RECENTLY some newspapers and press reporters, and interviewers and commentators on TV and radio, exploited the heart-rending utterances of greatly distressed parents.

They went on to manipulate plausible, suggestive, ambiguous and drip-fed information to incite an ill-informed rush to judgement by the great Irish public . . . all bent on imputing some sex-crime to a young defendant in the aftermath of his trial.

Michael Clifford's (Sunday Tribune, 29 January) handling of this gross and shabby journalistic lapse was a highly commendable effort to restore order, and a model of journalistic balance. His article should be compulsory reading for all hasty hob-lawyers, media-based or otherwise.

If there be an award for journalist of the year, he has to be well up the short list.

Michael Reynolds, Watersville, Castlebar.

Doyle's column misinterpreted me

DIARMUID Doyle devoted his column (News, 29 January) to an attack on me on the grounds of what he thought I said rather than what I actually said about the tragic case of Robert Holohan.

It is easy to attack a politician when you first misinterpret or misrepresent what he actually said. I issued a statement immediately I became aware of the outcome of the case. It is part of my job as Labour Party Spokesperson for Justice to comment on matters of major public concern as they arise.

I could not have been 'guided more by the rantings of radio listeners and some remarkably demented newspaper coverage in The Sun, in particular, ' as Mr Doyle gratuitously stated, since my statement was issued immediately after the verdict and I don't read The Sun.

My interviews on TV and radio reflected my written statement. In my statement, I referred to the tragic nature of the case and the controversial remarks made by Majella Holohan.

I pointed out that there were two options that remained to the DPP. He could review the sentence and appeal it on the grounds of leniency (but not on grounds of harshness). He could make a statement and put the reasons for proceeding in the case in the manner that he did on the public record in the general public interest. Equally, he could invite the Holohan family and their lawyer to his office and brief them on the reasons why he had prosecuted in the way he had.

The effect of either or both courses of action would be to cast some light on the confusion and controversy surrounding the handling of the case by the DPP. Moreover, it would help to provide some closure for all concerned.

I believe that the DPP should explain himself.

Independence and accountability are not contradictory concepts.

They are complementary.

The DPP's office and decisions are too important to be shrouded in secrecy.

The public interest necessarily requires explanation from time to time. This is one of those times.

Incidentally, the Sunday Tribune editorial on the same day reflected very similar views to mine.

Joe Costello TD, Labour Spokesman for Justice Columnists insult GAA supporters I HAVE been a Sunday Tribune reader since its inception. I would be able to name many of your contributors over the years, in gaelic games for example Eugene McGee, Eoghan Corry and Kevin Cashman; in news Geraldine Kennedy, Vincent Browne and Gerry Barry.

My 13-year-old son bought the Sunday Tribune last week for me as usual.

However, I had intended to break the habit of a lifetime due to the insulting attitude over a period in the paper towards gaelic games. I have never agreed with everything I have read in the paper over the years, but always liked to see another angle and at least understand where others are coming from. I am perfectly happy to question my own views and change my mind on being better informed.

The continuing reference to those of us involved in the national games as 'boggers' together with sniggering insults and name calling to less well-off people in Dublin is frankly disgusting. I realise that it is meant to be 'Alf Garnett' humour where the joke is meant to be the other way around, but that's not how it comes across as evidenced by the text-ins.

Would you publish belittling remarks about your own family? In addition, the prejudice expressed by Diarmuid Doyle last week is alarming. Does he think people are forced to play the games?

What I cannot understand about this attitude is that both the Sunday Tribune and the GAA, in my view, are in the same boat . . . in being indigenous organisations trying to compete with much larger competition from abroad. When I stop supporting the Sunday Tribune, no one's going to come from China to replace me.

Tomas O Fearghail, Caisleann Ruari, An Dun.