Sir, – It's a pity Diarmaid Ferriter does not explore all the facts surrounding the Mary Robinson Centre in Ballina in his column "Robinson legacy doesn't need a vanity project in Mayo" (Opinion, October 22nd).
This is not just a library with her presidential papers on display, but will be an educational facility, a human rights centre and will host events as well as being a museum. Ms Robinson is a member of The Elders group which has included among its ranks the late Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu, Martti Ahtisaari, Ela Bhatt among others. Only last year we were graced with a visit from Mandela’s widow, Graca Machel.
This is the scale of what we are talking about. The Mary Robinson Centre exists already in Ballina, it is just that it has no home as yet. In Ballina we are already blessed with the Jackie Clarke library, a collection of historical papers and artefacts.
I recall when Mayo County Council bought an old bank building in disrepair for €2.6 million and spent another few million on it just before the property crash to house the collection, there were many doubters. But it has proven to be a huge success.
The Robinson house on the banks of the Moy will be taken over entirely for this new project and will also be a great success. I suspect that among the begrudgers are many who never forgave Ms Robinson for winning the 1990 presidential election heralding a new era in Irish politics.
– Yours, etc,
BRENDAN CAFFERTY
Ballina, Co Mayo.
Sir, – I agree with Diarmaid Ferriter. The papers of Mary Robinson should be donated to the State and if we cannot trust our presidents to do this then it should be made a condition of employment.
It seems to me that the idea of assessing the Robinson archive for acceptance as a heritage donation is nothing more than a means of paying for the archive.
The bottom line is the taxpayer will pay.
The symbolic light in the window of Áras an Uachtaráin for Ms Robinson’s presidency has suddenly become very dim indeed and her invitation to us in her inauguration speech to “come dance with me in Ireland” is beginning to ring somewhat hollow.
– Yours, etc,
FRED J FITZSIMONS
Drumbracken,
Carrickmacross.
Sir, – How easily they forget! Diarmaid Ferriter clearly has forgotten rule number one: you cannot criticise Mary Robinson, ever!
This rule was brutally beaten into us as children (and adults) by those mean people called journalists who ruled the land by fear throughout the 1990s.
It was horrible, just horrible. Some day, maybe, when we have the courage, we might expose them for what they did.
Not great for a historian to be forgetting such important and contextual information.
Maybe he might write about it some day.
– Yours, etc,
CIONNAITH
O’HEACHTIGHEIRN
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.