Letter: Ancient isle

YOUR CORRESPONDENT'S letter on what it means to be Irish (26 July) is an example of the myth-making that goes into creating ideas of Irish identity.

He says that the Irish are a much more ancient race than our own.He may be interested in recent analysis of human genetics and blood mapping which tracesthe origins of Britain and Ireland and shows there is no difference between the blood origins of the Irish, English, Scots and Welsh, and that the invasions of the Celts, Romans, Vikings, Saxons and Normans had little impact on the gene pool.

We are all ancient people. We should also not forget that the blood of those ancient Britons who created monuments such as Stonehenge still runs strong in the English.

M Carter

London SE1