Sir, - I found John Banville's article "Bad Friday" (The Irish Times, April 8th) sick, sad and totally at variance with what the day should be all about and with why it is called "good" - because on that day, Christ died on the cross to redeem us.
What satisfaction could he and the other lapsed Catholics have got from gorging themselves and getting half-tipsy at a feast on that day of all days? It smacked of pathetic, juvenile bravado, see-God-did-not-strike-us-dead sort of thing.
However, April 10th this year lived up to its name. It was a good, Good Friday and no glaring misnomer. It was the grace of God at work, when unionist and nationalist agreed at last to give peace a chance. I imagine the ghosts of Tone and the United Irishmen must be truly at rest now that their dream of Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter united in mind and heart, has come to pass.
And the long-suffering people of Northern Ireland, of all persuasions, political and religious, and all of us here in the Republic, must ensure that this peace that "passeth all understanding" will prove a lasting, permanent one, despite the bigots and extremists who will, undoubtedly, try to undermine it. - Yours, etc.,
Vera Hughes
Moate, Co Westmeath.