Sir, - Having spent the last six months in the Big Apple, I was looking forward to coming home to dear old dirty Dublin. Unfortunately, upon my return I find that the emphasis is on "dirty". Has anyone else noticed the state of the pavements in our capital city? They are blackened by stains that resemble the aftermath of a brutal attack, which no one saw fit to clean up, or by spilled drinks (hard and soft!), or by takeaways that fell away.
I'm sure that the Corporation will try to blame the huge increase in the number of visitors to Dublin for this condition. Yet New York welcomes millions of visitors each year, and while I remember that "the neon lights are bright on Broadway" I have no memory of the blackened pavements on Broadway.
Can something be done before summer really kicks in and the stains become burnt on to the pavements? Some cities like to boast that their streets are paved with gold; Dublin should be ashamed of streets paved with what looks like tar. - Yours, etc.,
Temple Bar
Dublin 2.