Madam, - The recent Irish Times supplement on the Flight of the Earls was an excellent piece of concise descriptive journalism. Fintan O'Toole and your other writers are to be congratulated in making an important period of Irish history readable and explicable.
This year many commemorations in Ireland and throughout Europe are taking place to mark the occasion. President McAleese is to visit San Pietro, Montorio, Rome, the burial place of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone. Here in Ireland, Rathmullen, Co Donegal will host a week-long festival in September. We in the O'Neill Country Historical Society will host a talk and walk on the site of the Battle of the Yellow Ford in August.
It is great to see so much celebration of our history, but equally sad to note that battle sites such as the Yellow Ford (1598) and Benburb (1646), as well as Charlemont Fort, a major Mountjoy fortification, are not signposted and are difficult to find for the many visitors to the area.
We receive many requests from groups in Ireland and North America to visit the sites. Despite promises from Dungannon and Armagh councils to erect signposts, nothing has happened.
This month Dr Ian Paisley and Bertie Ahern will visit the site of the Battle of the Boyne. Perhaps this will focus attention on other battle sites where so much has been recorded but so little done to mark their presence. - Yours, etc,
BRENDAN DUFFY, Chairman, O'Neill Country Historical Society, Cabragh Road, Armagh.