We should commemorate the things that unites us

Why not celebrate the Duke of Wellington rather than William of Orange and James II and 18 June rather than 12 July?

Surely someone from Co Fermanagh such as Father Sean McManus would appreciate this better than most?

Even Napoleon acknowledged the steadfastness of the Inniskillings at La Haye Sainte (and I make no mention of the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons led by Major-General Sir William Ponsonby of Imokilly, Co. Cork in the famous charge of the Union Brigade – English Royals and Scots Greys).

Waterloo was won by 10,000 Irish under an Irish Field Marshal from Dublin and Co Meath and, when Uxbridge was wounded, another Irishman, General Sir John Ormsby Vandeleur from Queen’s County/Laois, took command of the British cavalry in pursuit of the defeated French army.

I sometimes wonder why we must commemorate the things that divide us rather than those that unite us.

Especially given the fame of Irish leadership and valour close to the Belgian capital and the present seat of the European Union.

Gerald Morgan, Dublin