Madam, - I refer to the letter of January 10th from John O'Donoghue, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism. As someone who can easily recall the period in question, I would agree with Mark Hennessy that the conduct of Mr O'Donoghue toward Nora Owen when she was Minister for Justice indeed "frequently bordered on the vicious"; and it was "certainly targeted, personal, sustained and ultimately, probably successful" (Weekend Supplement, January 6th). Whatever about other matters listed in his letter, that type of behaviour is what Mr O'Donoghue is most remembered for in that period.
"I believe the people passed judgment in the general election of 1997," Mr O'Donoghue writes. In other words, the end justified the means, no matter how nasty or unpleasant. - Yours, etc,
CHRISTOPHER SANDS, Dublin 9.
Madam, - Anyone who recalls the performance of John O'Donoghue as opposition Justice spokeman will have a mental picture of a red-faced political boot-boy, laying into Minister for Justice Nora Owen.
He deemed her personally responsible for every crime committed in the country and attacked her at every opportunity. Mark Hennessy's description of O'Donoghue's approach was quite accurate.
In hindsight, Mr O'Donoghue's own rhetoric on "zero tolerance" proved to be complete waffle when he became Justice Minister, while any Fianna Fáil Minister taking personal responsibility for bad news remains an alien concept, in stark contrast to their willingness to claim credit for the success of the economy. - Yours, etc,
PETER MOLLOY, Haddington Park, Glenageary, Co Dublin.