Sir, - In her report of probably the greatest pre-millennium assembly of Catholics in Ireland Marie O'Halloran (no relation) gave a very balanced view of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association Mass and Rally in Dublin last Sunday (The Irish Times, May 31st).
It was appropriate that The Irish Times was represented by a woman at the centenary celebrations, because it is women who understand the insatiable selfish monster of alcohol abuse, which robs them and their children of housing, food, clothing, education and religion, and extinguishes every prospect of betterment in their lives.
It was also women who helped Fr Cullen to found the Pioneers back in 1898 - Mary Bury, Frances Sullivan, Lizzie Power and Ann Egan. However, it was not long before men were joining and anybody who checked the 40,000 members in Croke Park could see equal numbers of men and women. And if anyone took a close look as the members were assembled 10-deep under their diocesan banners, stretching from Parnell Square to O'Connell Bridge, they could see plenty of happy, complete Pioneer families in the parade.
Recently in a court case in Florida, it was suggested that because all Irish people drink too much alcohol they should not be allowed to drive a car in the US. Do we cultivate this awful image of ourselves, or do our politicians do it, by insisting that every visiting foreign dignitary must visit a pub?
Surely a picture of happy sober families is a much healthier image to project at home and abroad. - Yours, etc.,
John O'Halloran, Bantry Road, Dublin 9.