Sir, - Hugh Linehan (The Irish Times, August 27th), described the Rose of Tralee as "Civil service television, old, pusty and dull". A catchy headline, but totally unfair to the thousands of young Irish men and women working in the Civil Service, who have been playing a largely unrecognised role in the positive changes which have taken place here in the past decade. It also ignores the basic fact that most of the significant economic changes in Ireland down through the years have either been led by, or at the very least had significant assistance from within, the Civil Service. The name of T. K. Whitaker is one of the best known but countless others, who alas have been forced to remain nameless, have also made a huge contribution to the modernisation of this state.
Mr Linehan obviously seems to enjoy perpetuating stereotypes of the most outdated and inaccurate kind. In his references to the Rose broadcast itself, which I will leave to others to defend, he also failed spectacularly to comment on the massive change in the sociological profile of the contestants. The winner, for example, is about to undertake a Master's degree in Science at Trinity College, hardly a typical Rose of Tralee profile of previous years.
Articles of this glib standard are not well researched or remotely fair to their subjects. We have all moved on Hugh. Open your eyes. Your article was more than a little unfair. - Yours, etc., Peter Meany,
Blackrock,
Cork.