Sir, – In "The time of my life" (May 12th), Mary O'Rourke tells us she turned down an unexpected offer from Charles Haughey in 1983 to "shadow" Nuala Fennell who was the then-minister for women's affairs. She says she's not quite sure why she took that decision, and goes on to say, "I like Nuala Fennell and thought she was a fine, normal person, particularly for someone in Fine Gael".
What on earth can she mean? Does she know of some macabre rituals my friends who happen to be Fine Gaelers secretly practise? Should I cut all ties?
Could there be a clue in Mary O’Rourke’s perceived notions of “normality” in the article’s photograph of Haughey’s resulting shadow cabinet, which includes such veterans of tribunals as (from left to right) Bertie Ahern, Padraig Flynn, Ray Burke and the redoubtable CJH himself? – Yours, etc,
LIAM STENSON,
Galway.