Letter: Howling wolves

I HOPE A T Q Stewart's book, A Deeper Silence, is more accurate than Nicholas Harman's review of it ('Howling for Wolf (sic) Tone', Books, 21 March).

Wolfe Tone was sentenced but not led to the scaffold. He cut his own throat. The Wolfe Tones are so called, according to themselves, because they wished to name themselves after an Irish patriot. They are not a rock band but traditional Irish balladeers.

Finally, the young Irish are not rejecting their past: Irish establishment academics and politicians may seek to prise them from it but will not confuse the young to the extent that they mistake Irish ballads for American rhythm and blues.

Mark Elf

Ilford, Essex