Bloody Friday: Don’t mention the IRA - Belfast City Council event on 50th anniversary of atrocity had hallmarks of famous episode of Fawlty Towers

We should all be grateful to Ben Lowry for his piece pointing out the banality of the service organised by Belfast City Council to mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Friday, in which no mention is made of the bombs or the IRA who planted them (‘Imagine no mention of Paras at a Bloody Sunday memorial,’ July 23, see link below).

The thought experiment, trying to imagine a commemoration of Bloody Sunday without any reference to the Parachute Regiment, was very effective.

It reminded me of the famous episode of Fawlty Towers when some German visitors came to stay and Basil tried not to mention the war! My favourite line was when the exasperated father said to Cybil, ‘he started it’, to which Basil replied, ‘no I didn’t, you did, you invaded Poland.’

Of course, the war/troubles is no joking matter, especially for those who lost loved ones — I know that as well as anyone. Sometimes the humorist conveys truth most clearly and sharply.

It is a shame when the absurdity of real life exceeds that of the satirist!

It is often said that acknowledgment is vital to dealing with the past. I agree. However, there can be no proper acknowledgment without naming the culprit.

I commend Liam Kennedy’s recent book, ‘Who was Responsible for the Troubles?

Rev David Clements (Father murdered by IRA), Cullybackey

Ben Lowry: Imagine a Bloody Sunday memorial that didn’t mention the Paras