Madam, - John Newman (April 30th) does not accept that the religious orders involved in education can claim any credit for the success of the Irish State. Though I was not educated in Ireland, I wish to acknowledge my debt to the religious orders whose schools I attended where many of the staff were Irish.
I have lived here since 1969 and my children have received excellent education in schools run by religious orders in this country. I have also witnessed the work of Irish missionary orders and the contribution by their alumni to the evolution of countries emerging from colonialism.
Attacking religious orders has become a cottage industry. Only bad news about them is acceptable and any attempts to give them praise or credit are rubbished.
For too long have their alumni (myself included) stood by, not acknowledging our debt to these orders and allowing them to be almost destroyed by the unfair treatment of the media.
While investigative journalism is rightly praised for uncovering wrongs, it should not engage in vicious witch-hunts. - Yours, etc.,
PATRICIA BAILEY, Killiney, Co Dublin.