Sir, – In your report on my appearance before the Smithwick Tribunal (Home News, October 29th), after being introduced by my full name, I was thereafter referred to solely by my surname. Aliases aside, no other participant in the Smithwick proceedings (that I can find) has been referred to in your newspaper by surname alone – not even that splendid citizen, Freddie Scapaticci.
How do you justify such studied disrespect towards the very journalist whose columns in your newspaper gave rise to the Smithwick Tribunal in the first place? A neutral reader might easily conclude that, in systematically dispensing with the usual courtesies towards me alone, you were implicitly declaring your judgment on my worth as a witness. Please do not say that your house-style does not accord honorifics to journalists: in your coverage of the anti-government rally of last year led by your columnist Fintan O’Toole, he was referred to throughout as “Mr O’Toole”. – Yours, etc,
Note from the Editor: according to Irish Times house style, “Journalists do not take an honorific at any stage”.