Sir, - I am writing this letter to defend the current Ireland logo which I and all the members of my company feel is suffering a totally unfair and unjustified attack as a result of which the Minister for Tourism and Sport, Jim McDaid, has requested its withdrawal in favour of the previous shamrock identity.
My own company team has been responsible for designing and producing the Riverdance logo, Telecom Eireann's annual report and accounts, AIB's new "Bankingshop" initiative livery and many other high-profile and successful visually-related projects. Last year we were short-listed as one of the four design agencies to submit ideas for the Ireland logo. Although we were unsuccessful, Bord Failte employed a selection process that was fair, thorough and well researched. The winning design agency had developed very successful identities for Brown Thomas and Dublin Tourism and won the award for best logo for Ireland's presence at the 1991 Expo in Seville.
The new Ireland logo is an excellent piece of work which symbolises the many qualities and wonders that can be found within this land of ours. The previous logo for Ireland - the shamrock - did in no way symbolise the many delights that Ireland has to offer. The shamrock only came to symbolise an Irish way of life by its constant application to everything Ireland-related over many years. It was always used as an afterthought to posters of Ireland or whatever material Bord Failte developed. It never appeared as an integral part of images created to advertise Ireland. It was used as though it was a government stamp. The shamrock is a legacy of our past. Although it was an attractive legacy to a point, we must learn to move on and draw greater inspiration from the changing world around us.
The current administration, through the actions of Mr McDaid, has expressed a complete lack of confidence in the following areas: the Irish design community (an industry that is renowned the world over; Bord Failte, with its many staff who are dedicated to helping to promote Ireland; and finally the Irish nation and its ability to embrace the future.
Although I am not personally politically orientated, I am very concerned by the actions of this Minister, who I fear acts on impulse and shows no real insight into a nation's capabilities. To apportion blame for falling tourism revenues in some way to the new logo is not only absurd, it is simply untrue and no political spindoctor can convince me otherwise.
The new logo for Ireland is creative, friendly, mysterious, has depth and can easily be applied as an integral part of all material used to advertise Ireland. Above all, the new logo represents the new spirit of Ireland. It deserves our support. We as a nation should not gather behind it as we would with a shamrock; no, we should stand on our identity and go forward not backward. - Yours, etc., Darrell Kavanagh, Director,
Image Now,
Fitzwilliam Lane,
Dublin 2.