Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

I accept there are a few who feel differently. One of the important acts in 1922 was a meeting in April of that year between the Protestant church leaders, Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins. In that they effectively transferred loyalty from Britain to Ireland, and this loyalty has deepened over the years.

We are all of mixed background. When I attended the enthronement of Archbishop Harper in Armagh, at which some of the cathedral's history was explained, I was mildly shocked to discover that one of my ancestors, Shane O'Neill, had burned down a previous version of the cathedral in 1566. He had his head put on a spike outside Dublin Castle for his pains. Even people with a Protestant background, such as I, have ancestors from other traditions, including Gaelic.