I do not agree with Tom Cooper (Letters, Sep 2) in that he immediately describes the proposed church service organised by former Garda Gerry Lovett for those RIC members killed during the War of Independence – as an attempt to legitimise the actions of the Auxiliaries and Black and Tans.

In what is yet a further effort to undermine and muddy the narrative of Irish history by conferring a bogus respectability on the actions of the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries during the Irish War of Independence, former garda Gerry Lovett has organised a church service for those RIC members killed opposing Irish independence.

CONCERNED people should be able to go into a garda station and find out if their neighbour is a paedophile or sex offender, a garda conference heard yesterday.