Sir, - I enjoyed reading Elaine Keogh's article entitled "Needs of today give Drogheda's yesterdays a dig out" (April 2nd) in spite of the rather garbled title! The two photographs by Tom Conachy were excellent. The overall salutory effect of the article was spoiled for me by the predictable opinion of the Drogheda town clerk, Mr Brendan Hoey that the archaeological digs were "slowing down the contract and adding to the cost of it". It seems to me that the day is slow in dawning for this public official to realise that the extensive history which he finds irksome is not an infinite resource and that his fellow citizens value the past. Archaeological digs can be expensive in the short term (although at £400,000 out of £43 million it is a small enough sum). However there is a long term dividend to be gained in raising the local and tourist interest in the town.
I also found that the reported opinion of Mr Sean Collins of the Old Drogheda Society was a disappointment. He stated that "it was time we were realistic
How do you preserve and present a foundation?" It would be wonderful if there were an enlightened local authority which could open such a heritage site to an Architectural Competition where the prize winner would present a design for a structure specifically to preserve and present a section of the foundations in situ and at the same time act as a small museum for the finds. How about it? - Yours etc.,
Hannaville Park,
Dublin 6.