Madam, - The Progressive Democrats recently expressed concern over the plight of the long-distance commuter and Michael McDowell referred to the M50 as a "moat around Dublin" ( The Irish Times, February 2nd).
Now, that much maligned motorway has now been described, with an echo of Dante, as a "seventh circle of hell" for which a proposed solution, consisting of a new outer ring road "arching from Drogheda to Naas" may be forthcoming (Liam Reid, The Irish Times, February 24th).
This proposal has a medieval precedent, which consisted of a double ditch defining the boundaries of the Pale, extending in present-day terms from the Dodder to Ballymore-Eustace and Naas, across the lawns of Clongowes Wood College, following the road to Kilcock, traversing Co Meath, pivoting at Kells and carrying on to the sea at Drogheda or thereabouts.
The Earls of Kildare, operating from Maynooth Castle, were charged with protecting the marches of the Pale - to muster the inhabitants and see that they attended fully equipped with arms and horses in order to prevent the wild commuters from the Bog of Allen and further afield entering the area and driving off the Dublin cattle.
Such a solution at the present time would surely make the long-distance commuters desist from their impossible dream of reaching the moat-protected Red Cow and perhaps turn their attentions to the still green pastures of the West and the Blue Bull of Sneem. - Yours, etc,
NIALL MEAGHER, Naas, Co Kildare.