Dear Editor, In The Irish Catholic of July 28 you published an excellent two-page article on the 800th Anniversary of Ballintubber Abbey; but it was a pity that there was no mention of Fr Tom Egan who spearheaded the transformation of what was largely a ruin, leading up to the 750th anniversary in 1966. As a boy, I spent my summers in my mother’s town of Ballinrobe and we often visited the Ballintubber Abbey ruins. Invariably, no matter what time of day we visited, Fr Egan would appear and share his knowledge and enthusiasm about the abbey – his dedication to this sacred place was a central contribution to its restoration, and he deserves to be remembered for it.
Yours etc.,
Martin Clynes
Clontarf, Dublin 3.