Greek tragedy, Irish style

Madam, - Jane Coyle points out ( The Irish Times, October 17th) that there are now three versions of Sophocles's tragedy Antigoneby writers from Northern Ireland: Séamus Heaney, Owen McCafferty and Tom Paulin.

But there are also three versions of Antigoneby writers from the Republic of Ireland: Brendan Kennelly, Aidan Mathews and Conall Morrison.

As Frank McGuinness (whose version of Sophocles's King Oedipusis currently in London) has said:

"It seems to be happening through the English-speaking world, that the Greeks are emerging as the dominant international force in our theatre." - Yours, etc,

BRIAN ARKINS,

Professor of Classics,

NUI,

Galway.