Sir, - For the first time in my life I am putting pen to paper to write to a national newspaper which has in my opinion denigrated the memory of 50,000 people from this island who gave their lives in the first World War.
As someone who is relatively new to the campaign to have their sacrifice recognised by the nationalist people, I confess that one of my main reasons for becoming involved was to use their memory as a means of trying to bring about reconciliation among our people, especially the young.
On November 11th last year we saw for the first time the three heads of state come together to pay tribute to those 50,000 people from this island; but to me the most important factor that day was to see 36 young people from all over Ireland, Protestant, Catholic, nationalist, unionist, loyalist, republican, who had helped in the construction of the monument and peace park, pledge themselves to work together to reconcile our differences.
Corners were cut to get the park ready for the official opening. Tree bark was spread where a lawn was intended because the weather up to that day had been atrocious and the bark was spread to help dry up the ground; small wooden boards were sunk into the ground to separate the gravel paths from the grass and little jobs such as this were to be left until a new group of young people would return in the spring of 1999.
I was at the site at the end of February this year to make up a schedule of work for the young people to carry out during the spring and summer. I don't know what site Kevin Myers's friend visited (An Irishman's Diary, April 2nd), but I certainly was very pleased with what I saw as were dozens of people who continually visited the site during the three days that I was there.
The flowers on the heads of states' wreaths were dead but the foliage was still in fairly good shape as were the many British Legion poppy wreaths. They were left there in neat rows around the tower as many of those visiting were grateful to be able to at least take in the history of what had taken place. I did not see the litter or weeds his friend spoke of.
Another 36 young people from all over the island of Ireland, sponsored by the IFI, will again travel to Messines in May to spend the spring and summer tidying up the site, relaying the paths, installing regimental plaques that unfortunately weren't ready for last November, and to act as guides on the site.
On behalf of all those who are part of a journey of reconciliation, especially the young people who participated, I am extremely hurt that someone of the stature of Kevin Myers would write what he did. All he had to do was check if what his friend had told him was true. As a responsible journalist I am sure he has done so many times down through the years.
I got involved several years ago in a simple act of remembrance and reconciliation and never once expected or asked for any accolades. There are many people on this island, including Kevin Myers, who have done much to bring the sacrifice of those dead forgotten heroes to the attention of the general public. I, along with my friend Paddy Harte, started something which captured the imagination and if we are not worthy of what we have received than I can understand the personal criticism, but to use the memory of those 50,000 people to attack us is contemptuous and shatters the esteem in which I have held Kevin Myers as a journalist down through the years. - Yours, etc., Glen Barr,
Executive Joint Chairman, A Journey of Reconciliation Trust, Ebrington Gardens, Derry.