Sir, - It is heartening to note that Kevin Myers approves of Donal O'Donovan's Kevin Barry and His Time, which is one of the best historical biographies of the Anglo-Irish War and which Mr Myers calls "a fair and careful account". However, the contents of Mr Myers's ensuing article leave a lot to be desired when it comes to fairness or taking care.
The name of the soldier killed in the ambush in which Kevin Barry was involved was Matthew Whitehead, not Marshall Whitehead, as Mr Myers put it. The private Harold Washington of the Second Battalion, Prince of Wales Regiment, whom he refers to as having been shot, was in fact Private Henry Washington of the Duke of Wellington Regiment.
I am not suggesting for a moment that Kevin Myers hasn't referred to the book. But if he should return to the subject he might wish to avail of the above information to keep his copy clean. - Yours, etc.,
Ulick O'Connor, Fairfield Park, Rathgar, Dublin 6.