National records were destroyed Taliban-style

MANUS O’RIORDAN and Fr Iggy O’Donovan (Letters, December 24) point out some discrepancies in my letter (December 18) on the Taliban-style destruction of census records prior to 1901. Juxtaposition of the destruction of records during the War of Independence and Civil War, some gremlins and necessary editing of my letter presented the picture as obtained, which was not far removed from actual fact.

As Shakespeare said, “a rose by any other name is still the same”.

Indeed the Custom House was destroyed during War of Independence when many priceless documents were lost forever. The Four Courts was destroyed during the Civil War.