Sir, - Gay Byrne's canonisation does not require the Roman Catholic Church's demonisation. John Caden's article (Opinion, December 24th) on Dr Byrne's eminent career, however, was headed "Twisted grip of Church and State had to be broken". The reality was much more complex than the impression conveyed in that article.
The reference to Catholics attending Trinity College Dublin should be clarified. The bishops' ban on Catholic enrolment there seems indefensible now, but it should be placed in the context of its era. In the 1950s and 1960s many Catholics studied at TCD, often without Church permission. I reluctantly sought approval in 1954 from the Archbishop of Dublin to attend TCD. Permission was granted subject to basic but paternalistic safeguards about student welfare.
Trinity societies and authorities were very fair. Lecturers advised students about suitable textbooks to study their own church's views on controversial topics. Many civil servants pursued evening courses and graduated in public administration, arts and commerce from the University of Dublin. At Trinity, we also learnt real liberal tolerance, a quality often lacking nowadays among media commentators.
Brian Fallon's book The Age of Innocence, Irish Culture 1930- 1960 contrasts the traditional Trinity ethos with that of UCD and provides a balanced picture of the era. - Yours, etc., Tony Quinn,
Dalkey, Co Dublin.