Sir, - It may be true, as Eoin Neeson says in his article (August 22nd), that the Casement diaries are forgeries. In fact, in the light of the evidence which he puts forward, and other evidence which I have heard in the past, I will be surprised if they are shown to be genuine.
But it is outrageous that Mr Neeson, in the year 2001, should use homophobic words like "degeneracy" and "perversion" to describe homosexual practices.
Their use by the British government in 1916 does not justify him repeating them today outside quotation marks.
Roger Casement's sexual orientation and activities, whatever they were, can be no more than an interesting historical annex to his public life and witness for humanitarianism and Irish independence. - Yours, etc.,
John Goodwillie, Crumlin, Dublin 12.