Lives lost during the second World War

A Chara, – Diarmaid Ferriter’s article on the Ballymanus mine disaster (“Remembering the 19 who died in sea mine disaster”, Opinion, July 7th) makes for harrowing reading.

However, even though 19 young men perished in tragic circumstances, sadly it was not “the second-biggest loss of life on the island during the second World War”.

Nor was the North Strand bombing where 28 people died violently the biggest either.

That dubious “honour” belongs to Belfast where, on the night of April 15th, 1941, about 900 died in the Easter Tuesday blitz. – Le dea-mhéin,