A chara, - The media have irresponsibly exacerbated the public reaction to the O'Flaherty nomination. Ireland is a small country where a lot of people know each other and a lot of business is done by means other then the book. Most people understand this and live by it. There is no reason to expect our judges to act differently.
Hugh O'Flaherty's interference in the Sheedy case was a typical example of this. He was in a position to pull a few strings and help someone he knew who was harshly treated. This may not suit everyone's idea of fairness but it is the way in which the country is run at many levels. It is impractical to claim that because not everyone has access to him in this manner he should not get involved at all.
I suspect that the public would have forgiven this man before now if he had been treated more fairly by the media. He is being held up to symbolise the corruption and sleaze which is constantly oozing from the tribunals. This is unfair as his "misdemeanour" represents an Irish way a lot less cynical then that. - Is mise,
Gerard Meehan, Fosterbrook, Stillorgan Road, Dublin 4.