A chara, - In her article "Different voices, different times" (The Irish Times, September 16th) Mary Minihan relates the story of the 1953 dismissal of the announcer Patrick Begley because of his "cut-glass" accent (Ms Minihan says it was then described as an "Oxford" accent). In the late 1950s Radio Eireann was broadcasting children's stories written by me but read by others. When I asked to be allowed to read the stories myself, I was invited to do a voice test. The late Gerald Victory, who put me through the test, informed me that I could not be permitted on the air because my accent was unsuited, though it might be acceptable if my stories were about thatched cottages and piles of turf against the wall.
But where has Mary Minihan been this last decade or more? She states that we are unused to anything "other than an Irish brogue on the State broadcaster". Surely the broadcasting staff of the station would be appalled to have their accents described as brogues. (Brogue - A strongly-marked dialectal pronunciation or accent; now esp. that of the English speech in Ireland.) Apart from one newsreader, the only "brogue" accents heard on RTE are from jockeys, sports-commentators, trade union officials, and in "jokey" advertisements.
Has the Minister not read the frequent letters to you, Sir, regarding the use of the DART/AA Roadwatch/Dublin 4 accent by RTE newsreaders, continuity persons, programme presenters, etc?
Ms Minihan writes approvingly of a "sunny Australian twang". Anything, of course, but a sunny Waterford or Carlow or Longford or Kerry accent, etc. From one letter to your predecessor, Sir, she quotes (approvingly?): "Sir - Oim goin' after a Raadio announcer's job roight away. And bejapers Oill have the hole of the Auld Country behoind me." Presumably this represents the "Irish brogue" that Ms Minihan says we are hearing from RTE. - Is mise,Flann O Riain, Ardan, Eatharlach, Co Thiobraid Arann.