Cardinal qualities
Sir: A. N. Wilson's cruel begorra-like caricature of the late Cardinal Tomas O'Fiaich (Diary, 19 May) missed by a mile the true qualities of the man. His great attribute was his Irishness, a product of his great interest in early Irish culture and his deep appreciation of the tragic history of our island race. This was reflected in his genuine humanity and basic friendliness, traits which are not too common among the sacerdotal grades. I met him once. For five fascinating minutes he gave a disserta- tion on my surname and family roots, concluding with a kind remark about the company I worked for. A nice man for an unbeliever (like me) to meet. Of course he was a nationalist and a believer in the concept of a united Ireland. But does this make him a less deserving person than Daniel O'Connell, Parnell, FitzGerald, Haughey, Kinnock and John Hume?
Unfortunately, the late Cardinal was not a good politician and often let his basic concern for people get in the way of the realpolitik of the day. But the two things I admired most about him were his honest attempts to promote Irish ecumenism (one of the few who really worked at it) and his understanding that the IRA's aim was nothing less than the destruction of Ulster Protestantism. The thing I didn't like was his singing. Tomas O'Fiaich was a good man for our time.
John 0' Byrne
32 Glen Drive, Foxrock, Dublin
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