Sir, – In response to Neil Jordan’s somewhat presumptuous letter regarding not wishing to have an Irish naval vessel named after him or his fellow artists may I point out a couple of things? Firstly, Ireland is a neutral nation and therefore these vessels would not be used in an aggressive way. They will in fact only be used in a defensive, protective manner, a perfectly acceptable and indeed laudable role I would have thought.
Secondly , while Mr Jordan is indeed talented and I have enjoyed his work, I am struggling to identify any current Irish artists, as talented as they undoubtedly are, who would stand comparison to Joyce and Beckett.
Finally, may I say – as an Anglo-Irishman who holds an Irish passport and is proud of his Irish blood – that if future naming of these vessels becomes a controversial problem I wish to place on record that I would have no objections whatsoever in the powers that be calling one after me. Yours, etc,
MICHAEL WILLIAMSON,
School Lane,
Norton,
Sheffield