Madam, - Michael Carroll (April 16th) states that there are "Virtually no signposted rights of way and no area of private land where walkers can go without the possibility of a bruising encounter with an angry landowner".
As an experienced walker he must know that this statement is most misleading. The National Waymarked Ways Advisory Committee of the Irish Sports Council supervises the National Network of Waymarked Ways and advises on the creation of other waymarked trails. Large sections of almost all of these walks cross private property with the agreement of the landowner or occupier. They are permissive paths, not rights of way, and we have not been made aware of any "bruising encounter".
In our opinion practically none of the National Network would exist if local committees had opted for rights of way; they would still be involved in the unsustainable costs of legal battles of doubtful outcome.
We consider that the existence of more than 3,000 kilometres of waymarked trails has shown the wisdom of this policy. - Yours, etc.,
JOSS LYNAM, Chairman, NWWAC, Irish Sports Council, Dublin 2.