Sir, - As the current community officer of the University of Limerick Students' Union, I feel I have to make some comment about the picture on the front page of your paper on Friday, January 7th.
Firstly, can I say that this was neither an official university nor student union protest; it was purely a UL Sinn Fein Society demonstration. I have no problem with the UL members of Sinn Fein supporting Mr Fusco in a peaceful manner, but I take great offence at the misleading impression they caused by their self-centred actions in Dublin. Their deeds suggested that the university and its students collectively supported his case, which is obviously not the case.
It disappoints me that Sinn Fein felt it had to drag the good name of the university into its campaign. No other political society puts the UL logo on its banner. It's not as if political societies are representing the college in the same manner that, say, the football club is. Political societies have a variety of aims and they should leave the name of their college out when pursuing these objectives - particularly in the manner witnessed outside the Four Courts.
I assure the readers of your paper and all residents of Limerick that 99.9 per cent of the students of UL would not agree with the disgraceful display in Dublin last Thursday and that most students feel embarrassed by the ignominious event embodied in your photograph. - Yours, etc.,
Alan Ryder, Student Union Community Relations Officer, University of Limerick.