Madam, - Danny Morrison states (March 8th) that, in pre-coalition negotiations in 1948, Seán MacBride's "price was the release of the political prisoners". That is not the case.
It has long been well known in forestry circles that MacBride's "price" was the adoption of a realistic afforestation policy. This is confirmed by MacBride in his memoir That Day's Struggle, published in 2005. There he records that "a section of Clann [ na Poblachta] wanted to insist that a condition or precedent to joining a government would be the release of all political prisoners. I took the view that while our aim should be the release of all the prisoners, I would not wish to make that a condition precedent to our joining the government".
He then writes: "My first condition was that a minimum of 25,000 acres [ 10,000 hectares] of trees a year should be planted, and that money should be made available for this, whatever was required to plant those trees, without having to fight for it."
It is also believed that John A. Costello, who was expecting "republican" demands, was so relieved that he readily agreed. (MacBride's other conditions dealt with the use of Hospitals Trust money and with pensions and health benefits.) It is apparent that, in his maturity, MacBride formed a clearer view of the needs of his country. - Yours, etc,
NIALL O'CARROLL,
Ballinrobe,
Co Mayo.