Sir, - Having just returned from spending a couple of nights in Dublin with friends, I thought I would write to let you know our impression.
We were staying in O'Connell Street and from there were able to walk to most places in the centre of town. We couldn't believe the amount of litter everywhere (mainly cigarette butts and fast food containers), the people sleeping rough on the streets, and the fact that most of the shops had security guards standing on the door. It was certainly not what we were expecting in "Dublin's fair city" and walking back to our hotel at night was not a pleasant experience. We took the Dart train and saw some wonderful scenery but were really appalled at the amount of litter along the embankments and in the actual stations.
Ireland is a wonderful country, the scenery is fantastic and the people are among the friendliest we have ever met. It is a pity that Dublin was such a disappointment. Why don't the powers-that-be act now before it is allowed to degenerate any further? - Yours, etc.,
Lynne Rose, Burpham, Guildford, England.