Madam, - The documentary series Haughey has at least "done the State some service", which is more than could be said of its subject.
The programmes undoubtedly tried to tell Haughey's side of the story. Haughey acolytes were brought out to praise their leader and defend his record. It didn't work. Haughey was exposed to a new generation for what he really is: a greedy, unpleasant, nasty little man who bullied a very weak establishment.
I am not sure what annoys me more - Haughey's corruption or the culture of cowardice and incompetence that let this man become a leader. Has there ever been a more appropriate time to say, "Bad things happen because good people do nothing".
I thank the producers of this series for inadvertently reminding us what a truly pathetic leader this Republic once chose. - Yours, etc,
JOHN KENNY, Moran's Cottages, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.
Madam, - The recent TV series on the life and times of Charles J. Haughey failed miserably to provide an objective or balanced appraisal of his political career; instead it provided a glorious opportunity for several discredited politicians and spin-doctors to promote themselves and their former boss.
P.J. Mara in particular deserves an Oscar nomination for his skill as a propagandist. He was such a prominent presence in the programme that he virtually became the real narrator much of the time.
Muiris Mac Conghail (Opinion & Analysis) rightly points out that the series failed to establish editorial independence. If anything this assessment is too charitable. The producers gave a platform to P.J. Mara, Dermot Desmond and others to sanitise the political corruption and financial scandals of the Haughey era. What was most striking was the failure to subject Haughey's former cronies and allies to any sort of critical questioning at all. Would it have been so difficult , for instance, to ask Mr Mara about Haughey's contribution to the apathy and cynicism which are the dominant public responses to modern politics?
The series featured excellent footage but feeble or non-existent commentary. - Yours, etc,
JOHN WALSH, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.