Madam, - So a spokesperson for Dundrum "Town" Centre has finally been smoked out, offended by criticism of this consumerist monstrosity, and telling us about the fine community facilities it will contain (Don Nugent, March 21st).
He may have missed some earlier correspondence from residents of Dundrum which lamented the loss of what the community already had: a bookshop where the owner read the books she was selling, a butcher who knew where the meat had come from (and not just because it was on the label), a man's shop where the proprietor would adjust the clothes if they didn't fit and, among others, a pharmacy where the staff knew the doctor who had written the prescription.
I was one of the million mentioned by Mr Nugent who visited his centre, in my case in the forlorn hope of finding a jar of tahini paste among the 45,000 items in Tesco (or anywhere else) to make hummus for my vegetarian daughter. I know Tesco sells hummus in a packet, but I am one of that eccentric minority (hardly one in a million?) who likes to make my own food rather than have it assembled in a factory.
Needless to say, I didn't find the tahini. The Tesco staff I asked for help had never heard of it. However, I did find it in a tiny shop on the main street run by a visitor to these shores.
He tells me his shop will be closed on May 1st as that part of the street has been bought by the shopping centre developers. I bought almost his entire stock (three jars) of tahini as it may never be seen in Dundrum again. There is a delightful rumour going around the area that the developers also approached the local parish priest to see if they could buy the church, which is now most inconveniently located, and move it somewhere else. I'm sure it's a scurrilous lie, but I mention it just to give Mr Nugent the opportunity to deny it. - Yours, etc.,
PAT BRADY, Stoney Road, Dundrum, Dublin 14.