Madam, - Robin Bury (Rite and Reason, May 17th) is less than fair to Seán Ó Faoláin in his severely truncated quotation from that minor masterpiece, The Irish.
The full passage reads as follows: "This new ascendency or aristocracy of the 17th century is what we call today 'the Anglo-Irish'. They were to bring to Ireland a greater concentration of civil gifts than any previous, or later, colonisers: one may, indeed, be done with it in one sentence by saying that culturally speaking the Anglo-Irish were to create modern Ireland. Politically, and in the largest sense socially, they were either wicked, indifferent, or sheer failures." (Pelican Books, 1947, p.87)
I am sure Mr Bury would agree that the last sentence (which he inexplicably omits) makes all the difference when assessing Ó Faoláin's considered opinion. - Yours, etc.,
NIALL CUSACK, Ashley Avenue, Belfast 9.