A chara, – Judging from the letters on this topic from Raymond Deane and Dr John McLachlan (November 12th), the series on "Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks" (November 8th) has already been a success after just one instalment.
Surely the point of a series such as this is to celebrate the included works and debate the merits of those absent? I, for one, will enjoy following, and discussing the series over the coming months. – Is mise,
JOE McLAUGHLIN,
Midlothian, Scotland.
Sir, – The debacle over "Modern Ireland in 100 Artworks" and the absence of classical music is probably not the fault of the perpetrators at The Irish Times and the Royal Irish Academy.
They are guilty of what the Catholic Church calls invincible ignorance, the doctrine proposing that even those who have not heard of salvation can be redeemed by good works.
But knowledge is still preferable to ignorance, and to have to exculpate the sinners on the basis that they didn’t, and don’t, know any better is humiliating for our country, its culture – and them. – Yours, etc,
KEVIN O’CONNELL,
Royal Irish
Academy of Music,
Dublin 2.