Madam, - In vain I trawled through your editions of May 19th and 20th for results of the All-Ireland Amateur Drama Festival in Athlone's Dean Crowe Theatre, which ended on May 17th after 12 successive nights.
There were reviews aplenty of shows in Dublin, as if only the country's capital mattered in the arts world. But not a syllable about the premier amateur drama event, not alone in Ireland, but in the whole of Europe, now in its 51st year and, as the cliché has it, going from strength to strength.
That it has not been given even a few lines' recognition by Ireland's premier newspaper is both puzzling and disturbing.
For the information of your readers, an excellent production of Rashomon staged by Knocknacarra (Galway) and produced by Paddy Henry from Charlestown (Mayo) carried off the coveted Ericsson Trophy, while Coolera (Sligo) was runner-up with Someone to Watch Over Me and Ballyduff (Waterford) was placed third with a stylish Antigone. - Yours, etc.,
VERA HUGHES,
Moate,
Co Westmeath.