The gesture of a great man

Sir — Returning from a mission overseas, I heard of the tragic death of a child. One of the youngest of a large family. The father of this child had also died tragically while on overseas duty with United Nations the previous year. He died on Christmas Eve.

The funeral was intensely sad given those facts.

At the cemetery, as the burial proceeded, a black Mercedes drove in and Liam Cosgrave, the former Taoiseach, emerged. He saw the military uniforms and diverted in order to pay his respects. That kind gesture from a great man is my enduring memory of him. Harry Mulhern, Dublin