanga, Tír gan Anam

A Chairde,

Ba bhreá liom níos mó Gaeilge a fheiceáil ar leathanaigh Sinn Féin? Bíodh sé mar nós agam An Phoblacht a fháil mar gheall ar an Draoi Rua agus altanna na Gaeilge. Tír gan Teanga, Tír gan Anam.

Cad is fiú gearáin faoi easpa aitheantais don teanga ag teacht ó Rialtas na Breataine/na hÉireann nuair nach bhfuil sí le feiceáil go soiléir ar bholscaireacht Shinn Féin? Cad ina thaobh nach iarrann sibh ar an nDraoi Rua na priomh-teideil a aistriú ar a laghad?

Tagann tuairim is triocha duine in aghaidh na seachtaine go ranganna Gaeilge agamsa i Londain. Sin anam na hÉireann ag iarraidh caint ina teanga féin. Tá glór na nGael agaibhse fósta.

Mairead Holt,

Londain,

Sasana

Killer RUC must go

Republicans must not give in on the RUC issue, they must be totally disbanded.

At the moment in Australia a lot of people are watching the television series Rebel Heart, and in tonight's second episode the `B Specials' were shown for the murdering scum that they were.

Many years ago I was travelling across the border to attend the Ulster grand prix at Dundrod. I can still remember this RUC hero telling me with gun drawn while he checked my papers etc how him and his buddies enjoyed being RUC by day and UVF by night.

I am sure that there are plenty of closet murderers still walking around in so-called police uniforms.

That is why they must be totally disbanded.

M Hennessy,

Australia

Reply to Belfast reader

I stated in my letter a few weeks ago that Brid Rogers' decision to stand in the West Tyrone constituency was not in the best interest of nationalists and republicans in that area. I still maintain Brid Rogers is standing as a spoiler rather than a serious candidate. In the last two elections in West Tyrone, Sinn Féin outpolled the SDLP by a massive 4,000 votes.

If the people of West Tyrone were to return Brid Rogers, where would her loyalties lie, as she is presently the sitting Assembly member for Upper Bann. A spokesperson for the SDLP recently claimed that it would be a disaster if David Trimble lost his Upper Bann seat. Could this be the reason Brid Rogers opted for West Tyrone, or has the SDLP made a private pact with David Trimble?

Belfast reader asked the question, did Sinn Féin not adopt the same tactic as Brid Rogers when they stood Martin McGuinness in mid-Ulster. The answer is a definite no. Sinn Féin took the decision to promote Martin McGuinness in Mid-Ulster after Willy McCrea won his seat in 1993. Sinn Féin and Martin McGuinness worked tirelessly over a four-year period in Mid-Ulster before McGuinness got elected. He wasn't catapulted into the constituency a few weeks before a general election.

In conclusion, the nationalist and republican community in West Tyrone will make up their own minds if they want a united Ireland or a united Union.

Tim Jones,

London

No lilies for these Blueshirts

A Chairde,

Well, Fine Gael are certainly showing their true colours (3/16/2001), the red, white and blue variety.

Firstly, we have Fine Gael MEP Joe McCartin criticise minister of state Hugh Byrne for daring to class the British as the lepers of Europe (post CJD, foot and mouth etc.). I should think that it is very mild to what some of the EU ministers would describe them as. Off the record, of course!

Another thing Joe; we Irish don't have to apologise to the British for a bit of well deserved slagging. After all, various elements within the British establishment have been describing us as everything from `thick paddies' to `pigs' for years.

Now we have Fine Gael frontbencher Brian Hayes attacking Sinn Féin for having the audacity to erect murals in Dublin to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strikes. He is demanding that those responsible must be stopped. He accuses Sinn Fein of importing republican politics from Belfast(?).

With the 1916 Easter Rising anniversary coming up shortly, I don't think we're going to see any of these two gentlemen wearing an Easter lily.

James Woods,

Gortahork,

County Donegal

HUNGER STRIKE BUS

A Chairde,

The Clonakilty 1981 Hunger Strike Commemoration Committee reminds people interested in attending the National Commemorative Rally in Belfast on 6 May that they should by now have paid their fees for the bus and overnight accommodation. The rally will be held the day after the 20th anniversary of the death of Bobby Sands, MP, who was the first of ten men to die in Long Kesh during the 217-day Hunger Strike in 1981. The local committee has booked a coach and accommodation in Jury's Inn, Belfast for 50 people for the cost of £85. The bus will leave early on Sunday 6 May and return the following day, a Bank Holiday. It is hoped to include a guided tour of the Republican Plot in Miltown Cemetery, which holds the graves of so many patriots, including Bobby Sands and his friend and fellow Hunger Striker Joe McDonnell, as part of the itinerary. Deposits were paid at end of February and the balance is now due in order to secure your place. A limited number of places are still available, and anyone interested should contact the Cathaoirleach of the Committee Séamus de Búrca on 086-4009649 or Rúnaí on 087-9423273 immediately.

Séamus de Búrca

Pearse family home restored

A Chairde,

Walking along Pearse Street in Dublin some time ago, I had to stop and look at the transformation that had taken place to number 27, the house where Pádraig Pearse was born. This particular house was built in around 1820 and the Pearse family lived there from 1870 until 1909. Padraig was born in this house in 1879 and he went to school in the nearby CBS, Westland Row. The family conducted their sculpture business from the house and at this time they had the largest monumental sculpture business in Ireland.

In 1909 the house was used as a temperance club and later as a motor showroom. Later still, it was to become a butcher's shop and then a carpet shop.

The Ireland Institute has now restored the house. Major surgery was required to transform the house into what you see today. The house was refitted with old timber floorboards, replica Georgian windows and a salvaged staircase. In fact, this house had to be gutted and rebuilt and very little of the original is there today. The people who were involved in commissioning the restoration work feel that they have done a great job considering the very small amount of the original house that was left to work with.

A serious crime has been committed here by successive Dublin governments for allowing this particular house to incur the abuse which it did over all these years, and instead of taking a bow for the work they have done, they should hang their heads in shame.

Paul Demange,

Martin Hurson/Joe Macmanus Cumann,

Longford