Madam, - Derek Evans's column (May 14th) is timely, factual and interesting. The poisoning and pollution of the Arklow River has been tolerated far too long. I have often been told how, in the early years of the 20th century, families would holiday in Arklow to fish salmon on the river.
The Aughrim river - a tributary of the Arklow river, also had salmon runs and fresh-water oysters. Now we have, not just the pollution of the Arklow river, but also the overflowing of sewage from the Aughrim treatment plant into the adjoining river.
The discharge of phosphates into the breeding streams during floods turns the water a milky colour and flushes down dead fingerlings.
In Arklow, which has a population of some 12,500 people, the town's raw sewage is discharged into the sea. All this is taking place in Co Wicklow, "The Garden of Ireland". How sad! - Yours, etc,
VINCENT B GALLAGHER, Aughrim, Co Wicklow.