Terror threat and why we’re living in a fantasy world

First I would like to say how upset I was about what happened in London and to remark how wonderful the police were.

The day before this happened I was travelling from Spain and, as we arrived at Malaga Airport, we were met at every entry by armed police with guns on the ready. Police were all around and as we waited for passport control they walked up and down the line. As we presented our passports a policeman watched closely. At first I found this frightening but when I thought about it I felt safe. If a madman came in here, he would be dead in seconds.

We arrived in Dublin Airport and did not see a sign of a policeman. I wondered what would have happened if some headcase had a go. How long would it take gardaí to arrive? How many ambulances has Dublin got to send to the scene? How would Beaumont Hospital cope?

What kind of la-la land are we living in? Sure, they won’t touch us, we are Irish and we have the four-leaf clover – and Ireland is a great hideout for them, as we have just learned. Anne Cronin, Dublin 9.