Madam, - In his interview with Belinda McKeon (Weekend Review, April 25th) Colm Tóibín stated he was proud to recently shake Michael Fingleton's hand because he had given him his first mortgage even though at the time Mr Tóibín was "not the most solvent person in Ireland". In doing so Mr Tóibín said he didn't believe in witch-hunts which I assume to mean the recent coverage of the activities of Mr Fingleton and Irish Nationwide. He then used his Fenian background and his grandfathers' participation in 1916 as the reason for his stance.
To read one the greatest writers this country has ever produced juxtapose the coverage of Mr Fingleton's activities and the philosophy on which this State was founded is most disturbing.
What Mr Tóibín seems to fail to realise is that it is actions like giving loans imprudently that has given rise to the situation we are in now.
It is such lending coupled with Mr Fingleton's facilitation of the off balance sheet manoeuvres of Seán FitzPatrick that has resulted in the necessary investigations and commentary of Mr Fingleton's and Irish Nationwide's activities.
These have been the actions of the offices of State and of journalists that are normal activities in a free and democratic Republic.
In 1916 the rebels declared their resolve in the Proclamation, "to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts", not just the golden few or an influential or powerful minority. I suggest that before Mr Tóibín comments on this issue he might re-read the Proclamation to give him some perspective and maybe consider what his grandfather or those men who gave their lives alongside him would think if they set foot in this Republic today.
Or better still he could buy an original copy with the money the citizens of this great country allow him to earn annually tax free as an artist. According to The Irish Times (April 29th) the going rate for an original copy is €260,000, a similar figure to that which Mr Tóibín is allowed earn tax free - Yours, etc,