Sir, - "In what other civilised state would such behaviour be tolerated?" wonders Eamon O'Dwyer (May 18th), referring to the reception hosted by the Taoiseach and his partner Ms Celia Larkin.
Well, Catholic France for one (I assume that Mr O'Dwyer would include France in the select group of "civilised states"). At Francois Mitterrand's funeral, his wife and children stood next to his mistress and her daughter, and nobody batted an eyelid.
The Taoiseach should not have gone to Rome with the Cardinal, and the unfortunate reception should never have been held at all. That way he would have avoided any personal embarrassment, he would have been spared the sanctimonious posturing of the church, and he would have furthered the cause of the separation of church and State to boot. - Yours, etc.,
Jonathan Baum, Dargle Road, Blackrock, Co Dublin.