Sir, – Whatever flag might eventually emerge, I sincerely hope it will be distinctive and have the respect of everyone, especially the sailing community while travelling abroad. The sight of the official national ensign defaced with the owner’s yacht club colours in foreign ports is a source of regular embarrassment. Irish boats are the only ones to do it. You will never ever see the French tricolour defaced on the back of a boat. – Yours, etc,
NORMAN FULLAM,
Baily,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – With all the suggestions for a harp on a proposed all-Ireland flag, why not use the Guinness harp in gold with a black background? Surely that would be good for us all. Alternatively, use the harp on a blue background with the slogan “Sally O’Brien and the way she might look at you”. The national anthem could be “The harp that once through Tara’s halls”. – Yours, etc,
TONY CORCORAN,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – The history of flags and emblems too often describes oppression at its suffocating worst. But if we are to have a flag for any form of a future new Ireland, it should be a simple plain white banner for an interim period of at least a decade. At a point thereafter, possibly a further decade hence, shades of green and orange could be woven back into the flag that would consolidate and describe, unanimously, the new unfettered nation. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL GANNON,
Kilkenny.
Sir,-– A new flag of a united Ireland would consist ideally of two distinct emblems: the Union Jack on the top, and the Tricolour on the bottom. And in the middle? A border! – Yours, etc,
PAUL DELANEY,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – St Patrick’s Cross, but only if removed from the Union Jack! – Yours, etc,
RORY E MacFLYNN,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
A chara, – Surely the obvious answer to avoid an endless New Zealand-style debate on a new flag design is to not have one at all. Imagine the headlines as we announced ourselves as the first “post-flag” nation state. Without flags you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between anyone on the island. Getting rid of the flag might be the unity we need. – Yours, etc,
EMMETT McNAMARA,
Furbo,
Galway.
Sir, – I suggest a new flag with a tin whistle, fiddle and Lambeg drum as centrepiece emblems, with a background colour of British racing green. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL C O’CONNOR,
Waterford.
Sir, – Given that white is the colour common to both the Tricolour and the Union Jack, I propose a united Ireland flag be entirely white with the words “No surrender” on one side and “Tiocfaidh ár lá” on the other. These words would also be white and so invisible to any except those that need or choose to see either or both. – Yours, etc,
THOMAS McLAUGHLIN,
Dublin 16.