ACCESS TO THE COUNTRYSIDE

JOSS LYNAM,

Sir, - Eileen Battersby is to be congratulated for her balanced article on access to farmland (The Irish Times, August 28th), as is Ian Kilroy for his thought-provoking article on the Pyrennees on the same page.

But no congratulations whatever to the sub-editor who dreamt up the page 1 scare headline, "Rambling rows: Why the farmer and the walker can't be friends" - an emotive notice which bore no relation to the tone of Ms Battersby's article and which serves only to exacerbate an admittedly delicate situation.

Incidentally, since Ms Battersby wrote the article, news has come in that in West Cork the Sheep's Head Way is now fully open, as is most of the

Beara Way. - Yours, etc.,

JOSS LYNAM, Ardilea Estate, Dublin 14.