Sir – As a republican former prisoner who has spent the past 35 years involved in politics, community, language and cultural activism, I find it shocking that the contrived ire of the media, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael should be directed on one (female) ex-prisoner legitimately given a job by Catherine Connolly some years ago.

More than 40 members of the First and Second Dáil had prison records. Almost 30 Oireachtas members in the years since 1923 spent time in prison, and it’s worth remembering that one of these, Liam Kelly, the leader of Saor Uladh (engaged at the time in a military campaign in the North), had the distinction of being elected as an abstentionist Stormont MP in 1953 and as a Seanadóir in 1954.

His election to the Seanad on the Labour panel came with orchestrated Fine Gael support in an effort by John A Costello to keep Fianna Fáil out of power.

Some TDs and Seanadóírí happily play the family history card at election time.

Scrape the surface of councils across the country and many councillors will have parents or grandparents who spent time in prison.

The same holds true both North and South. It is part of what we are. Our universities, school boards, sports bodies, cultural groups, and State boards have all benefitted from the input of ex-prisoners.

Former prisoners contribute to society – there is nothing remarkable about that. It would, indeed, be more remarkable if they did not contribute, and feigned shock from Taoiseach Mícheál Martin or Tánaiste Simon Harris fools no one. – Yours, etc,

EOGHAN MacCORMAIC,

Cill Chríost,

Gaillimh.

Sir, – There is a level of righteous indignation in the observations made by Taoiseach Micheál Martin arising from the Ursula Ní Shionnain controversy.

Did not the founding father of his own political movement have a background in violent uprising based in the same or similar set of values and ambitions as those of which he now complains?

Mr de Valera went on, having firstly renounced his o