Two letters published in The Irish Times respond to an opinion piece by Ronan McGreevy that discussed reconciliation between northern and southern nationalists and the possibility of the Republic apologising for partition.

The first correspondent argues that reconciliation should begin with the Republic ending its use of the phrase "Ireland and Northern Ireland", which they describe as exclusionary. The writer states that all six counties of Northern Ireland, including their native Antrim, are both in Ireland and in Northern Ireland. They argue that the phrase politically suggests Ireland stops just after Dundalk and just before Derry.

The second correspondent criticises Éamon de Valera's role in the 1921 Treaty negotiations. They contend that de Valera was obsessed with minutiae such as the oath to the king and that even in his alternative Document No 2 he accepted partition as a done deal. The writer questions why de Valera did not demand a new treaty as the price of Ireland entering the war when Churchill held out the offer.

The opinion piece that prompted these letters was published on October 20th and referenced a call by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar for the Republic to apologise to northern nationalists for partition.