Letter: Stone of Scone is Northern Irish

Stone of Scone is Northern Irish

Sir: Now that the Stone of Scone has been returned to Scotland ("Scots get the Scone, but Major wants the jam"), I wonder when it will be returned to Northern Ireland? I quote from The Presbytery of Route by the Rev Harry C Waddell (published 1960):

"Towards the end of the fifth century Fergus McErc became owner of the district around Armoy. He granted lands to St Patrick in the year 474 and built the first Christian church in the region. Fergus crossed to the Scottish side, occupied Dunstaffnage Castle, and brought with him the celebrated Lia Fail, or Stone of Fate, on which Irish monarchs were crowned and which was afterwards removed to Scone."

Perhaps a campaign to return the stone to Ireland could unite the people in a way that Messrs Adams, Trimble and Robinson never can. SUZANNE STOCKMAN

Felixstowe, Suffolk