Sir, - The British Ambassador, Sir Ivor Roberts (July 29th) has described the article by Professor Brendan O'Leary (July 28th) on the Patten report as "good knock-about copy; full of froth; short on substance and accurate analysis".
I have to say that I find these remarks unconvincing, disingenuous and quite offensive. Indeed, Sir Ivor Roberts's personal intervention into a very sensitive area of discussion between two sovereign Governments is most unhelpful and even as an exercise in public relations leaves a lot to be desired. - Yours, etc.,
Michael J. Cassidy, Dundrum, Dublin 14.