Sir, - Barry McHugh, in his over-the-top comments on a possible Dublin Olympic bid (February 11th) made personal and unfair attacks on Gay Mitchell. Mr McHugh omitted to mention the many prominent business and sporting personalities who shared Gay Mitchell's view, such as Tony O'Reilly, Jim McCarthy and the late Noel Carroll.
He dismissed the Dublin International Sports Council (DISC) as "self-appointed" in part of his letter, only to commend DISC when it suited his needs. He quoted the findings of the specialised committees that Dublin could make a credible bid only to use selective extracts from the same committees to denigrate the idea. He omitted to mention that Pat Hickey has said that a 2016 bid is now a possibility but quoted his 1992 comments. What a confused case.
The Price Waterhouse report; the reports of the specialised committees; the Coopers & Lybrand report on all other major international sporting events and the possibility of bringing these to Dublin (also commissioned by Gay Mitchell); the Richard Hurley & Associates designed Olympic village; and the PKS costing for such a village - all are practical, reasoned, and rational research. These reports stand on one side of the argument, personalised invective on the other.
Mr Mitchell has suggested that an all-party Dail committee examine the evidence for and against an Olympic bid. The knockers would be slow to support such an approach, for then they would have to produce something called evidence and would be cross-examined on their statements.
Could we please have a debate on professional and reasoned grounds and leave out the personal attacks? - Yours, etc.,
Cllr Ruairi McGinley, City Hall, Dublin 2.