Sir, - The recent television documentary Sean Lemass - the Pragmatic Patriot provoked comparisons between the essence of de Valera's thinking and the legacy of Lemass.
Being of a generation for whom both were faces in history books I found it ironic that the former, much criticised for his conservatism, seemed more enlightened than his successor who was much praised for his modernity.
The demolition of Georgian Dublin, the building of amorphous housing estates, the concept of giving grants to foreign investors who stay only as long as it pleases them, seem like embarrassing mistakes when compared with steady and slow successes such as organic farming, small indigenous businesses, restoration work and local arts groups.
Are these successes not in fact manifestations of the much mocked phrases "self sufficiency and "dancing at the crossroads", food for body and soul, while housing estates with no town centres and an over dependence on multinationals have done little to foster a sense of community on one, level, or confidence in the nation on the other. - Yours, etc.,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.