8 JUNE 2002, Page 31

Blarney and baloney

From Mr Peter Duff Sir: Martin Walton ('Green with envy', 25 May) makes some valid points about the ills of modern Ireland. It's a pity, then, that he surrounds them with so much half-truth and inaccuracy. As many of your readers will know, his sad encounter with a boorish bigot in a bar outside Galway is the opposite of the typical experience of English visitors to Ireland. Also. while most Irish people share his concern about Sinn Fein's winning five seats in the Dail, it should be remembered that there are 165 Dail seats, and that members are elected by proportional representation. How many seats would the BNP win in the House of Commons if Britain adopted PR?

Peter Duff

Dublin