Sir, - Kevin Murphy (September 7th) states that "the same de Valera set a precedent for the rejection of the will of the Irish people in favour of Republican violence in 1922, and it can be argued that many of the Provos took their lead from this stand and from fascist remarks he made at the time . . .".
These statements are without foundation and distort the reality. The first is simply wrong, the second calumniates de Valera.
Misrepresentation of the facts and mindless demonisation of de Valera are now commonplace and are based on ignorance. In my book Birth of A Republic (to be published by Prestige on September 29th), the major events from 1900 to 1923 are examined in narrative form and placed in proper context as a continuation of the republican thrust from 1798. - Yours, etc., Eoin Neeson,
Blackrock, Co Dublin.