You are right.
It is not worth making Irish friends angry. I make no more comment on events in Ireland.

I will say from this side, that the Civil Rights movement had and would have continued to have the support of British public opinion , that it would have been hard for our politicians to ignore, and without apportioning blame, that it was a tragedy that was lost.

Lastly, that we ceased to be an imperialist country long ago, giving our colonies independence willingly and without a fight, and remaining friends. The present troubles are nothing do do with a non existant wish to cling to empire.
Keith.