Sir, - Shame on you for scraping the bottom of the barrel of tabloid muck for a headline for your article on the decommissioning of the MV Sir Joseph Bazalgette (January 26th). "Ship of Shame" was an insult to the officers and crew of a ship that has served the City of Dublin well in its thankless task of removing sewage sludge from Ringsend for many years. Its essential duty, the removal of the "end product" from our shores, was the chore a million Dubliners preferred not to dwell on every time they pulled the chain.
Obviously, the dumping of sewage sludge in Dublin Bay was never environmentally desirable, but for more than 100 years it was the only viable system. Those of us who campaigned for years for a proper primary sewage treatment plant in Ringsend, where raw sewage would be converted to dry compost with many agricultural and horticultural purposes, will be glad to see the Sir Joseph retired.
But honour where it is due. Is it really necessary to scrap the gallant little ship? Could Dublin Corporation consider a permanent mooring in the docks, and re-commission the vessel as a museum or interpretative centre for the history of Dublin's docklands, including the fascinating sewerage system designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette? - Yours, etc., Rodney Devitt,
Tritonville Road, Sandymount, Dublin 4.