Sir, – Congratulations on your powerful editorial "Responding to barbarity" (February 5th). I would like to draw attention to one small inaccuracy contained therein. In dealing with the execution without trial of republican hostages by the Free State authorities during the Civil War, you state that "Joseph McKelvey, Rory O'Connor, Liam Mellowes,and Richard Barrett were hanged on the orders of the cabinet". In fact these men were shot by firing squad in Mountjoy on December 8th, 1922. Apart from this minor point I agree with the view you express that taking and executing hostages "is immoral, and profoundly counterproductive". – Yours, etc,
Fr IGGY O’DONOVAN,
Limerick.