Sir, - David Rose's article on the changing nature of Irish hospitality, as manifested in a "ferocious and horrifying" verbal attack on him and his young children by a Burren farmer, prompts me to relate a parallel incident. This summer, with three children (aged 14, 13 and 12), I embarked on a walk from the Cliffs of Moher car-park to Hag's Head - a short hike we've undertaken before and one that justifiably is described in guidebooks as one of the most spectacular walks in Europe. A little past the halfway mark, we were accosted by a stickwielding farmer, who, in an extraordinarily angry and expletive-heavy outburst, informed us that previous hikers had done damage to his fences; that the local council had not come to his aid; that Clare County Council had not helped either; and that therefore we could either pay him a pound if we wished to continue, or we could return to O'Brien's Tower. I understood his argument (though not necessarily his legal ground). We had and could afford the pound. And the fact that my wife had arranged to meet us at Hag's Head made retreat inconvenient. So we paid up and continued our walk. However, the fact that we were done for the money and the excessive profanity and implied violence with which the man made his demands stayed with us through the rest of our holiday.
What a shame to have incidents like this happen in the midst of one of Ireland's great scenic wonders. Surely there must be ways to make such walks more accessible and hassle-free for all. - Yours, etc.,
From Rob Klugman
Denver, Colorado, USA.