Letter: Census and nonsense

Anna Freeman
Saturday 13 February 1999 19:02 EST
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YOUR REPORT that the 2001 census will include the category "Irish" describes "the Irish community" as "one of the oldest and largest ethnic groups in the country" ("Irish to get own category on next census", 7 February). Older than the Welsh and the Scots, and larger than the English? Anyway, how will "Irishness" be indicated? By ancestry or citizenship, name or accent, church or pub, sports allegiance or taste in drink, or just self-selection?

What a lot of racist rubbish! As for including the category of religion, words fail me.

ANNA FREEMAN

Leighton Buzzard, Beds

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