Madam, - On Saturday, September 11th you published a letter protesting against the felling of ten trees in O'Connell Street signed by members of the Royal Hibernian Academy. It has come to my attention only in the past two days, possibly because I was in Venice attending the Architectural Biennale.
One of the signatures on that letter is that of a Sam Stephenson. This was not my signature. It was that of my son Sam who is a member of the staff at the academy.
I wish to dissociate myself from this protest. No doubt the sins of his father may have been visited upon him but I hope that those of the son in this instance may not be visited on the father.
I have long been a supporter of the proposed improvement scheme for O'Connell Street. Some years back I served on a committee of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce when this scheme was first proposed and was supported by the chamber. Over the years I have followed the proposal as it developed and have continued to support it and on several occasions commended this regeneration project on RTÉ via Tom McGurk and Marion Finucane's programmes.
It is a scheme that Haussman and his city planner Alfond who laid out the grand boulevards in Paris might have conceived for our fair city. It will, when completed, transform the sadly deteriorated main street in our capital into a magnificent boulevard worthy of any European capital.
The protesters regret the passing of 10 old plane trees which must be near their end. They will be replaced by 145 semi-mature trees and many other splendid features. When I mentioned this fact to several of the RHA signatures they were surprised and admitted to not having seen the plan.
The felling of any trees is a sad sight and at such, sorrow is understandable. But few people seem to be aware of the magnificence of the plan now being implemented by our city manager and his planners for the heart of our capital.
I would urge them to visit the exhibition of the plan in the Civic Offices and the ILAC centre and at www.dublincity.ie - Yours, etc.,
SAM STEPHENSON, ARHA, FRIAI, RIBA, Leixlip, Co Kildare.