Sir, – I wish to comment on a very serious case of environmental damage carried out some time between the 6th and 8th centuries. A group of Christian men made their way by boat to an island off the southwest coast of Ireland and proceeded to erect numerous stone buildings.
The men clearly felt they had a God-given right to do what they did. However, they neither sought nor obtained planning permission for the work they carried out, which was totally unsympathetic to the character of the island. They did immeasurable damage to the once pristine environment by quarrying for stone, levelling surfaces, erecting non-vernacular structures and building long staircases. No doubt they trampled over the local flora and preyed on the resident bird population for eggs and meat. When they finally left they made no attempt to put things right, so the island has remained defaced ever since. Given the renewed interest in this island, perhaps now is a good time to remove the stone structures and return Skellig Michael to its original state. – Yours, etc,
TOMÁS
MAOILSEACHLAINN,
Lettermacaward,
Co Donegal.
Sir, – The government should take a principled decision not to permit any Star Wars filming on Skellig Michael and then quickly apply to Unesco for €5 million in compensation. – Yours, etc,
LIAM MEADE,
Ballyneety, Limerick.