Famine in Gaza
Sir, – Many media outlets, including your paper (“Global alarm forces Israel to lift aid blockade”, World, May 20th), have made great store of the joint statement by the leaders of the UK, France and Canada condemning the “egregious actions” by Israel, in particular the continuing blockade of aid to the stricken enclave. These leaders suggest in their statement there will be “concrete actions” unless there is a change of course by the Israeli government.
While any change of stance is to be welcomed, one cannot be but bewildered that these stern statements are issued nearly 20 months after Israel embarked on its campaign of death and destruction. These leaders, and also foreign ministers from over 40 countries and US senators, have all gone queasy at the sight of children starving. This sudden development of backbone, demanding a change comes now, yet for the preceding 20 months the world has witnessed, live-streamed, children suffering from horrific injuries from bomb and rocket blasts or being killed outright (close to 20,000 at this point).
One can be grateful moral compasses have finally been located. However, the world is left wondering what death and devastation could have been averted had moral fortitude been shown earlier. Let us also hope the concrete actions promised are delivered should Israel remain recalcitrant. – Yours, etc,
PHILIP BRADY,
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Donnycarney,
Dublin 9.
A greenway for Dublin Bay
Sir, – It is so refreshing and invigorating to read your columnist Eamon Ryan’s denunciations of the worst and most self-indulgent manifestations of the “Nimbyism” that has left Dublin and so many of our cities and towns comically deficient in the public infrastructure necessary for environmentally sustainable living in the 2020s (“Why is there still no greenway for Dublin Bay?”, Opinion, May 20th).
His ability to cut through the bluster and bureaucratic sclerosis is laser-like and exactly what’s required to find a way through the dusty labyrinth of apathy that pass for public administration in this State. Is there no way of getting visionaries like him into politics? Why cannot we see people of this energy and resolution climb the ranks to, say, ministerial rank?
Think of the difference it would have made if someone like Eamon Ryan could have found himself in a position like minister for the environment or transport? Where would we be now? How much better served and sustainable?
Alas. What might have been. – Yours, etc,
CATHAL MacCARTHY,
O’Connell Avenue,
Limerick.
Sir, -Eamon Ryan bemoans the lack of progress in completion of the north-south link of the Dublin greenway.
As one who travels many times a week by car down the Bull Wall, I invite Eamonn to spend half a day sitting on the wall at the top of the road watching the behaviour of the Lycra brigade breaking the red cycle lights there.
In summer you can easily spot the tourists. They are the ones who stop on red.
If one is driving and intending to turn left or right to go down the Bull Bridge one has to anticipate the behaviour of approaching cyclists.
Many appeals to Dublin City Council to erect a walk-through barrier have been ignored. It is in all truth used as a racetrack by a significant number of cyclists.
Not the usage intended by Mr Ryan. – Yours, etc,
JOHN M NOLAN,
Dublin 3.
In defence of the hare
Sir, – Joan Burgess has written a powerfully eloquent letter calling for a ban on hare coursing (Letters, May 20th).
In the interest of balance, therefore, I would like to hear Taoiseach Michéal Martin, Tánaiste Simon Harris, and Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan explain the Government’s politico-socio-cultural-philosophical rationale for continuing to allow Ireland’s “oldest living mammal” to be terrorised by dogs for the sole purpose of sadistic entertainment.
I suspect, however, the Government, will just go to ground on this one (yet again) – a successful ruse used by hares in the wild to avoid attack (but, sadly, not available to hares being chased by coursing dogs). – Yours, etc,
CHRIS FITZPATRICK,
Dublin 6,
Life after Brexit
Sir, – Is the UK now getting many of the advantages of EU membership without paying a proportionate membership fee to the EU? – Yours, etc,
FINBAR KEARNS,
Piercestown,
Co Wexford.
Victory in Europe Day
Sir, – Your recent editorial (May 9th) states that the Nazi regime offered its unconditional surrender to the Allied forces on May 8th, 1945 (VE Day). In fact, the terms of the surrender were first accepted on May 7th in Rheims, France, by the chief of staff of the German army, Alfred Jodl, acting on the authority of Reich president Karl Donitz. The extended text of the surrender as agreed by the Allies (the “general capitulation treaty”) was signed by both sides in Marshal Zhukov’s Berlin headquarters in the early hours of May 9th. According to the works of historians Richard Evans and Ian Kershaw, the document was backdated to May 8th to reflect the date on which the terms agreed in Rheims became effective. – Yours, etc,
MARK PERRY,
Clonskeagh,
Dublin 14.
Rugby sevens
Sir, – Professional sevens rugby is an elite sport watched by rich tourists in places like Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore. In a time of stretched resources, it is right that this expensive luxury should be the first to go. The club scene in Ireland gives thousands of young people the chance to play rugby and is sustained by unpaid volunteers all over the country. I know where I believe the money should go! – Yours, etc,
DAVE ROBBIE,
Booterstown,
Co Dublin.
Eurovision and Israel
Sir, – It is surely time for Ireland and RTÉ to say “so long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, au revoir and good night” to the political noise fest that is all kinds of everything Eurovision! – Yours, etc,
AIDAN RODDY,
Cabinteely,
Dublin 18.
Defining freedom of speech
Sir, – Jennifer’s O’Connell’s argument (“Free speech can’t apply only to views politicians like”, Opinion, May 18th) appears to conflate freedom of speech with an obligation to respond to questions and engage with whoever asks them. While this has some validity within the context of political journalism, and I would never contemplate refusing to accredit journalists as authoritarian figures might, there is also some validity in the view that freedom to say something must be accompanied by an equal freedom to remain silent. If it doesn’t, speech becomes an obligation rather than an option. We can all imagine how dangerous that might be in a situation where silence is best for one’s immediate health.
This freedom of silence may apply generally or in particular cases. At a personal level, most of us would have a person or two to whom we would prefer not to talk. We would not engage with them if we could avoid it and no one would say that we are wrong to do so.
In a public context, even the courts do not enforce an obligation to speak on a defendant, though inferences may be drawn from the defendant’s silence. And if the courts are obliged to operate in that way, I see no reason why journalists should have any greater right to answers, unless those queried have a legal obligation to respond (as is generally the case with Freedom of Information requests).
This is, clearly, a very complex area. Silence, nonetheless, must be an option. Of course, as we know, it may speak volumes, and many inferences may be based on those volumes. – Yours, etc,
GREG CROWLEY,
Wellpark,
Galway.
Weekend voting
Sir, – Poland, Portugal and Romania held elections over the weekend. When will this country catch up with the rest of the EU and hold elections over the weekend?
Only the Netherlands and Ireland hold elections exclusively on a weekday which results in a high level of school closures and disruptions for working families.
We will go to the polls later this year to vote for a new President of Ireland. Let’s make the change and vote over the weekend. It works for 25 other EU countries it can work for us too. – Yours, etc,
SIOBHÁN McDERMOTT,
Killester,
Dublin 5.
May’s clement weather
Sir, – There is an old saying “a wet and windy May fills the haggard with corn and hay”. With the present drought and not much prospect of rain it will be interesting to see what the crops will be like. – Yours, etc.
DAVID MURNANE,
Dunshaughlin,
Co Meath.
Leaving the International Criminal Court
Sir, – Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union is a procedure to suspend certain rights from a member state when fellow members identify in that country persistent breaches in the EU’s founding values such as respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights.
The recently rushed through amendments to Hungary’s Fundamental Law and constitution, without proper parliamentary scrutiny, have been identified by Human Rights Watch as yet another attack on these core values.
In the recent past, Hungary has repeatedly sought to block EU sanctions against Russia, as well as vetoing the release of funds to reimburse other EU countries providing military aid to Ukraine. It has also refused to sign EU declarations in support of its invaded neighbour which were based on basic humanitarian principles.
Now, as your paper has reported, (“Hungary approves bill to quit the International Criminal Court”, May 20th) that country will effectively become a safe haven, within the European Union, for war criminals, having already accorded a state visit to Binyamin Netanyahu who is subject to an ICC arrest warrant. Despite having taken over the presidency of the European Union and without any authority from fellow member states, the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban visited Moscow in July 2024 and met Mr Putin, another person who is the subject of an ICC arrest warrant.
Surely, it is time for our European parliamentarians to urgently reactivate the Article 7 procedure against Hungary which was first initiated in 2018 but has not made any further progress. – Yours, etc,
MARTIN McDONALD,
Terenure,
Dublin 12.
Remembering Paul Durcan
Sir, – As a frequent visitor to Achill, I had the pleasure of hearing Paul Durcan perform in the earlier days in the drawingroom of Gray’s Guest House (now closed) graced by the owner, Vi McDowell.
He was always requested: “another poem, Paul, another poem”.
The late nights concluded with tea, tasty sandwiches and a variety of cakes.
I quote Paul Durcan’s poem:
Vi
At 93 she is a young girl laughing
At midnight in her doorway.
She cries “Come again, come again!” .
Exhausted, I limp away.
May he rest in peace.
– Yours, etc,
MAUREEN DALY,
Foxrock,
Dublin 18.
The far right in Portugal
Sir, – Your Editorial mentioning the recent election result in Portugal refers to “a dramatic surge by the far-right Chega – from no seats to 58” (May 20th, 02025).
In fact, Chega went into the election with 50 seats, gaining eight seats and increasing its vote share by just 4 per cent – a far more modest result than was implied by the sensationalist tone of your Editorial. The party has now contested five successive elections since 2019, gaining seats and votes on each occasion.
A feature of Irish coverage of “far right” parties in Europe is to virtually ignore their slow rise in support over a period of years, and then to react with doom-laden coverage once they reach critical mass to become contenders for government.
This may make for good headlines, but it serves as very poor analysis of European politics and plays into the hands of such parties by giving them a whiff of sulphur. – Yours, etc,
BARRY WALSH,
Clontarf.
Dublin 3.
