Cuireann An Phoblacht fáilte roimh litreacha ónár léitheoirí. Scríobh i nGaeilge nó i mBéarla, 200 focal ar a méid. Déantar giorrú ar litreachta más gá. Cuir do litir chuig [email protected]
An Phoblacht welcomes readers’ letters. Write in Irish or English, 200 words maximum. Letters may be edited for brevity. Send your letters to [email protected]. No attachments please

Loyalist murder – media double standards

THE news coverage by RTE and the BBC of the brutal loyalist murder of Kevin McDaid in Coleraine displays once again the double standards that operate in these media organisations.
In the immediate aftermath of the murder, the item was relegated to the fourth of fifth item on news bulletins and it was only on the regional versions of BBC and ITV that it was a lead item.
This approach stands in stark contrast to the wall-to-wall coverage of the killings of British soldiers and a PSNI officer by so-called ‘republican’ micro groups recently.
Once again, it is clear that, even in death, to use Orwell’s literary dictum, some are more equal than others.
Ken Masterson,
Dublin 6.

No confidence in government negotiators

The deal ‘negotiated’ by the Fianna Fáil-led government with the Roman Catholic church resulted in the church paying only 5% of the €1200 million [so far] of the compensation due to the victims of clerical abuse.
How, then, can one have any confidence that the current Fianna Fáil-led government will ‘negotiate’ any better deal for the taxpayer in the small matter of the €90,000 million debts of the private banks and property developers?
RAY CORCORAN,
DUBLIN 11

The Labour party and the Peace Process 

MÍcheÁl Mac Donncha’s piece on Martin Doherty (An Phoblacht 21 May) will have brought back a lot of memories for people from that sad time. It is hard to imagine that those events took place 15 years ago, and to ponder all that has changed in the intervening years.
Mícheál rightly highlights the manner in which John Bruton and others, who were then desperately seeking ways to destroy the ongoing negotiations involving the republican movement, attempted to use Martin’s death as part of that insidious campaign.
It might also be noted that one of those who supported Bruton’s attempt to demand that the government take action following the republican Guard of Honour at the funeral was none other than Pat Rabbitte, then of course a Democratic Left TD, and now Labour TD for Dublin South West, who was along with Proinsias De Rossa one of the most virulent opponents of the Peace Process, although some people would not thank you for reminding them of the fact.
SEÁN DEMPSEY,
Dublin 8