Sir, – Rory O'Callaghan (June 28th) seems to resent the fact that Edward Carson (born and bred in Dublin) appears alongside John Redmond on a recently released An Post commemorative stamp. He now awaits "with bated breath" the day the Royal Mail issues a stamp depicting James Connolly (born and bred in Edinburgh). Yet the concluding paragraph of Mr O'Callaghan's missive begins with the sentence: "In Ireland we appear to have some difficulty honouring and commemorating our own heroes and martyrs". – Yours, etc,
PAUL DELANEY,
Beacon Hill,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.
A chara, – Rory O'Callaghan mentions that "in Ireland we appear to have some difficulty honouring and commemorating our own heroes and martyrs". Almost 170 years ago Gavan Duffy included in his elegy in the Nation on the death in September 1845 of Thomas Davis: "The warriors of England have statues and triumphal pillars erected to their honour in our public places; but our heroes have no trophies, no monumental piles, no marble records of their worth. It would seem as if we had no valour, no genius, no patriotism to offer, or that we had too many wrongs to remember to be reminded of benefits to the nation by one of our own countrymen".
Mr O’Callaghan won’t be alone as he waits with bated breath for the Royal Mail stamp featuring James Connolly. – Is mise,
SEAMUS Ó DUNLAING,
Sugarloaf Terrace,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.