NI CENTENARY: Someone has to be the bigger person and be generous

(‘NI centenary celebration should be inclusive – up to a point’)

It is the exclusion and ‘othering’ of people, communities, etc, that causes division and rankles with those communities.

The article should simply read ‘The Centenary of Northern Ireland should be inclusive’. Full stop. If Northern Ireland ever has a hope of being a cohesive society going forward, just for once someone has to be pragmatic, generous and the bigger person.

Regarding the observation on attending the 1916 celebrations (“it was a pity not to see unionists present”), they of course were invited to attend (as well as to the commemorations for the battle of the Somme in Dublin) – as well as being invited to a dinner in Belfast with Ireland’s president. They refused all invites.

That was their right, but do not paint a picture of exclusion when they were included but decided for their own reasons to not attend.

Mary Russell, Dundalk

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