Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-29
Donnybrook

On December 20, you printed
a letter by Martin j. Duffey.
ON the British in Ireland. I
am writing as an American
Of non-IriSh background, who
very recently lived for over a
year in the city of Armagh
in Northern Ireland and who
has been and Is in touch with
many friends and acquaint-
ances on both sides of the
current dispute in that
country.
AS do so many people who
are seemingly in ignorance
of the true state Of affairs in
Northern Ireland, Mr.. Duffey
assumes that the British mill
tary installations in the six
counties. and, in fact, the
whole association Of the six
counties with England exist
at the desire Of Britain and
against the will of the Irish
concerned. Mr.. Duffey asks
by what better right Britain
maintains these installations
in Ireland than the Kremlin
sends tanks to Budapest. The
point apparently missed by
Mr.. Duffey is that, unlike the
situation in Hungary, the
people Of Northern Ireland
want the British there. Over
two thirds of the inhabitants
of the six counties look upon
the British army not as one
of occupation. but as one
which is there to help them
maintain their independence
Of and separation from Eire-a
separation which they insist
upon maintaining at all costs.
Unlike the Irish of Fire, the
majority Of the Irish of North
ern Ireland are intensely
loyal to and devoted to the
Crown and will stand neither
for separation from England
nor for assimilation into Fire.
If England were to vanish
from the face Of the earth,
the people of Northern Ire
land would set up their own
military installations to main
tain the border between the
Irish North and South.
The question Is too deeply
complex to be discussed at
proper length here. 1t is also.
I am afraid, a hopelessly and
tragically insoluble one at the
present time, but in any case
one which cannot correctly be
presented, as Mr.. Duffey and
many Of the Irish propagan-
dists in this country try to do,
in the enormously simplifled
terms Of a British occupation
Of the six counties. Whatever
the virtues and the vices Of
England may be, and like
every country she has both,
she is not presently at fault
here; quite to the contrary,
regardless Of ones opinion Of
her past treatment Of Ireland,
it must be recognized that at
the present time England is
contributing much to and
gaining little from Northern
Ireland and that the ex-
isting relationship between
Northern Ireland and Eng
land was established and is
maintained at the whole
hearted desire Of q very large
majority Of the people Of the
six counties.
Franklin E. Kameny..
The Star recently had a
letter concerning the six coun-
ties Of Northern Ireland. I
quote: IF after the Revolu-
tionary War. Britain had in
sisted upon retaining control
Of six New England States,
as a bridgehead to threaten
the rest Of the American Re-
public, how would American
patriots react? The Irish Re-
public is in a similar situation
today"
Does the writer Of the above
not know that the Revolu-
tionary War was an outright
war eliminating in the sur
render by Lord CORVALLIS, at
Yorktown, Va. where the
French feet encompassed the
British?
Does "The British in Ire
land" writer not know that all
the people Of Ireland, without
any restrictions whatsoever.
were given a fun. clear pie
biscite vote, given to every
voting. inhahitant Of voting
eligibility, to decide what kind
Of government they wanted?
After q free. honorable cleo
ton. the South Of Ireland
chose the Irish Republic.
The 80 Northern counties
chose to remain a part Of the
British Commonwealth. under
the British Tag. The Irish
Republic fashioned It's own
Gag. and severed al connec-
tons with Britain.