Ghost writers in the clouds

Dear Editor

I was surprised and puzzled to see a letter in your pages from a Mr John Dunne, complaining that I referred to comments he apparently made in the paper regarding the Western Rust Corridor.

I take it from the tone of the letter that Mr Dunne is one of the small number of nostalgists that wants to maintain the closed railway from Collooney to Bellaghy in its derelict state, in a mistaken belief that this homage to the sacredness of the scrap rails and sleepers will somehow lead to a miraculous appearance of a railway on the former rail route in the short-term.

Mr Dunne and I differ in that I believe the official and professional reports that put the construction of any such railway well beyond 2040, at best, and not necessarily on the existing alignment that was designed for light rail and is not suited to running a modern rail service. Nonetheless, I believe that it is important not to let the asset slip out of public ownership through squatting and/or appropriation for other uses, like roads for instance, as has happened elsewhere.

The accepted best way of retaining State control of a closed route like this is to license it to local authorities for use as a leisure trail, often known as a ‘greenway.’

The nature of such agreements always has rail as a priority, so in the event any rail plan is firmed up, the asset will have been safeguarded. A major rail construction project can easily engineer in a so-called ‘parallel greenway’ alongside this new railway at a small fraction of the build cost.

Funding is available for a greenway. Sligo County Council has wisely decided to take it, and is well on the way to delivering the project, subject to normal processes and safeguards.

It is good news for the county, as most people would agree. There is no available funding for a railway in the foreseeable future, regardless of who is in government.

But what surprised me was the comments Mr Dunne alleged I had made in your pages do not exist. They are entirely imagined. I never referred to Mr Dunne, or to anything he said, at any time in your paper or in any other paper.

I do not know Mr Dunne, I have never met him as far as I am aware, and I don’t know why he would attribute any such remarks to me. It’s a puzzle, quite frankly.

So, to set the record straight, I never at any time made reference to Mr Dunne or his beliefs in this paper. Like the imminent arrival of trains on the Western Rust Corridor, any such remarks are entirely imaginary.

Yours faithfully,

John Mulligan Boyle

IF YOU HAVE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR YOU WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER FOR PUBLICATION, PLEASE EMAIL EDITOR@SLIGOWEEKENDER.IE

• 250g plain flour

• 2 tbsp icing sugar

• 140g cold butter

• 2 egg yolks , beaten

• cream or custard , to serve optional

• 100g salted butter , softened

• 100g caster sugar

• 50g ground almonds

• 1 tsp almond extract

• 2 medium eggs , beaten

• 3 tbsp raspberry Mam

• 50g flaked almonds

• 80g icing sugar

• S7(3 1

+eat the oven to 200& 180& fan gas 6. 7o make the pastry, put the flour in a bowl along with the icing sugar,add the butter and mix until it¶s the texture of fine breadcrumbs. Mix 4 tbsp cold water with the beaten eggs and dri]]le into the mixture, then mix to combine. 7ip out the crumbly mixture onto a work surface, then form into a ball, cover and chill for 30 mins.

• S7(3 2

Line a 20cm fluted tart tin with the pastry. $dd a large disc of baking parchment big enough to cover the edges, and some baking beans to weigh it down use dried rice or lentils if you don¶t have baking beans . %ake for 15 mins, then remove the parchment and beans and bake for a further 7-10 mins or until the bottom is evenly cooked.

• S7(3 3

For the filling, beat the butter and sugar until combined. $dd the ground almonds, almond extract and eggs and beat for a further minute. Spread the Mam over the pastry, then top with the almond filling. Scatter over the flaked almonds and bake for 25-30 mins until golden and firm.

Leave to cool in the tin or eat warm at this stage and leave out step 4 .

• S7(3 4

Mix together the icing sugar and 1-2 tsp water and dri]]le over the tart. Slice and serve with cream or custard, if you like.

• 8se a good Tuality Mam.

• 'on¶t forget to grease your tin

• 3reheat the oven

• 5eally yummy served with homemade custard

• ,f you don¶t have baking beans, use rice

, hope you enMoy making this recipe. $ny Tuestions please email me on debbabakes#gmail.com, ,¶m happy to help. %ack next week with more recipes, tips and advice.

&heck out my IDFeEooN and ,nVtDgrDP GeEEDEDNeV for all my latest goodies.