Sir, – Frank McNally's account of Monaghan-born, Alexander Pearce's cannibalism is a useful corrective to the myths surrounding Irish-Australian convicts (An Irishman's Diary, May 31st).
Imaginative tales and romantic folk-ballads have sustained the felons’ posthumous PR campaign. Ned Kelly, the embodiment of bushranger values, did little for Hibernian solidarity by mercilessly shooting dead Michael Kennedy, Thomas Lonigan and Michael Scanlan. – Yours, etc,
Dr JOHN DOHERTY,
Cnoc an Stollaire,
READ MORE
Gaoth Dobhair,
Co Donegal.