Hyde and Cosgrave

A chara, - I share some of the feelings of Charles Lysaght (April 25th) in his reaction to the recent TG4 programme on Douglas…

A chara, - I share some of the feelings of Charles Lysaght (April 25th) in his reaction to the recent TG4 programme on Douglas Hyde. I would have liked more human interest details, like his attendance at fairs in Castlerea and Ballyhaunis and his unsuccessful attempts to seduce Maud Gonne MacBride, as Gaeilge.

The one glaring omission is that it was WT Cosgrave who made the crucial and successful nomination of Hyde as president. Cosgrave was always most anxious to ensure that Irish Protestants realised they were full Irish citizens. However, the memory and role of Cosgrave himself as "founder of modern Ireland" now appear to be unknown and unacknowledged. - Yours, etc,

ANTHONY JORDAN, Gilford Road, Dublin 4.