Sir, - One does not lightly take issue with your formidable columnist Kevin Myers. In his Irishman's Diary of October 6th, however, , In the context of Simon Schama's excellent TV series on British history, we are lectured to the effect that there was "no Irish equivalent . . . when in 1066 King Harold's fleet was kept in readiness to repel Prince [Duke?] William's invasion forces."
We are further told that "we remained landbound, physically and culturally". Mr Myers will surely be interested to learn that after Hastings, Harold's sons fled to the King of Leinster, Diarmait Mac Mail na mBo, for refuge and protection. Furthermore, Diarmait subsequently supplied them with 66 ships from his war fleet to assist them in their struggle with the Conqueror and, as Dr Sean Duffy of TCD tells us, the failure of this enterprise filled all Ireland with mourning.
But then why should the facts of history be allowed to obstruct an opportunity for an expression of good, old-fashioned revisionism? - Yours, etc.,
D.L. Swan Blackbanks, Dublin 5.