Sir, – I enjoyed Andrew O’Hagan’s review of the Book of Kells (Weekend Review, November 17th). Those of us who toil in the darker areas of Trinity would be delighted, however, if the author could further expand on his astonishing observation about “proteins of many cultures going towards the DNA of Ireland”. This is quite a revolutionary departure from the central dogma of molecular biology which states that such a transfer of information can only be passed from DNA to make proteins.
O’Hagan should be forgiven, however, for this faux pas in view of such a brilliant exposition of the Book of Kells. Not so those who have commandeered the DNA allegory as a marketing tool or those who employ it as a lazy shorthand to describe the inherent ability of Kerry footballers. Indeed, there are some commentators who go beyond allegory in truly believing that corruption among certain politicians, bankers, developers and higher civil servants is “part of their DNA”. Let these maligned groups rest assured they are as innocent as the monkeys in the zoo with whom they share 99 per cent of their DNA. – Yours, etc,