Everything from depressing juvenile guff to anti-Catholic fanaticism

GIVEN that both Anthony Leavy and I have made clear our complete support for the visit of Queen Elizabeth in previous correspondence, I was surprised Declan Doyle should accuse us (Letters, July 24) of “stupid nationalism” as part of a long and completely unjustified diatribe against us.

Strangely, Mr Doyle has again raised the spectre of Oliver Cromwell in an effort to whitewash his role in Irish history against all the evidence.

If it is “depressing juvenile guff” for me to point this out, then so be it. I suggest Mr Doyle take his own advice and “stop rambling on about what we think happened to our ancestors hundreds of years ago”. He seems unable to distinguish between fact and opinion, truth and fiction.

For example, he baldly states that “the Church in Rome was always on the side of minority and exploitative ownership of property”. This is self-evidently untrue, which can be proven in two words – Penal Laws.

Naturally, Mr Doyle is incorrect in his opinion that “no Oxford professor would dispute these facts.” I would wager he wouldn’t find one to agree with his “invented facts.” The problem isn’t with what he terms “Irish-style Catholic fanaticism.” The problem lies more in Irish-style anti-Catholic fanaticism, which is far more virulent and common here now, and no less ugly for that. Indeed, it can give rise to letters such as Mr Doyle’s which, again in his own words, amount to nothing more than “rehearsed nonsense”.

JJ McGrath

Birchgrove

Hollyford

Co Tipperary