A chara, - You proclaimed with the Olympian detachment usually associated with newspaper editors at the end of Joyce Andrews's letter of August 29th that "we always endeavour to get the balance right". Indeed sir, a wonderful ideal.
On the same day that you published that statement The Irish Times carried a picture on page 1 and four pictures on page 3 of what was euphemistically called the Slane concert. You gave the attendance as 80,000 and you also carried a lengthy account of the affair on page 3.
At the bottom of the same page there was an account of the flea cheoil in Enniscorthy attended by 140,000. There was no picture. So on the picture count the score was 5-0. Some balance!
The main attraction at Slane wanted the crowd/mob/rabble to enter the Guinness Book of Records by creating the loudest obscenity recorded anywhere. What an ambition! Ab uno disce omnes.
Nevertheless, Sir, credit where credit is due. You did at least find space for the piece on the flea cheoil while RTE television made no reference to it in its main evening news either on Saturday or Sunday night, though giving Slane plenty of publicity. Verba sonunt, exempla tonunt. - Is mise,
Aideen Ni Chuill, Athlone Road, An Muileann Cearr.