Sir, - I regret that S. O'Connor (January 12th) was so incensed by my article of January 5th that he or she has failed to see the point I was making. I do not doubt the sincerity of the writer's personal account of the years 1969-1972, but I was writing specifically about the year 1970 in relation to the release of archive papers and the response of the Dublin government to the events of that year.
Statistically, 1970 was indeed almost as peaceful as 2000, based on the number of deaths, shootings and so forth. As I noted in my article, violence increased in the course of the year, reversing the trend which had enabled the authorities to reduce troop numbers in the province.
If a careful examination of the events of that year, using the archives now available, helps us understand why the situation changed and why we had a resumed descent into appalling communal and terrorist violence, of which S. O'Connor was a victim, then we must undertake that examination. Refusal to do so, and abuse of those who do, perhaps explain why we may be no further forward in 2001 than we were then. The emergence of the Provisional IRA in 1970, and the start of its terrorist campaign of bombing and killing was a key factor, which no one can deny.
Martial law was not introduced in July 1970, and has never been used in the 30 years of the Troubles. A strict curfew was enforced by the British army on the Lower Falls for two days in July 1970. - Yours, etc.,
Dennis Kennedy, Belfast 7.