Sir, - It is sad that a tradition of 60 years is to be broken by President McAleese's non-attendance at the 1998 Dublin Horse Show. The reason given is that she is attending an Irish school in Donegal.
I feel that as there is no requirement by us that she improves her Irish, it should be done in her own time, i.e. holidays.
Sightings of our President have been almost as rare as spider's ankles since she took office. It would be greatly appreciated if she managed to fit this one day into her crowded calendar. - Yours, etc., Stephen McCarthy,
The Forge, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny.