Sir, - May I add my voice to Eoin O'Neachtain's (July 24th)? There is a strong tendency in the South to demonise Orangemen, largely because of Sinn Fein's manufacture of confrontations like Garvaghy Road, where many families see that the Good Friday Agreement is what really matters, not the prevention of a march down "their" street. Undoubtedly much of the media here is anti-Orange and I include RTE radio and Today FM's The Last Word. Their one-sided views fail to comprehend the courage of Orangemen like Mr Bingham and Mr Saulters who spoke out against the violence and bigotry of a minority of their fellow Orangemen and the loyalist hangers-on.
Ruth Dudley Edwards bravely tries to balance attitudes in the South. By holding up a torch to lead us away from blind prejudices, she is to be greatly admired, as are Nuala O'Faolain and Eilis O'Hanlon. I am not convinced that their gender explains their attitudes, but rather that they have all lived, or spent long periods of time, in Northern Ireland, which gives them an entirely different perspective. Media sirens like Tim Pat Coogan, John Waters, Damien Kiberd and Ronan Fanning are quick to condemn Orangemen, but I wonder how much time they have spent among them. How many parades have they seen? Have they any idea of the effect of their words?
May I suggest they should not make any more armchair statements until they have followed in Ruth Dudley Edwards's, Nuala O'Faolain's and now Dervla Murphy's footsteps by first trying to get to know those whom they demonise. And please ask Ruth Dudley Edwards to come back! Of course she is often one-sided, but surely that is the point? - Yours, etc., Robin Bury,
Military Road, Killiney, Co Dublin.