Sir, – Rosita Boland's interview with Kay Maloney Caball about her book, The Kerry Girls' (December 1st) was a fascinating insight into a little-known aspect of transportation to Australia during the Famine years. But unfortunate female paupers from all corners of Ireland suffered a similar cruel fate.
In Banbridge, Co Down we are particularly proud of our girls, 17 of whom travelled on the first sailing arriving in Sydney on October 6th, 1848. While the Belfast girls on the ship were described as "notoriously bad in every sense of the word," in evidence before a committee of inquiry, the matron on The Earl Grey praised the Banbridge girls for their exemplary behaviour! – Yours, etc. DAVID GRIFFIN Banbridge, Co Down