Sir,
—The much-abused Christian Brothers—I use the descriptionadvisedly—must be exonerated from blame for the letter of support toJohn Charles McQuaid in connection with his prudish campaign torestrict the participation of women in athletics (‘Internal tamponage,hockey parturition and mixed athletics’ by Margaret Ó hÓgartaigh, HI15.6, Nov./Dec. 2007). The John Roe who wrote it was not a ChristianBrother but superior of the Marist college in Dundalk. Were there nocommon-sense ecclesiastics at the time reckless enough to show theirheads above the parapet? In view of Plato’s views on this subject itoccurs to me to wonder whether The Republic was ever put on the list ofbanned books.
—Yours etc.,
BRENDAN BRADSHAW
Marist Fathers
Dublin 14