Sir, – As an Irish writer, I would call upon Aosdána, the Irish Writers' Union and Poetry Ireland to make a statement denouncing the current jailing in Limerick Prison of Aosdána member and playwright, 79-year-old Margaretta D'Arcy (Home News, January 16th).
I am aware that many Irish poets, for instance, have a fondness for Russian poets imprisoned in the old Soviet state for various political reasons and feel certain that they will have no difficulty protesting against the imprisonment of an Irish poet who opposes the use of Shannon Airport by the US military, and the consequent destruction of Irish neutrality. – Yours, etc,
FRED JOHNSTON,
Circular Road, Galway.
Sir, – I am appalled to learn that our Irish “justice” system has seen fit to jail writer, theatrical personality, and well-known anti-war activist Margaretta D’Arcy now in her 80th year and having treatment for cancer. She is a woman of great integrity whose crime was to have trespassed on a runway at Shannon, in protest against Irish government complicity in the devastating wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, not to mention the nefarious rendition flights which are known to have used Shannon.
She was sentenced to three months in jail, but bravely refused to sign an undertaking not to break the law for two years, which would have led to her prison term being quashed.
Margaretta D’Arcy should be nominated for a Nobel and a Lenin Peace Prize for her courageous stand against war and the killing of human beings. What kind of a country have we become? There is certainly something very rotten in the state of Ireland. – Yours, etc,
GEAROID KILGALLEN,
Crosthwaite Park South,
Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
Sir, – The arrest and imprisonment of Margaretta D’Arcy shows just how low our justice system can go and just how in thrall we are to the policies of others. Shame! Shame! Shame! – Yours, etc,
JOHN MacKENNA,
Royal Oak Close,
Royal Oak,
Co Carlow.