Sir, - In her "Loose Leaves" column of April 17th, Sadbh makes a welcome mention of the John Broderick weekend to be held in Athlone from May 28th to 30th but wonders if perhaps it is ironic that a John Broderick Exhibition will take place in Athlone Library.
Indeed it is not ironic at all. It is most appropriate. On the question of libraries and censorship, in an interview for Article 19 conducted by Julia Carson in Bath in 1987, John Broderick stated: "I think there are a few places in which even now there would be a certain prejudice against me in libraries. The Longford-Westmeath Library were very enlightened about me. I knew the librarians in there, and they certainly did their best to keep The Pilgrimage in circulation for those who wanted it until it was unbanned." I'm not for one moment suggesting that my predecessors did not apply the letter of the law, but other reported controversies about the banning of books will show that in those dark ages this library service lived up to its reputation as "enlightened".
John Broderick enjoyed a very good relationship with successive librarians in Athlone Library. He frequently donated review copies of books to the library. On the occasion of his departure to Bath he effectively donated a Paul Henry picture, The Eel Weir at Athlone, to the library and under the terms of his will we received a very considerable amount of material including books, records, CDs, photographs, press-cuttings and a fine pencil and chalk portrait of the author by Sean O'Sullivan. We now have an archive of Broderick material second to none and I am at present making use of this material to attempt to compile a bibliography of the writings of this most prolific writer. John Broderick's association with The Irish Times alone spanned three decades from the late 1950s until his death in 1989.
In marking the tenth anniversary of his death by an exhibition in Athlone Library we will be honouring John Broderick, a scholar and a gentleman and a most generous benefactor of Athlone Library both during his lifetime and indeed after his death. -Yours, etc., Gearoid O'Brien, Librarian, Athlone Public Library,
Father Mathew Hall, Athlone, Co Westmeath.