I AM not a gambling man but my money would be on John Riseley “Irish question” (HAS, Sept 21) having never been to Northern Ireland.

His utopian “independent united Ireland” being a “natural outcome” is far away from the harsh reality. It’s process has been delayed for much more than a century – four to five hundred years more like. Para-military groups are still active and killing people

Why attack the Catholic Church for its “tyranny”. Anyone who has talked to Irish people will know that there is much more to this problem than religion.

What I do know from my visits is this. The Good Friday agreement was a massive step forward in getting the two communities to at least tolerate each other. An open border helped greatly. Forcing them together will not. This is Brexit not Shangri-La.

Bill Bartle, Barnard Castle.