Sir, - Previous correspondents have given graphic accounts of the present appalling condition of the Dodder. Criticism has been levelled against the authorities but I wonder if it is entirely justified.
How do the people who look after the parks feel about the vandalism which so often thwarts their efforts to improve the environment? Over the years I have seen new seats in the little park near Orwell Bridge gleam in the morning sun and wondered just how long before the graphic artists with their paints and whittling knives would go into action. It was not very long. I have seen saplings planted close to the gates of the same park only to see, in a short time, the tops broken off at about three feet.
In Bushy Park some years ago, someone with imagination painted a twisted bough, did a little work with a gouge, propped it on the side of a bank and there was the representation of a snake. It was not long before it was lying at the bottom of the bank. It took perseverance on the part of the park's superintendent to have the "snake" replaced with a much heavier bough and fortunately that is still in situ.
I hope these few words show that the efforts to improve the environment of the Dodder are not entirely unappreciated. It was encouraging to read David Doyle's letter (May 2nd) and to hear that his class is going into action. In the past I have engaged in cleanups of both the Grand and Royal Canals but due to the ageing process I am no longer sufficiently agile to make an attempt on the Dodder - it is truly a formidable task! - Yours, etc., Declan S. White,
Orwell Road, Dublin 14.