Madam, - One recent Sunday evening I had the misfortune to pass through Salthill and witness the hordes of people exiting from the match and the air show display. The scenes I saw were the worst I've witnessed in ages.
As I went into Supervalu I was confronted with a row of men urinating blithely outside the shop and talking into their mobiles at the same time.
There was an indescribable amount of litter, beer cans and bottles strewn all over the streets or left on walls.
Just to top off the scene I had to side-step the vomit that was left by some of these so-called gentlemen or women.
I ask myself, where are these lovely people coming from? Are they recidivist illiterates produced by our public housing estates or do they also hail from the bungalows and large houses that are now dotted everywhere on the horizon?
Would they treat their own homes in the same way that they let all hell loose on Salthill?
To look into the faces of some of these boorish, barbarian drunks is indeed a chilling experience.
What I saw when I tried to work out the mindset of these types was a gawky, feckless bunch who obviously don't know the meaning of restraint and who also have very deep-seated psychological problems that need to be urgently tackled.
Another worrying thing about all of this is that the women appear to be mimicking the despicable codes of behaviour of these louts. I urge them to look elsewhere for their role models - e.g. to French or Spanish women, who will not be found overweight and rolling around in the gutter trying to convince themselves that they are having great "craic"!
I am ashamed to be Irish. Perhaps RTÉ could do a Salthill Uncovered programme: film these scenes and show up these people for what they are - drunken, pathetic eejits who think they are great. - Yours, etc.,
MAIRÉAD BARRY, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.