17 MAY 1957, Page 8

A NUMBER OF READERS spotted an apparent dis- crepancy in

the articles by St. John Ervine and Montgomery Hyde, in our Ulster number, con- cerning the date on which Ireland became a Republic. But in fact both were right. Mr. Ervine was referring to the occasion when Mr. de Valera announced that he considered Ireland to be a Republic de facto; Mr. Hyde to the de lure break, three years or r later.