Sir, - It was with amusement I read the comments of Father Maurice Dooley, Professor of Canon Law at St Patrick's College in Thurles, regarding the Family Law Act 1995, as reported in your paper on August 28th. Especially hilarious was his anecdote of the "poor innocent American couple" who wanted, at short notice, to marry and were forced by "this stupid law of Mervyn Taylor's" to employ a solicitor and travel to Dublin, to obtain an exemption from the three month notification rule.
"Innocent" is not the adjective I would use for any American who couldn't tell the difference between Limerick and Las Vegas. As someone who was once approached by a kerb crawling prostitute in Las Vegas while out for an innocent afternoon stroll, I can honestly say I would prefer Limerick any day.
Three cheers for Mervyn Taylor and "Irish tomfoolery".
Yours, etc.,
May Street, Drumcondra, Dublin 3.