Sir, - In his column of December 12th, Kevin Myers asks: "Does she (President McAleese) know what pain actually is?" Far be it from me to question the wisdom of Mr. Myers in such matters, but I would assume that having your brother beaten to within an inch of his life, your home machine-gunned, your father's bar blown up and two of your best friends assassinated on your wedding day would be very painful experiences.
Perhaps Mr. Myers is referring to some other type of pain, such as being unable to obtain a favourite claret or a suitable restaurant table. The trauma he must face on these occasions! - Yours, etc.,
Donnybrook, Dublin 4.