Sir, – Frank McNally's remarks about the Belfast accents in Carol Reed's Odd Man Out (An Irishman's Diary, February 23rd) put me in mind of a Conor Cruise O'Brien observation. Writing as Donat O'Donnell in the Bell in May 1947, he commented on the performances of Roy Irving and Dan O'Herlihy (who played Murphy and Nolan respectively) as follows: "One would be led to believe by the accents and manners of Mr Irving and Mr O'Herlihy that the 'organisation' is the BBC". – Yours, etc,
DIARMUID KENNEDY,
Belfast.