Madam - Patrick O'Byrne from Shandon Crescent, Phibsborough, Dublin 7, whose letter (Nov 13th) opened with the line "I'm no George 'Jonah' Lee or David 'Decklander' McWilliams", said I advised vendors in my column to "cover chests of drawers in designer wallpaper" and "apply batik to cocktail trolleys" in order to sell their houses.
This he took to be a clear indication that panic had set in on the property market.
Might I be so bold as to suggest that Mr O'Byrne is perhaps no Hercule "Supersleuth" Poirot either, because he didn't detect the ironic tone of the column or the fact that I was referring to advice in a newly published book. He also missed my comment that applying batik to cocktail trolleys was only for those with too much time on their hands. - Yours, etc,
EDEL MORGAN, Property Supplement, The Irish Times, Tara Street, Dublin 2.