Work ethic counts in Ulster economy
October 27th, 1994
A letter to the Daily Telegraph which was published on 27th October 1994.
Anne Applebaum (article, Oct. 25th) is right to point out that, unlike the Palestinians, the Catholic Irish do have their own state, but she is wrong to say that the fight in Northern Ireland is over a “resource-free tract of land”.
On the contrary, by hard work and dedication over the centuries, the Protestant people have created the network of efficient well tended farms which has so distinguished Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland. In addition, the Unionist population has made contributions to British technology, and to the British Army out of all proportion to its numbers.
Despite the mayhem and economic sabotage systematically carried out by the IRA, northern Ireland continues to deliver the best secondary school results and to have one of the most skilled and willing industrial workforces in the whole of the United Kingdom, as I have direct reason to know.
For a government to say, as this one does, that it is neutral about whether such citizens go or stay is a shameful disgrace. Perhaps it cares more about mineral rights. If the Republic of Ireland finally manages to get its hands on Northern Ireland, it would also obtain rights to around 1,700 square miles of the Continental shelf.