For centuries an Irish threat was a security concern in Britain

One or other of David Trimble’s biographers mention that he had expressed regret about knowing little Irish history whilst he was involved with the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement.

Ruth Dudley Edwards (‘When Trimble was a pariah in Ireland, I saw greatness,’ August 9, see link below) quotes David Kerr, for six years advisor and press secretary to David Trimble, as saying that not only had he to contend with those within his own party wo would “stab him in the back” but also with a “fifth column of civil servants and advisors in the UK government more worried about keeping bombs out of London”.

Surely threats from the island of Ireland — at least ever since William, Duke of Normandy’s Conquest of what there then was of England in 1066 — has always been the concern as one Celtic king fought with another.

One such was the war between the king of Leinster and the high king (a high king being a kind of moderator) that brought a Norman from Wales, known by nickname as Strongbow, to the assistance of Leinster.

And eventually king of Leinster himself. His memorial tomb is to be see in the nave of Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin.

His overlord (these were the days before nation states) King Henry of England later, as Lord of Ireland. came to keep an eye on him.

Centuries later when the nobles of Ireland backed King Philip of Spain to succeed his wife Mary, Queen of England and Queen of Ireland, as King of Ireland, the English, having witnessed enough of burnings at the stake under Mary had no desire to see the Spanish Inquisition come with Philip.

And so they choose Elizabeth.

Again the rebellions of 1798 — of which there were three: Wexford, the West, and Antrim and Down — had a similar intervention with London making use of the Monaghan Invincibles (Roman Catholic to a man) to put down the Rebellion in Antrim and Down.

ATQ Stewart, a contributor to a booklet published by the Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland on the Rebellion of ‘98 has some very wry comments to make about history and politics.

All of this would be familiar if the narrative history of the British Isles was taught in the schools.

I admire David Trimble for his stamina, and his wife for the support given, but regret that he did not oppose the switch in name from the originally proposed (by London?) Council of the Isles to that of the (Dublin favoured?) British and Irish Council – setting British and Irish into two opposite camps.

WA Miller, Belfast BT13

Ruth Dudley Edwards: When Trimble was a pariah in Ireland, I saw greatness