Madam, - It was alarming to read that Government Offices, Roscommon town, the new home of the General Register Office (GRO), has sprung a leak (The Irish Times, August 30th).
The GRO holds the complete records of Irish civil registration since record-keeping began in April 1845. By far the worst calamity to befall Irish record-keeping was the conflagration that destroyed the Public Record Office in June 1922. Even though the GRO has now scanned almost all of its holding on to a computerised database, it would be a serious loss to Ireland's heritage if, having lost its public records to fire, it should then lose its civil records to water!
- Yours, etc,
STEVEN C. FFEARY-SMYRL, Templemore Avenue, Dublin 6.