Sir, - Mary Holland makes some valid points (Opinion, June 17th) on why the small advances in Northern Ireland should not be overlooked. As an example she cites an item from UTV's Insight programme which showed the deputy mayor of Belfast, Marie Moore of Sinn Fein, "presiding benignly over a high-spirited reception in City Hall for Belfast's gay community".
However, the flip side to that coin is that recently the Unionist Mayor of Belfast banned Ms Moore and 13 other Sinn Fein councillors from attending his inaugural dinner party in City Hall, which shows that some people are just not for changing. - Yours, etc., Eamonn Walsh,
Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary.