Madam, - Vincent Browne (Opinion, August 25th) is critical of Mary McAleese's presidency but high in his praise of Mary Robinson's - so much so, that his imagination allows him to tell your readers how Mrs Robinson would speak, now, in public, were she still President.
It was interesting, however, to note that Browne makes no reference to the fact that although Mrs Robinson was elected by the people to serve as their President for seven years, she left the post early to take up a post at the UN. - Yours, etc.,
MICHAEL A. CARROLL, Cherrygarth, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin.
Madam, - Even allowing for Vincent Browne's customary boorishness, his attack on President McAleese was truly shocking. How The Irish Times could stoop to publishing such gutter journalism is beyond me.
Either Mr Browne sincerely believes everything he wrote or he does not. If he does he is to be pitied. If he does not he deserves to be horsewhipped.
If The Irish Times has even a scintilla of self-respect left it will ensure that nothing written by that contemptible wretch ever appears in the newspaper again.
Leaving Vincent Browne - and The Irish Times - aside, I very much hope there is a presidential election this year, if only for a selfish reason. I would not like to be denied the pleasure of giving Mrs McAleese my No 1 vote. - Yours, etc.,
PADRAIC SHERIDAN, Upper Clanbrassil Street, Dublin 8.
Madam, - Vincent Brown's diatribe against the President's record as an orator was certainly breathtaking - and, no doubt, intentionally so. In comparison with our president's thoughtful addresses and meditations on public affairs, Mr Browne's piece reads like the outburst of the village shrew.
Besides belittling the president as "Maca", he seems to find it difficult to reconcile his mind to the fact that Mrs McAleese brings a fundamentally feminine charisma to the presidency. In this respect she is reminiscent of the late Mrs Indira Gandhi of India in her role as "Mother of the Nation". - Yours, etc.,
HUGO BRADY BROWN, Stratford on Slaney, Co Wicklow.