A chara, – Bought and sold for English gold? No, this time it’s just a handful of magic beans. I’m waiting for England’s generous rolling out of the desperate promises they made to the Scottish people.
I’m not holding my breath. – Is mise,
NICK McCALL,
Glasdrumman Mor,
Drumkeeran,Co Leitrim.
Sir, – I congratulate the Scottish people. Not for voting No, but for the manner in which they conducted themselves throughout the campaign. We listened to debates and opinions that were both robust and passionate but with few hysterics. Irish parliamentarians, please take note. – Yours, etc,
JOHN BELLEW,
Riverside House,
Dunleer,Co Louth.
A chara, – The 307-year-old union as been saved. The people have spoken. Scotland remains part of the family of nations that make up the United Kingdom. However it does so amid a flurry of promises, vows and reassurances of further devolution and increased autonomy over tax, health and welfare. Much analysis will be done as to why the Better Together campaign succeeded. Some will cast blame on what many interpreted as scaremongering, with RBS and Lloyds banks threatening to move operations south of the border should independence have been endorsed. What has been intriguing is that economic arguments featured as the key to influence and not any ideology based on language, culture or identity. Scotland and its people have always had a clear and distinguished identity in this regard.
Westminster has made promises that it must keep with Scotland. Now that the genie is out of the bottle Westminster must give equal regard to other areas of the United Kingdom – Wales, England and Northern Ireland. Failure to do so would could lead those nations to feel “Bitter Together” and not “Better Together”. – Is mise,
KILLIAN BRENNAN,
Clare Village,
Malahide Road, Dublin 17.
Sir, – The will of the people of Scotland was determined with out the loss of one life. The biggest win of all. – Yours, etc,
ROSALEEN CROTTY,
Radolfzeller Strasse,
Allensbach, Germany.
Sir, – Repeated attempts to denigrate England failed to convince a fair-minded people. We, too, have had little else but slurs and put-downs from our propaganda-mills for a century. And where have our huddled masses, failed by this State, headed for? Why to England, of course, where they received full citizenship rights and plentiful opportunities. What a shame the Irish people were never asked. They would have settled for “Devo-Max”, but what they got instead was “Dev Max” and a partitioned country. – Yours, etc,
PADDY McEVOY,
Ardmore Road,
Holywood, Co Down.
Sir, – As a Scot living in Ireland, I really don’t understand why so many people voted No but, like their children and grandchildren, who won’t understand it either, I fear that we’ll all live to regret it, and maybe in unexpected ways. The referendum was never actually about nationalism, or at least not in the anti-English sense that the No camp tried to paint it. It was about admitting that the politico-economic union of the last three centuries has simply run its course, and that Scotland and England have been moving in different directions for at least a generation now.
The socio-cultural union, which stretches back for a millennium or more, is rich and rewarding and we are very much “better together” in that sense. The overwhelming majority of Yes voters wanted it to continue yet, ironically, independence was the surest way to safeguard that it did. – Yours, etc,
SEÁN LYNCH,
Milltown,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – Interesting that David Cameron’s first act for Scotland is to ask an unelected peer, Lord Smith of Kelvin, to oversee the process of devolving more powers over tax, spending and welfare to Scotland. – Yours, etc,
CHARLIE McGEEVER,
Derrycastle,
Ballina,Co Tipperary.
Sir, – There are lesson for our European leaders in this. Let’s hope that they are alert to the effects the referendum will have across Europe and the need for substantial changes to give regions and the general population far more say in EU decisions. – Yours, etc,
PETER B MacNAMARA,
O’Callaghan Strand,
Limerick.
Sir, – In what way was the result like a cold in the head? Sometimes the Ayes had it and sometimes the Noes. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL DRURY,
Avenue Louise,
Brussels.
Sir, – Scotland the Brave? Yeah, right. – Yours, etc,
PATRICIA O’RIORDAN,
Stamer Street, Dublin 8.
Sir, – To the thoroughly disappointed – though by no means despondent – Scottish nationalists I say this – if at first you don’t secede, try, try again. – Yours, etc,
PAUL DELANEY,
Beacon Hill,
Dalkey, Co Dublin.
Sir, – Scotland seems to be saying “Never, not now, possibly”. Remember that even Big Ian said yes eventually. – Yours, etc,
DAVID CURRAN,
Clybaun Heights,
Knocknacarra, Galway.
Sir, – The Scots are a canny lot. It would appear they went along with Hilaire Belloc’s advice – “and always keep a-hold of nurse for fear of finding something worse”. – Yours, etc,
OWEN DEIGNAN,
Marina Village,
Malahide, Co Dublin.
Sir, – The pollsters had it neck and neck, while Paddy Power had it by a distance. – Yours, etc,
PAUL MULCAHY,
Merlyn Park, Dublin 4.
Sir, – At least that’s the Scottish question answered – now know what’s not under the kilt. – Yours, etc,
JOHN DEEGAN,
Market Square,
Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath.