Madam, - I think Bernice Harrison, was absolutely right in her comments on that bizarre programme in the Marion Finucane series to nominate the "greatest Irishwoman" (Radio Review, June 25th).
Of course such a campaign was nothing less than downright silly and unrealistic from the very beginning and only got worse as the names rolled in. How, in heaven's name, could one compare the merits or achievements of people who lived centuries apart, in totally different worlds (if, in fact some of them did even exist)? Once again, it seems to me, RTÉ has succeeded splendidly in making us laugh when it did not intend to.
More seriously - and I mention this in case someone else in our national radio station contemplates trying a revamped version of this silly trick - the idea is not in line with our declared fundamental principles as a democratic, egalitarian republic as set out clearly in our Constitution. Article 40 (1) states: "All citizens shall, as human persons, be held equal before the law". The article goes on to impose severe restrictions on the awarding of "titles of nobility or of honour" - basically prohibiting their being granted by the Government or being accepted from another source without the prior approval of the government.
In addition, of course, most people will be aware of the aspirations in the Proclamation of this Republic. They declare, inter alia, that we should "cherish all the children of the nation equally". So now, can we hope not to be made laugh again (unintentionally) by RTÉ in this regard? - Yours, etc,
JOHN NEWMAN,
Glasnevin Avenue,
Dublin 11.