Sir, – Here we go again. A scandal comes to light, the Robert McCartney killing, the “Disappeared”, the Maíria Cahill story – and we hear the same old defence-strategies being employed by Sinn Féin. Surely they can come up with a better word than “wrong”?
When will voters for this party tumble to the fact that, however in need of reform Northern Ireland was, the campaign of violence of the Provisional IRA has made the situation much worse, for all of us. Senior members of Sinn Féin, of older and newer vintages, have staunchly come to the defence of the party in claiming there was no cover-up within Sinn Féin itself, which is hardly an earth-shattering position to take. How could they be expected to know what went on within the IRA? Surely the whole point of paramilitarism was to keep the left hand guessing what the right hand was doing, hence the dearth of authentic information.This country has been ill-served by “armed struggle” and the sooner this is acknowledged by all, the sooner we can clean out every corner of our reeking stables. – Yours, etc,
PADDY McEVOY,
Holywood, Co Down.
Sir, – Surely nobody can possibly believe that an institution that enjoys the trust and support of so many Irish people has not only been harbouring alleged sexual abusers in its ranks, but has also attempted to deal with such issues internally and has actively discouraged witnesses from notifying the proper authorities? – Yours, etc,
FINBAR O’CONNOR,
Dublin 9.
Sir, – I’ve no doubt that the issue of Sinn Féin’s transfer toxicity with the electorate would be ameliorated by a change of leader. The problem for its members, though, is that they seem to be afraid to tell him. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN AHERN,
Clonsilla, Dublin 15.