Sir, – I wouldn't hold out much hope for Louis Hogan's wish that "May Ma long be with us" (December 6th; "Mom's the word: The Americanisation of the Irish mother", Frank McNally, An Irishman's Diary, December 5th).
Growing up in Dublin city in the 1950s, I reached the age of 22 before I met an Irish person with a “mummy” but now fear greatly that the proliferation of British multiple retail outlets, and compliant marketing and media folk, are consigning our precious Irish “mammy” or “mam” or “ma” to the dustbin of memory in favour of “mum”. Will “Breggsit” save the day? – Yours, etc,
JIM HUDSON,
Castleknock,
READ SOME MORE
Dublin 15.
Sir, – Freddie Mercury addressed his mother as “Mama”. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL REDMOND,
Clongriffin,
Dublin 13.