Sir, – The interesting article on the National Gallery of Ireland's new exhibition, Creating History: Stories of Ireland in Art, refers to the strangeness of Sir John Lavery, "a Northern Irish Protestant by birth", portraying a sympathetic record of Ireland's move towards independence, including the study of Michael Collins's remains ("Great moments in Irish history captured on the canvas", Art & Books, October 8th). I am not sure if anyone acquires a religion by birth but if they do then Lavery was born a Catholic, which might explain matters, and, of course, his "Northern Irish" status did not exist in 1856. – Yours, etc,
KEVIN O’SULLIVAN,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.