Sir, - I'm afraid Senator O Murchu (April 27th) protests too much. I have no reason to doubt either his integrity or his sincerity but would worry about his judgement. To take on the compilation of a report on an area, in part of which he had a vested interest, might seem foolhardy to many. Compounding this with an intellectually lazy report recycling much of his own organisation's views has left his conclusions open to question, irrespective of their merits.
What should have been an opportunity to assess and enhance the role of traditional music in this country has been reduced to a spectacle of wasted energy as people and organisations whose contributions to the field are unquestionable are diverted into pointless wrangling. - Yours, etc., Martin Ryan,
Eskerwood, Moate, Co Westmeath.