Sir, – In reports about the shooting dead and the career of Aidan O'Driscoll "nicknamed the beast" (News,December 9th) I see that he was accorded the title "chief of staff" of the Real IRA.
Why should we be insulted with the accolades, nominations, and ranks that these self-indulging organisations bestow upon their own?
They know that their esteem is limited to their own kind. Also noted in the report was that O’Driscoll was cited for “unrepublican conduct”. It would be interesting to see the list of such conduct as well as the list of “republican conduct” to which they subscribe .
Obviously this republican conduct list does include criminality of all kinds such as drug dealing, extortion, menaces and physical brutality.
They are not on the side of our legitimate elected Republic and so their ranks and badges are meaningless outside of their specific hate group.
– Yours, etc,
TONY SHEEHAN
Castleknock, Dublin 15.