WHILE there was much comment on the exclusions from the Ireland’s Greatest list recently featured on RTÉ, little has been made of the fact that of the five inclusions, three — James Connolly, Mary Robinson and the winner, John Hume — came from the social democratic and Labour traditions on this island. Perhaps there is hope for our country yet.

NO doubt the recent calls for a national government were well intentioned, as were the calls from many citizens that political leaders should set aside their party politics.

CAL HYLAND (Letters, March 7) complains that RTÉ News has journalists reporting “from anonymous sites around Dublin” and that these “outside broadcasts are mini-jollies” which necessitate “movement of equipment, sound people, lighting people, camera people, assorted gangers and acolytes”.

NOT for the first time, Fergus Finlay (Irish Examiner, February 14) is spot-on in his analysis of the curtailment of free speech here.