Unionists not being realistic in asking for President Higgins to rubber stamp the partition of Ireland

Unionists may be suffering from a small bit of insanity if they believe that the Irish president is going to give his blessing to an event to mark Northern Ireland’s centenary and the partition of this island.

Can unionists really say that partition was a good thing for this island?

It has been disastrous in terms of loss of life during the Troubles — an echo is still there on occasions with the Murder of Lyra McKee.

Our president has made it clear that the title of the event was problematic, in celebrating Northern Ireland’s 100th. But what is there to celebrate but a bigoted province of the United Kingdom where peace walls divide the community?

Partition is nothing to celebrate but to commiserate and mourn with the killing of thousands and the injuring of many thousands more.

The churches who organised the event may have been very short-sighted in overlooking the political overtones which would exist if an Irish head of state was to attend and mark the establishment of Northern Ireland.

The Churches and the DUP’s leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson are simply asking for too much and not thinking things through.

Such attendance by an Irish head of state would send republicans into a state of shock and horror. There may even be violent reprisals and damage to the peace process beyond all repair.

Michael D. Higgins cannot simply honour the creation of Northern Ireland at all and thereby give succour to all its horrors. It may not even be that appropriate for Northern Ireland to celebrate its foundation given all who came to their untimely deaths because of partition?

Our president would be happy to attend any reconciliatory event without giving a rubber stamp to Northern Ireland’s separation from the rest of Ireland.

It’s time for the churches and the DUP to be realistic.

Maurice Fitzgerald, Shanbally, Co Cork

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