I WISH to complain in the strongest manner possible about RTE's extremely biased coverage of the Dublin v Derry quarter final match last Saturday. The bias shown by both the commentators on the match and the two commentators in the studio after the match against Dublin was an absolute disgrace.

They were all implying that Derry were very unlucky to lose against Dublin on Saturday. No mention or acknowledgement of the fact that Dublin controlled most of the match and even when Derry did close the gap to three points near the end, the Dubs brilliantly closed down the Derry attack and played a great defensive game.

Contrast their biased reaction against Dublin with the fair and balanced reporting in other media outlets, both print and audio/visual. It's not just Dublin people who have commented on the disgraceful bias shown by the RTE commentators against Dublin last Saturday; people from counties outside of Dublin have also commented on this bias.

If RTE have any shred of decency they should sack those commentators immediately and replace them with people who would be more neutral and impartial.

Paul Kinsella, 53 Lorcan Grove, Santry, Dublin 9.

Seanad job a bonus for Bertie-loyalist Ellis From Martin Wynne

MEDIA, both broadcast and print, have been falling over themselves in recent weeks to chew the fat over Bertie Ahern's nomination of Eoghan Harris for the Seanad. Another Bertie bonus being handed out to a wandering nomad; a lonesome traveller whose journey is finally at an end now that he has stumbled across a shiny big tent hidden in the wide open plains of Galway.

Personally speaking I do not see what the fuss is about. If there is one thing we can be sure about our predictable Taoiseach it is that he rewards Bertie-loyalists. The names change but the motives remain the same . . . keep Fianna Fail strong and keep Bertie Ahern strong. A noble ideal for a party leader maybe, but not so good for the majority of us in the Irish populace who have not been seduced by that shiny tent.

Because you see Eoghan Harris is not the story here. The real story is the nomination of John Ellis, and it is on this that I will pay some tribute to the Sunday Tribune for giving that story front page news on Sunday 5 August. As a recent voter in the Roscommon/North Leitrim constituency, I was one of many down here who left Ellis's box unticked in the last general election. In doing this I wanted to show solidarity with the farmers he ripped off in this area and also to send out a message to the outgoing government that low standards in high office will not do anymore. The results showed thousands to be in agreement.

North Leitrim has no representation in Dail Eireann now because of the choice Bertie Ahern offered them in the last election. They chose three Roscommon-based candidates over one of their own . . . I think that says it all.

And how is this abject failure viewed by our great leader?

Give him a job in the Seanad.

Thanks, Bertie. Thanks for listening. I guess that shiny tent is soundproof as well.

Martin Wynne, Main Street, Boyle, Co Roscommon.

O'Leary's personas are multiplying From Joe Ryan

I WAS wondering just how many Michael O'Learys there are. The latest Michael O'Leary is the version that wants Aer Lingus to fly a route that he himself won't fly, ie ShannonHeathrow. Now that Michael O'Leary is in the frame of mind of developing regional routes to British airports, he may be better disposed to reopening the Waterford-Gatwick link, the one which actually started Ryanair in the first place and the first one they abandoned.

He now has rediscovered partnership with the trade unions simply because the publicity he gets embarrasses Aer Lingus and a government that it is sleepwalking to calamity by their ideological attachment to privatisation.

For the record, the other versions of O'Leary that I'm familiar with are the strikebreaking baggage handler, the taxi-driving racehorse owner, the anti-establishment publicschool boy, the church benefactor who discriminates against the disabled and the campaigning free-marketeer who wants a subsidy from every airport he flies into.

His contributions would be funny were the consequences not so serious. Michael O'Leary's only interest in the current crisis in Shannon is Michael O'Leary. The ego has landed!

Joe Ryan, Cromwellsfort Drive, Wexford.

Democracy's history needs some revision From Paul Henry

SHANE Coleman's assertion that Irish democracy began with Fianna Fail deputies taking their seats in Dail Eireann 80 years ago cannot be left unchallenged. It is an assertion based on either absurd partisanship or profound historical ignorance.

Has Coleman forgotten that a civil war was fought over the very issue of Irish democracy only five years prior to this event? The civil war may have been occasioned by the treaty but its true cause was, as Joe Lee put it, a "basic conflict in Irish nationalism between divine right and majority right".

Thankfully, victory was won by those forces which believed in the absolute right of the Irish people to choose their own government by means of popular vote.

Of course, there were other events which contributed to the bedding down of democracy such as the entrance of Fianna Fail to the Dail.

However, if Coleman wishes to celebrate the "Birth of Irish Democracy" perhaps he should distinguish between those who fought for it and those who merely accepted it.

Paul Henry, Nutgrove Park, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14.

Cead mile failings for Failte Ireland From Paul Doran

AS SOMEONE who only holidays in Ireland due to various factors, the first thing I do before booking a holiday home or B&B is check and ensure that wherever we are staying has the critical Failte Ireland approved star ratings.

The fact that this will not be done by Failte Ireland in future is very disappointing.

Their brand name means something to us all and more importantly to the tourist outside of Ireland coming here.

They say that they want to prioritise marketing more now; well, they have failed on that first hurdle already.

Paul Doran, 27 Monastery Walk, Clondalkin, Dublin 22.

Aer Lingus might yet look to the bible From Oliver McGrane

THE air . . . or should I say the sky? . . . is thick with charge and counter-charge arising from the recent decision on Shannon-Heathrow flights.

Even the opening words of the verses from this Sunday's Letter to the Hebrews could serve to fit the moment: "With so many witnesses in a great cloud on every side of us. . ."!

Oliver McGrane, 32 Marley Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.

Kingdom shows a royal performance From Jim O'Regan

I READ the article in last Sunday's GAA sport section by Hayes. I can only assume that he has a fantastic sense of humour but then again having listened to him speak I'm afraid that a single smile has seldom escaped across that face. Kerry, he has advised, have won All Irelands with players that he would not regard as junior standard.

Then surely we must pity the rest of the country. When will the penny drop with people like this? In the decade 1997 to 2006 Kerry have won four All Irelands. That is double the amount won by 'the greatest teams of the decade' Galway and Tyrone. It is four times as many as Meath or Armagh, also highly regarded teams in their own right. In the aforementioned decade, Kerry have played in six All Ireland finals and three semi-finals.

The year of exception was of course 1999 when Meath beat a much-depleted Cork team.

Since the qualifier system was introduced Kerry has never failed to win a quarter-final. I must conclude from this that there are wonderful junior footballers in Kerry.

It might be worth Hayes's while having a chat with his old comrade in arms, Colm O'Rourke. He takes a different view and has not been averse to suggesting that their great Meath team of the '80s were lucky to have avoided Kerry, otherwise the medal cupboard could be rather bare right now.

Jim O'Regan, Ballymorisheen, Grenagh, Co Cork.