THEO RYAN,
Sir, - Is the Roy situation now a case of sour grapes and the Robbie situation a case of sauerkraut? - Yours, etc.,
THEO RYAN,
Freiestrasse,
Berne,
Switzerland.
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Sir, - The result so far: Republic of Ireland, 2 ; Eamon Dunphy, 0. - Yours, etc.,
Dr BARRY O'SULLIVAN,
Castle Redmond,
Midleton,
Co Cork.
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Sir, - Your Editorial of May 30th describes the Roy Keane-Mick McCarthy episode as soap opera. I disagree.
To elevate the antics of the supporting cast to the status of soap opera is to do a grave injustice to even the most flimsy of soaps.
The performance of the principals was a different story. The agony etched on the fine face of Roy Keane in his TV interview struck me as being much closer to Shakespearean tragedy. Roy passionately wanted to play for Ireland in the World Cup. He passionately wanted to bring honour to his country. But his deep-rooted integrity would not permit him to make an unconditional apology in all of the prevailing circumstances.
I was sharply reminded of a line from that sad, sad poem The Ballad of Reading Gaol, by Oscar Wilde: "For each man kills the thing he loves". - Yours, etc.,
Senator MÁIRÍN QUILL,
Wellington Road,
Cork.
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Sir, - When working abroad in recent days I was often asked to explain why many Irish people supported Roy Keane. Why did they lionise someone who, while a talented and charismatic multi-millionaire, showed little willingness to make sacrifices for his country?
Why did they so quickly turn against the rest, who tolerated each other and pulled together, getting results through a tremendous team spirit that the world admired?
It seems we witnessed the values of post-Celtic Tiger, Thatcherite Ireland, a society with no sense of sacrifice or social responsibility and too much sense of its own self-importance - all of it being praised by the old gombeen peasant mentality.
Everything's changed yet nothing is different, including the laughs of the rest of the world. - Yours, etc.,
DECLAN McGRATH,
Ellis Quay,
Dublin 7.
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Sir, - I have found a solution to Eamon Dunphy. I watch BBC. - Yours, etc.,
WILLIAM PHILLIPS,
Fortwilliam,
Mount Merrion Avenue,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
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Sir, - Like most sports fans, my reaction to Rivaldo's World Cup "injury" was that he needed a swift kick in the posterior, though I am at a loss to speculate which part of his body would react in that event. Certainly not his conscience. - Yours, etc.,
BARRY McLOUGHLIN,
Rockfield,
Co Westmeath.