Madam, - Marie Kirwan (September 1st) asks, given society's concern about drugs, "is it not a big contradiction to extol Phil Lynott in statue form as an icon for our youth?"
The answer, I believe, is "No". The reason why Phil Lynott is no longer walking around among us is that drug abuse killed him. In considering the tragic death of one of Ireland's greatest songwriters and musicians, and in the overdue commemoration of Phil in statue form, we acknowledge that drug use can destroy the lives of even the most talented and creative people. Hence, the statue to Phil is entirely consistent with sending an anti-drugs message to young people.
Commemoration does not, as Marie Kirwan seems to imply, glorify the aspect of Phil's life that led to his demise. By this logic, we should also be pulling down all the statues of Michael Collins in the State, given the messages our leaders now claim they wish to send to society about the redundancy of armed republicanism. - Yours, etc,
STEPHEN JAMES MINTON, Huntersbrook, Delgany, Co Wicklow.