Madam, - May I contribute to this debate on foot of Julian Ellison's recent letters? The Mayo Memorial Peace Park, due to be opened on October 7th, has a particular function. It is there to commemorate Co Mayo's 20th-century fallen officers, enlisted ranks and civilian casualties.
Among over 1,100 names will be etched those of Cpl Fintan Heneghan and Pte Billy Kedian who fell in action in Lebanon, Irish Army soldiers serving with Unifil. Also the names of our first and second World War dead, and our dead of Korea and Vietnam dead will be etched there. Individual monuments will commemorate those who fell with the Connaught Rangers, the Irish Guards, Commonwealth and US forces.
This project, years in painstaking research and preparation, is now coming to fruition. It is an example of leadership and patriotism at its best.
The man who conceived the idea, nurtured it and brought it to fruition, Mr Michael Feeney, is to congratulated. It is a Herculean, apolitical and selfless effort.
While it is not on the physical scale of Dublin's Islandbridge memorial, it is probably even more important. It is a symbol of the nation's maturity, a recognition and commemoration of those who died for us, no matter what uniform was worn. It very far removed from parochial politics at whatever level and it is a recognition of Mayo's fallen, those who died for Mayo, Ireland and the free world.
On October 7th Mayo will be able to hold its head up proudly. In spite of obstacles and frustrations put there by a small minority of people this new memorial will be of immense comfort to the relatives of the fallen and to all right-thinking people on this island. Let us hope that other counties will now follow the leadership shown. - Yours, etc,
Capt DONAL BUCKLEY
(Irish Army, retd),
Derryhick, Castlebar,
Co Mayo.