Irish attitudes
Sir: You malign my native city of Limerick (December 8) by claiming that not too long ago Redemptorist priests patrolled its cinemas to ensure that the boys sat in a different part of the house to the girls.
They did no such thing. This fable which you have helped to perpetuate has its origins in a one-man campaign by a Redemptorist who, like your leader writer, sometimes rushed into things without checking the facts. It was mildly amusing at the time, but there were no patrols and — fortunately for us in the one.and eightpennys — no segregation. On the contrary, one cinema in Limerick provided double seats in the back row for its more amorous patrons — a splendid amenity which I have not encountered elsewhere, May I also add that you are wrong, too, in stating that the Prime Minister of the Republic is a Protestant. You have obviously confused him with the
Michael O'Toole Hartcliffe, Portmarnock Strand, County Dublin
* Several readers have, of course, pointed out this inadvertent error, an aberration for which we apologise. — Editor, The Speak&
Sir: I fear that your statement that the Prime Minister of the Irish Republic is a Protestant was the least of your ridiculous assertions in last week's issue. It is a long time since I read such bigoted rubbish as this: "The Republic has a long way to go before it is an adequate home for non-Catholics" — why, then, do so many English Protestants choose to live there and admit that they would never leave!
Where have you been for the past
twenty-five years or so? The old contraception red herring is brought up again, and how! It seems probable that your worries about the small minority's 'plight' will soon be resolved voluntarily by the Republic's Government; compare this with the dismal attitude of the Unionists in the North towards bending to their minority!
The barriers of distrust in the mind of the Northern Protestant will not be removed by irresponsible editorials, as the recent -disgraceful scenes between the Unionists themselves shows only too clearly. Mr Cosgrave and his Government are anxious to compromise now; it is Brian Faulkner who is forced to look over his shoulder with every speech he makes for fear of appearing to his supporters to be ready to make any concessions.
But, for God's sake, try harder to write more realistically in future about the Irish problem in the hopes that Mr Whitelaw's initiative will not be in vain.
Patrick M. Kilmurray 4 Arundel Road, Heatherside, Camberley, Surrey
President.'
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