Patrick Campbell

Sir, – It is undoubtedly true that Patrick Campbell got his start in journalism through string-pulling by his father, Baron Glenavy (An Irishman's Diary, November 26th), but he maintained this career through his own abilities.

In his day, he was one of the funniest writers in the English language. He said himself, “I’d stumbled into the only job that required no degrees, no diplomas, no training and no specialised knowledge of any kind...journalism might have been designed for my special benefit”. – Yours, etc,

HELEN LITTON,

Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.