Letters

November 2022

Letters to the Editor Opinion Bruising encounter that puts dangers of rugby in spotlight

I am not sure if my bruises will be fully healed in time for me to watch Ireland play Fiji in the Aviva stadium tomorrow.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion Clerical abuse was endemic as the church repeatedly hid its shame

Just when you think that the era of clerical sex abuse is over, it inevitably returns to haunt the institutional Catholic Church, re-traumatise its many victims and survivors and scandalise people of faith.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion God forgive us for accepting awful abuse in boys’ schools

I went to Blackrock College in the 1960s, when physical and mental abuse were common. One priest was a tyrant and ruled with fear and a leather strap.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion Human survival must take priority over personal wealth

As COP27 takes place, German chancellor Olaf Scholz has returned from a meeting with president Xi Jinping of China.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion Bold and ambitious policies are badly needed at COP27

Frontline communities are bearing the biggest burden of climate inaction and injustices.

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Dolores O’Riordan’s ‘Zombie’ is perfect antidote to ‘Up The ’Ra’ poison

Sir — It was heartening and poignant to see Zombie by The Cranberries named as Ireland’s favourite song on RTÉ’s Ultimate Irish Playlist.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion Fr Sheehy’s comments show it’s the church that should repent for a lack of love and compassion

I was raised Catholic, and I continue to practise my faith in my own way.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion Many share Fr Seán Sheehy’s view on same-sex marriage and have a right to be heard

Father Seán Sheehy, in his homily at mass in Listowel, clearly explained the teaching of the Catholic Church on certain activities, chosen for attention because these activities are being actively promoted in our society at this time. Watching the video of his homily online, I thought he did a really good job, striking the right balance between warning people they were endangering their immortal souls and reminding them of God’s love and mercy for them.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion Vatican has lost all authority to preach about morality

I am an atheist, but I have read the gospels. I have read them more than once, yet nowhere have I seen any mention of gay people, trans people, people who use contraception or people who have abortions. No mention at all of any of “these people”.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion Shades of 1912 as UK weighs up possible U-turn on Northern Ireland Protocol

The row over the Northern Ireland Protocol has its origins in the actions of Andrew Bonar Law, who was the leader of the Conservative Party which was in opposition in Westminster in 1912.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion With history out the window, let’s put Elvis in the manger

At a time when it would be so easy to be distracted by political red herrings like the housing crisis, inflation and a heightened risk of nuclear apocalypse, it is reassuring to see public representatives remain focused on the issues that really matter – like the need for farm animals to be used in a crib outside Dublin’s Mansion House.

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October 2022

Letters to the Editor Opinion Days of banks being trusted institutions are long gone

In the past, banks were businesses that citizens trusted to hold their savings and grant mortgages . They paid interest to savers and charged interest on borrowings at a higher rate. They were prudent, reliable and trusted.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion We need State help to preserve Irish heritage, or else it’ll eventually all fall down

Sir — In 1999, I inherited the oldest continually inhabited castle in Ireland. Soon after, I received a government letter announcing the castle was to be made a listed building and stating the very costly conditions imposed.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion DUP is oblivious of ongoing struggles of voters as it continues to hold the people to ransom

Holding the people of Northern Ireland to ransom could be the swansong of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). It refuses to admit that Brexit – which it supported, but the vast majority in Northern Ireland did not – has backfired on the party and the Tories spectacularly.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion DUP are not for turning, so bring on another election in Northern Ireland

With the arrival of a fresh new face in 10 Downing Street in Rishi Sunak, we could be forgiven for thinking this might signal a change in the expectations for a breakthrough on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion Coming home too late from the pub isn’t such a cakewalk

I am reminded of the two men, well under the weather, coming down the street from the pub in the early hours.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion Sunak offers a sense that the adults are back in charge

The UK’s economy is on the precipice of becoming the next Argentina or Greece, and while some Irish people may no doubt gloat over the UK’s economic struggles compared to our success, economic problems in the UK will spill over into Ireland.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion Let’s revert to the old system and solve the housing crisis

“Five failures and five fixes that could make or break how we deal with housing crisis,” ran the heading over a piece by Richard Curran (Irish Independent, October 22). It is easy to agree with his failures but less easy to agree totally with his fixes.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion EU must pursue peace – our very survival hinges on it

For decades, the EU has successfully kept war away from Europe. No mean feat in an area that was accustomed to conflict for centuries.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion Look beyond the superficial to see the heart of gold within

Sir — The lovely Brighid (I’m an admirer) in her diary last Sunday (People & Culture, October 16) said she prefers to live alone after telling us the story of her friend who went out with a hunk and ended up moving in with a slob.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion No room for bureaucracy and red tape while Ireland grapples with so many crises

It is clear that private developers and market forces are insufficient to tackle the housing crisis.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion How lucky are we to have escaped Westminster politics

In this time of centenaries it is worth considering what sort of country we would have if we were still governed by Westminster?

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Letters Opinion Voters should get tougher on politicians to end the chaos

The political upheavals in the US and the UK are what many of us predicted with the rise of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan: the wealthy ‘deserve’ government support.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion RTÉ relegates the League of Ireland to second place

As a Dundalk FC – and by definition League of Ireland – supporter for nearly 60 years, I completely agree with Tom Cooper regarding the attitude in RTÉ toward our local soccer scene.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion British Prime Minister Liz Truss needs to forget her continual growth and competitiveness economics

The British Prime Minister appears to be in serious trouble. She has U-turned twice on major issues of policy and lost her first choice of chancellor within weeks of taking office: not a very auspicious beginning to one of the most important political positions available.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion In our search for answers, we rely a bit too much on Google

Yesterday was World Dictionary Day, and once again I am reminded of how dependent I am on Google.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion Creeslough parish priest has been a true tower of strength

Sir — In the aftermath of the disaster in Creeslough, where 10 people lost their lives over a week ago in an explosion, great waves of grief have come crashing down on the homes of Donegal in particular and throughout the country as a whole.

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Letter to Editor Opinion Apologising for past violence and renouncing it into the future will unite us – not IRA chants

I watched the Irish women’s World Cup qualifying play-off victory over Scotland on Tuesday night and was delighted with their success.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion Revolut continuing to put the needs of Irish customers first

Unfortunately, your report on Tuesday regarding Revolut was filed before it could incorporate our on-the-record statement, which we sent at 9pm on Monday in response to detailed queries received earlier that afternoon.

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Letters to the Editor Opinion Irish soldiers should never be ‘fodder’ in armed conflicts

I wish to endorse Elizabeth Cullen’s views in her letter (‘As an EU citizen, I don’t want arms sent to kill in my name’, October 11), in which she expresses alarm at the way the European Union representative for foreign affairs has admitted the EU is providing weapons (to Ukraine).