A chara, - Desmond Bennett (March 7th), responding to Robert O`Byrne's recent article on the Four Seasons Hotel, deplores the "vulgarity and pretentiousness" of much modern architecture, with special reference to that of Dublin 4. He attributes this to "the crassness and nouveau riche aspirations of today's Irish society".
Does anyone care about the pretentious aural vulgarity that increasingly assails us on radio and television? A new accent, referred to as "Dublin 4", is infecting broadcasters. Its most notable characteristic is the "decayed diphthong", as found in "crowd", "thousand", "round", etc. Each new broadcaster coming to radio and television is either already infected, thereby easing their entry, or very quickly smartens up to what is required.
Is there a school where we might learn to speak thus, and get rid of our thick country accents? - Is mise,
Flann O Riain, Ardan, Eatharlach, Co Thiobraid Arann.