Sir, - After many years of neglect, the Royal Canal is now a valuable recreational amenity in the midlands. I was one of many who stood along its banks at the weekend and welcomed the crews of the boats which had made the historic journey from Dublin. As she navigated a lock, one Englishwoman remarked that she and her friends "love the wildness of the canal". Yet, sadly, this very wildness is what is suffering under the supervision of Duchas, which now has responsibility for the canal.
Regularly, throughout the season, a wide strip on either side of the canal paths has been mown short with the apparent aim of emulating a city park. The few stretches which Duchas machinery cannot reach offer a visual feast of wild flowers and butterflies; where the grass has been cut - nothing.
Duchas must realise that our inland waterways are not to be "prettified". Even viewed narrowly as tourist and amenity resources, their value lies in their unspoilt nature. Ireland's tourist industry depends on the quality and diversity of the landscape and that must be safeguarded by the authority charged with its care. - Yours, etc.,
Mrs Lesley Whiteside, Marlinstown, Mullingar, Co Westmeath.