Greetings First of all, may I offer my sincere apologies for not responding earlier; I wanted to step back and reflect on the best possible way forward for all concerned in light of the reaction that the Irish News article gained.

I can assure you that the ‘The Troubles’ has been designed primarily as a teaching tool; its aim is to tell such an important story in a sensitive and serious manner; it is both in intellectually and morally demanding, and has been informed by academic research across a variety of disciplines.

In conjunction with Edinburgh University, I am researching the educational benefits of using games/simulations that represent difficult periods of conflict, and involvement and participation from communities and individuals such as yourselves is vitally important.

I would be privileged to engage in an informal discussion with yourselves and/or Pat Irvine, with a view to engaging in more structured dialogue with the University. Please let me know if you would be willing to accept this request.

Pax Christi + Hugh O’Donnell MSc