LETTER: All the sour grapes over Michaella's interview

SIR – Michaella Mc Collum caused outrage in media circles because she gave an exclusive to RTÉ, while more or less ignoring themselves. There is a lot of wrangling and offers going the way of Michaella currently, so do not for one minute let anyone think aforementioned sour grapes has anything to do with morality regarding her crime.

What is conveniently forgotten is that she has been in prison and paid dearly for being young and foolish. Parents will understand that this could happen to any one of our own precious children if let loose in the world where the carefree heart can be manipulated or, more dangerously, frightened into doing the unthinkable.

Another aspect is that she is a very beautiful woman, and many seize on this as a ‘reason’ she deserves to be vilified. I heard a man on the wireless say that he had to switch off the interview when his 19-year-old son came downstairs. He was worried that he might be unduly influenced by her drug smuggling. 

I think that young man would be more struck by her beauty,and where’s the harm in that? If I was about 45 years younger, I would not feel crushed if she refused my advances, because let’s face it, she is a stunner and, even when I was at my best and in my prime, the height difference would have held me back from asking her to have a bottle of orange or to stand by a gate with me after a-leppin’ about in Bantry dance hall.

The height difference might be just but one excuse, but I certainly would have smoked a joint with her in those far off days of youthful male frustration ... which can be carried on into middle / old age.

‘Mo léan mo léan, gan mé arís óg 

Sa ghleann inar tógadh mé.’ 

Robert Sullivan,

Bantry.