Madam, - I refer to the letter over the name Sam Stephenson ARHA, FRIAI, RIBA (September 25th), supporting the felling of the 100-year-old trees in O'Connell Street.
Mr Stephenson flaunts his insider status, through being involved in planning committees, and his international connections by the gratuitous mention of the Architectural Biennale in Venice, no less. He quotes Haussman and "the grand boulevards in Paris" and refers to the "sadly deteriorated" main street in our capital.
Whatever about the rest of the street, the trees have not deteriorated and are not, Mr Stephenson's claims to the contrary, near their natural end. I object to being talked down to and patronised by self-important insiders such as Sam Stephenson who, unlike the rest of us, can boast of access to RTÉ's Tom McGurk and Marion Finucane programmes to promote his ideas.
I cannot understand why the existing trees cannot be incorporated into the regeneration plan. Nor can I fathom the existence of such a destructive mentality among otherwise educated and enlightened people that they should contemplate such an act of vandalism. - Yours, etc.,
A. LEAVY,
Shielmartin Drive,
Dublin 13.