Liberals in Ireland
From Mrs H. Quinn
Sir: As a Liberal I have certainly heard a great deal about the part Liberals played M bringing up the matter of civil rights in Northern Ireland. However, somehow today it is not associated with the struggle of the Catholic community to achieve full rights of citizenship. Mr. Thorpehas not spoken against the declared intention of the Loyalists to bar Catholics from Executive office because they may happen to believe in a United Ireland. But they are only echoing a policy formulated in the 1920 Government of Ireland Act which actually envisages not only a Council of Ireland but an All-Ireland Parliament with Irish Union dating from the setting up of that Parliament. Both the governments of Northern Ireland and the then Southern Ireland would have been phased out. Believing in a United Ireland therefore is not only a civil right but justified by Westminster's Acts. The Liberals could be an important influence in bringing forward these points before the Convention of Northern Ireland is formed, Hannah Quinn Crescent Cottage, 108 Marine Parade, Brighton
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