Sir, - Tim O'Brien seriously misrepresents my view (An Irishman's Diary, March 1st). I did not, nor would I, defend the "destruction of much of Georgian Dublin" or the pulling down by the ESB of "14 Georgian houses in the middle of one of the longest terraces anywhere in the world" on the basis that the Corporation was so grateful for any investment that it would have been crazy to refuse planning applications for development.
Even a modicum of research would have shown that the "crazy" Corporation refused planning permission for the ESB offices but as in so many cases about that time the Minister granted permission on appeal.
For many years during the 1960s and 1970s, there was comparatively little interest among developers in building in many areas of the inner city and the design of some speculative buildings was, to put it mildly, pedestrian. Apart from the effect of appeal decisions, lack of finance was undoubtedly one of the factors in this. To interpret my remarks to this effect on the Nation Building TV programme as defending the alleged destruction of Georgian Dublin is outrageous.
Mr O'Brien refers to the Civic Buildings. I did make a comment on them in the Nation Building programme but it was one of the portions edited out. The award-winning Phase 2, fronting Wood Quay, is one of the finest buildings erected in the city in recent years and deserves more recognition than it gets. - Yours, etc.,
Frank Feely, Templeogue, Dublin.
Tim O'Brien writes: Nowhere in the article to which Mr Feely refers, did I write that the Corporation had granted permission for the demolition of the 14 Georgian houses. I wrote that the words used by Mr Feely on Nation Building defended the destruction of much of Georgian Dublin, and having reviewed the programme and spoken to other commentators I am assured this was their impression also. The reference to Wood Quay was clearly attributed to a Sunday newspaper, and not to Mr Feely.