Captain courageous
Sir: Cornelius O'Leary's report from Ulster (24 January) can hardly pass without comment especially as some of his observations are highly contentious. The earlier part of My life was spent in Londonderry and of the large number of Roman Catholics whom I numbered amongst my friends none could have been described as 'bitterly opposed' to the political system. I de- plore sweeping political statements such as this especially when applied to Ulster where they are always, to my mind, intended to produce a sense of greater 'divisiveness' than actually exists.
Another point : although it is true that West Ulster is mainly agricultural, one of the main reasons for the high rate of unemployment in Londonderry is that the creation of the border robbed the city of its traditional hinterland, particularly the county of Donegal. That is why, like many natives of the area, I was particularly sorry to see the United Kingdom fail to gain entry into the European Economic Community. If such entry had been followed by the admis- sion of the Republic of Ireland, then the dis- mantling of the customs barriers could possibly have been the 'breath of life' so badly needed to restore Londonderry's economic fortunes.
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