Quality of pun from Republican (7)

I believe the answer is:

calibre

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'quality' is the definition.
('calibre' can be a synonym of 'quality')

I can't explain the remainder of the clue.

(Other definitions for calibre that I've seen before include "gifts" , "weapon's bore?" , "bore on the Tube?" , "Personal character" , "Diameter of bore of firearm" .)

I've seen this clue in the Irish Times (Crosaire) and the Irish Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.