Sir, - As someone who grew up in Sandymount, I have watched the continued debacle over the demolition of the Presbyterian church with mounting degrees of incredulity and not a little chagrin.
If the passion for ecclesiastical architecture newly revealed in the hearts and minds of Sandymount residents was only matched with a similar passion and commitment to cleaning the filthy streets, its children and residents would be a great deal better off - church or no church. This is particularly so in light of the vain but heroic efforts over the past 25 years of a handful of committed local women to picking up the revolting mess, often under the bemused and sardonic gaze of `locals", who have not apparently found that cause, albeit not quite as cerebral, sufficiently compelling to assist.
One can only hope that this new civic pride translates very soon into a commitment to cleaning the streets and informing everyone that throwing rubbish about is simply unacceptable and barbarous behaviour. - Yours, etc.,
Mary Graham, Salthill, Monkstown, Co Dublin.