Sir, - As usual, Kevin Myers does not let the facts get in the way of his warped view of the Irish War of Independence.
The truth is that Constable Mitchell was executed in June 1921 (on the same day as Maher and Foley), for the murder of Robert Dixon. Mr Dixon was, in fact, a justice of the peace - hence the reason a policeman was executed, and the murder took place during the course of robbery in February 1921. Constable Mitchell's accomplice, another policeman committed suicide a few days after the murder.
This was the only case of a policeman or soldier being executed during the 1919-21 period. Another interesting point is that in the months following Kevin Barry's execution 50 unarmed civilians were killed by the Crown forces outside of combat. They included Ellen Quinn, a pregnant woman, shot in Galway from a police lorry and Annie O'Neill, a 14-year-old girl, shot by an army officer. Kevin Barry and his comrades were soldiers who died in the line of duty and nothing can change that fact. - Yours, etc.,
Tom Nolan, Main Street, Athlone, Co Westmeath.