Sir, - Rosita Boland (Saturday Profile, August 26th) repeats the commonly told story that George IV straightened the road from Dublin to Slane to hasten his journey to his lady love. If he did, he was unbelievably slow in taking action, for the straightening was completed by 1812, according to the Grand Jury maps of that date, and George IV's only visit to Slane was in August 1821, soon after his accession to the throne.
Another story is that the road development was carried out by John Foster. He lived in the village of Collon, was Speaker of the Irish House of Commons from 1785 to 1800, and subsequently gained a seat in the UK House of Commons and was Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer from 1804 until his retirement in 1811. To speed himself on his journeying to and fro, he was interested not only in making straight the crooked road from Dublin to Slane, but also in making crooked the straight road from Slane to Collon, as the straight road over the hills was too hard on his horses.
Historically, that makes a better story than the fable of George IV. - Yours, etc.,
Chalmers Trench, Slane, Co Meath.