Sir, - According to your edition January 19th, the Minister for Health, Micheal Martin, expressing his sadness at seeing Liam Lawlor jailed, went on to say: "You go back 100 years and there were people in jail for different reasons, albeit for causes which at the time society thought were horrible and obnoxious, yet those people in jail had a very fundamental part to play in the emerging democracy."
Whatever does this mean? To what classes of people is Mr Martin referring - political protesters land activists, conscientious objectors, suffragists? It is to be hoped that he will elaborate on his mysterious remarks. Otherwise, the inference must be that Liam Lawlor, in the Minister's opinion, will be recognised in the course of time as having made a significant contribution to democracy and may even be honourably ranked with "the felons of our land". - Yours etc.,
John A. Murphy, Rosebank, Douglas Road, Cork.
Sir, - There are differing views about Liam Lawlor, ranging from "lock him up and throw away the key," to worry at the power of tribunals to bypass civil liberties. Some loss of the protection of civil liberties can be justified, I believe, if this is the only way that results can be obtained. Surprisingly, the Irish Council for Civil liberties, normally vocal, has made no comment on the matter yet. Isn't it time for it to do so? - Yours, etc.,
Joss Fitzsimons, Margaret Street, Cork.