Letters to the Editor, July 8th: On equipping the Defence Forces, Botox, and replacing the president

Sir, - Conor Gallagher's gripping account of Operation Piano captures not only the most audacious Irish Defence Forces mission in decades, but also a quiet truth: Irish sailors, soldiers and Air Corps crews perform extraordinary feats despite systemic neglect ("Hizbullah and Iran suspected of involvement in MV Matthew smuggling operation," July 5th.) The daring interdiction of the MV Matthew amid Storm Agnes - with Army Ranger Wing operators rappelling on to a moving vessel in heavy swells, a lone helicopter pressed into service, and a single Naval Service ship shouldering the entire mission - should have been impossible. That it…