Sir, - While I would agree that the practice of giving Irish institutions Gaelic names is somewhat hypocritical, it seems to me that in his criticism of the terms Aosdana and Saoi (October 24th) Kevin Myers's adulatory view of things English blinds him to the obvious parallel of such anachronistic terms as Knight, Queen and the like.
Mr Myers might also be interested to learn that our foreparents, whom he describes as "illiterate cowthieves", produced "by far the most extensive and diverse vernacular literature in medieval Europe." (Pagan Past and Christian Present in Early Irish Literature, Kim McCone, 1991.) Lest Mr Myers disregard these words, I should remind him that their author is an Englishman.
Perhaps Mr Myers should expend some of his considerable talents as a writer investigating some of this hidden Saiocht. - Yours, etc.,
Burrow Court, Portmarnock, Co Dublin.