Sir, - I recently had two sets of friends visiting Ireland for the first time. One group was Australian, the other American. After a great day sightseeing in Dublin, we decided to sample some of the pubs. Unfortunately, we were unable to gain access to any of them as some of us were wearing nice clean runners.
Why in Ireland, in this day and age, are people denied admission to a pub purely because of what they wear on their feet? My friends were confused, amused and angry, all at the same time.
Other countries around the world do not judge their clientele on their footwear so why do we insist on doing so? Friendly customers wearing runners are turned away, while rough, aggressive individuals, often half drunk, are allowed in. - Yours, etc.,
David O'Connor, Killiney, Co Dublin.