Sir, – Ronan Scanlan (“Voting rights in a referendum”, Letters, March 16th), commenting on a case being taken to the High Court arguing that voters living outside the State should be permitted to vote on constitutional amendments, asks if an elected member of Dáil Éireann should formally represent the Isle of Man.
Strange as it may seem, there is precedent of Irish representation for the Isle of Man, albeit in the form of ecclesiastical representation.
In An Irishman's Diary (April 18th, 2008), Hugh Oram informs us that during the 1780s the Isle of Man was formally included within the diocese of Dublin, and St Nicholas of Myra Catholic Church in Francis Street was the parish church for the Island.
The church’s early registers contain baptismal entries for that island and a Manx emblem is contained in the ceiling panels of the church. – Yours, etc,
TOM COOPER,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.