Sir, - I read with much delight John de Courcy Ireland's Irishman's Diary of January 25th, with its reference to Ceuta.
While his particular interest was in maritime Irish naval heroes, I would like to mention another dimension of that garrison town on the Moroccan coast: an Irish military hero, Sebastian Kindelan, was born in Ceuta in 1756. He was the son of Don Vicente Kindelan, Commandant of the 2nd Battalion of the Regiment of Ireland, born in Ballymahon, Ireland. Sebastian's mother was Maria Francisca O'Regan, born in Barcelona.
Like his father, Sebastian was a military officer serving Spain, but in the New World. He was a Lt. Col of the Regiment of Mexico, then was sent to Havana, and from there to Santiago, Cuba as a brigadier and governor in 1798. From 1811 to 1815, Kindelan was Governor of East Florida, stationed in St Augustine, a very difficult time during the War of 1812 when he had to maintain a neutral position with the United States and England. He returned to Havana and held executive positions until his death in 1826 as Marshal of Camp.
Quite accidentally, while researching other information at the Historical Research Library in St Augustine, I came upon Kindelan's record, along with information about the Hibernian regiment that served in St Augustine during the second Spanish Period (1783-1821) and have continued studying this fascinating aspect of the Irish in both East and West Florida which lasted until Spain ceded all of Florida to the United States in 1821 under another Irish governor, Jose Coppinger, whose family originated from Co Cork.
Incidentally, Kindelan's predecessor was Governor Enrique White, born in Dublin in 1741, who died in St Augustine in 1811. - Yours, etc., Dr Eileen A. Sullivan,
Executive Director, Irish Educational Association, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Hospital waiting lists
Sir, - With reference to the problems in the public health services, may I suggest something which would almost certainly result in a speedy solution? All politicians should publicly dissociate themselves from all private health care schemes or insurance cover, and state that they themselves and their families would be happy to avail of what the State offers in this area. I suspect there would be shorter waiting lists for operations and treatment, and fewer people lying on trolleys waiting for beds. - Yours, etc., Douglas McCowen,
Templeville Road, Dublin 6W.