`AN IRISH NAVVY'
SIR,—After reading and re-reading what Frank O'Connor had to say about An Irish Navvy in your Christmas. issue, I am still not sure which of us he is sorest at—myself, Val Iremonger or the country where all three of us were born. The statement that one can write any sort of drivel, in Irish, and have it published—at or not at, the taxpayer's expense-- is on an equally inaccurate par with his remark about secondary education still being a dream in the Republic.
Mr. O'Connor goes on to say that I (the Navvy) have had a hard life and that there's no reason why he should make it harder by 'criticising the book too severely. Why ever not? Isn't that the purpose of a review—to praise and fault fairly? And in any case I would not have taken Mr. O'Ctinnor's word as final, or been greatly distressed by it. After all, maybe I can't write but I'll trench-dig with Frank O'Connor any day.
DONAU. MAC AMEILAIGH
106 Great Russell Street. Northampton
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