The race for the Park

Madam, – With regard to the recent exchange in your newspaper between Niall O’Dowd and Walter Ellis (June 16th), I can’t think…

Madam, – With regard to the recent exchange in your newspaper between Niall O’Dowd and Walter Ellis (June 16th), I can’t think of anyone I would like less to see in the Áras than the former.

However, Mr Ellis displays a trait not unusual in your columns and one of the last acceptable prejudices. It seems it is never politically incorrect to be idiotically anti-American, and especially anti-Irish-American, mouthing stereotypical remarks that are no better than the ill-informed tripe Irish-Americans can and do recite about Ireland.

Many Irish-Americans know no better, but years of experience as a senior journalist should have made Mr Ellis a more astute and nuanced observer.

As someone who has divided my time between the two “countries” I’d be hard-pressed to decide which one is Glocca Morra. – Yours, etc,

Dr CHRISTINA HUNT MAHONY,

The Anchorage, Wicklow.