Sir, - Your "Times Past" of December 2nd tells us that, on the same date in Dublin 90 years ago, "cars and cabs moved almost at a walking pace, and motors were guided cautiously, while pedestrians had to walk warily. To make matters worse, the pavements and roadways were very greasy, and it was difficult to maintain one's foothold. . ."
That was because of the smog, more or less eradicated by Mary Harney some 80 years later. Otherwise, it sounds like a normal day in Dublin in late 1998. Could Ms Harney now please sort out the traffic and clean the filthy footpaths? - Yours, etc., Brian Gaffney,
Castle Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3.