Sir, – In recent days presidential candidate Catherine Connolly has been criticised for stating that Hamas is “part of the fabric” of Palestinian society (“Catherine Connolly denies being equivocal on Hamas, condemns genocide in Gaza,” September 23rd).
Yet her comments have been misrepresented. Far from being equivocal, she has consistently condemned the actions of Hamas on October 7th, 2023, while also pointing to the wider reality of Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.
I remember, long before October 2023, watching a video of a Palestinian father performing CPR on his dying child, shot by Israeli forces for protesting Gaza’s inhumane conditions. That image has never left me because it showed a truth we in Ireland cannot ignore the roots of this conflict did not begin on October 7th.
Ms Connolly is right to insist that we recognise the humanity of the Palestinian people in all their political expressions. The claim that Hamas’ refusal to recognise Israel makes dialogue impossible, conveniently forgets that Israel refuses to recognise Palestine.
RM Block
If such zero-sum thinking had prevailed in Ireland, there would have been no Good Friday agreement. Peace was possible here only because all voices, however difficult, were included.
Endless condemnations achieve nothing while thousands are slaughtered. Ireland must acknowledge the genocide in Gaza and resist letting economic or political expediency blunt our moral clarity.
We need a president prepared to speak the truth, however uncomfortable. Only then can Ireland play a constructive role in advancing justice, peace, and ultimately a viable two-state solution. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL O’MEARA,
Fenor,
Co Waterford.
Sir, – Catherine Connolly, hoping to represent the people of Ireland as our next president, declares that Hamas are “part of the fabric of the Palestinian people” and that all peoples have the right to self-determination.
I’m sure she is aware that Hamas is an organisation that for nearly two decades has been undemocratic, regularly murders its own people, subjugates women and minorities and is responsible for instigating the October 7th attacks on Israel which precipitated the current war in Gaza, (not that any of that excuses what is going on).
Similarly, Russian president Vladimir Putin is part of the fabric of Russian life as are the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Can they expect the same level of consideration from Ms Connolly also? –Yours, etc,
TREVOR TROY,
Athboy,
Co Meath.
Sir, – It is a really good political move for so many like-minded nations to wrap around the concept of identifying the solution to the Middle East crisis as a development of a two-state solution.
With more strong political pushback on Israel, they will eventually realise that the current war initiatives will not succeed.
The “Troubles” in our own country are proof that it is difficult to totally break down subversive groups. Negotiation will be the only solution.
The start here should be for the Gaza peoples, and Palestinians as a whole to speak out loudly.
They should come out in the strongest terms against Hamas.
I have not heard such sentiments expressed to date. However, we do hear, on a very regular basis, statistics emanating from Gaza from the Hamas controlled department of health. Who should we believe?
World leaders should get together, put a negotiation team in place, with experienced representatives from across the political spectrum and commence a termination of this horrible and tragic war. – Yours, etc,
JOHN CRANFIELD,
Carrickmines,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – If recognising the state of Palestine rewards Hamas for its egregious activities, non-recognition would reward Israel for genocide. – Yours, etc,
FRANK DALY,
Schull,
Co Cork.
Are they listening?
Sir, – Pat Leahy’s recent article on the threats facing politicians and the need for increased security was certainly an eye-opener.
It’s a sad state of affairs when our elected representatives need close protection just to attend a party think-in (“Hollowing out of democracy is secondary to the profits of big tech,” September 20th).
However, while Mr Leahy seems concerned with the safety of our politicians, many of us are more worried about the health of our democracy.
Perhaps if politicians spent less time worrying about “lone wolves” and more time engaging with the electorate, they wouldn’t feel so alone.
Democracy, it seems, has become a one-way street. The main parties tell their councillors who they can and can’t support for president, and the Government operates as a bureaucracy that doesn’t really work for its citizens.
Blaming social media for all of this is a convenient excuse for a political class that has lost touch.
Perhaps they should worry less about what’s being said on Twitter and more about why no one is listening to them in the first place. – Yours, etc,
DARA McGANN,
Clonliffe Road,
Dublin 3
Waste clothing
Sir, – I can’t in any way be described as a fashion expert as I tend to wear out clothes before discarding them. However, on my rare visits to any of the large clothes shops I cannot help noticing the areas given over to women is about three times larger than the men’s sections.
Does this mean that men purchase less than a third of the clothes that women do and do men wear our stuff three times longer? – Yours, etc,
JOHN ROGERS,
Co Westmeath.
Flying the Tricolour
Sir, – The last time I remember seeing this many Ireland flags on our streets was June 2002. Junkie XL’s remix of Elvis Presley’s A Little Less Conversation was the sound of the summer and Ireland were off to the World Cup in Saipan.
We were all so full of hope.
If the flag isn’t flying to represent celebration and unity, then the council should take them down.
I’ve lodged a litter complaint with my local council about them and I’d encourage my fellow readers to do the same. – Yours, etc,
STEPHEN MAGUIRE,
Inchicore,
Dublin 8.
Sir, – The display of our national flag in unnecessary places is indeed being used as an act of intimidation. The inherent message is that if you dare disagree with its use in this manner then you are not “patriotic” enough and marked for the future, thus dissuading people from raising their head above the parapet.
How lovely then to see Kate O’Connor with our flag after winning a World Championship silver medal and so proud to represent our country.
EMMET SCANLON,
Ennis,
Co Clare.
Home births and hospitals
Sir, – In response to your article about the risks of home births it seems to me that the people who benefit most from the over medicalisation around this are the ( largely male) consultants in the field (“Home-birth system is a ‘risk to patient safety’, audit finds,” September 23rd).
I recently attended my grandchild’s home birth and was beyond impressed by the warm, professional dedication of the community midwives before, during and after the birth .
Your article also refers to the “recommendation that women should reside 30 minutes or less from their nearest maternity unit”.
This is made increasingly difficult for women with the ongoing “consolidation” of maternity units around the country.
There’s no doubt that there are cases when babies need to be born in hospitals, but let’s stop the fearmongering around home births and let us not forget that things can actually go wrong in hospitals and a great deal seems to go right when babies are born at home. – Yours, etc,
CAROLINE CANNING,
Ranelagh,
Dublin.
Some housing suggestions
Sir, – Now that the Dáil is back could we get some legislation enacted quickly to address our housing emergency? My little walking group, none of whom are economists, but all are parents with grown children, has the following suggestions:
1) Ban the mass purchase of new apartment blocks and housing estates and release all for purchase by individual buyers;
2) Penalise vacant properties;
3) Stop allowing holiday rentals in urban areas;
4) Only allow non-residents to purchase residential properties if there are no resident buyers prepared to pay the market rate;
5) And, of course, continue to build homes for our growing population. – Yours, etc,
HELEN SHERLOCK,
Dublin 3.
Sir, – Cormac O’Rourke, chair of Land Development Agency (LDA), described it as “frustrating” that an “individual can re-litigate” and hold up the development of 1,000 homes on the site of the former Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum (“Up to 70% of income earners priced out of property market, LDA chief says,” September 22nd). The common good must prevail to allow delivery of the housing and infrastructure that we desperately need.
It is outrageous that individuals are still allowed to act against the common good when homeless figures continue their inexorable rise and our young are leaving the country in their droves.
The Government is elected to legislate for the common good.
Legislators do your job. – Yours, etc,
AILBHE MURRAY,
Cabinteely,
Dublin.
A call for more car-free days
Sir, – I wrote to you last week regarding the car-free day organised by Dublin City Council on Sunday, September 21st. To mark the 25th anniversary of car-free days, 25 Dublin streets were closed to traffic.
As I mentioned, not only should such events become regular happenings, but I must question how Dublin City Council could consider closing a mere 25 streets to cars as a meaningful car-free day.
As someone who cycled, walked and ran around the city on Sunday, I noticed little if any difference. The city was as consumed by cars as it always is.
Dublin City Council oversees more than 4,000 roads within its administrative area. Admittedly, not all of these can be closed to cars, but 25 out of 4,000 represents just 0.625 percent.
Surely Dublin can aspire to more than a token gesture on an occasion intended to highlight the urgent need for change? – Yours, etc,
Dr OLA LØKKEN NORDRUM,
Beggars Bush,
Dublin 4.
Cat control
Sir – Could I advise caution regarding your correspondent’s advocacy of cat control? (Letters, September 22nd)
Cat control was practised across western Europe during the first half of the 14th century, with the aim of exterminating all black cats, who were seen as “witches’ familiars”.
When it was realised that cats of many other colours still produced black kittens, the hunt was widened to include all cats. By 1340, cats were almost extinct across western Europe.
Is it any wonder that black rats, and their accompanying Black Death, successfully entered Europe in 1347 and raced across the continent?
Cat control of vermin is still needed today. – Yours, etc,
ESTHER CLARK,
Dundrum,
Dublin.
Small acts of kindness
Sir, – If I could have thanked Justine McCarthy for her small acts of kindness on the day in question, I would (“Why I’ve finally had enough of other people’s rudeness,” September 19th). She bravely addresses the rudeness of a young mother when one would have expected her encounter to relate to a sullen teenager.
Unfortunately, my own thankless behaviour has been evident on occasion, of which I’m not proud. But I have also walked in Justine’s shoes.
On one occasion, I offered my seat, as quickly as I could, on a crowded bus, to an older man with a disability.
As I stood to let him sit, I was met with a complaint from him that I shouldn’t have been sitting in the seat in the first place.
As I remained standing for the whole journey, I couldn’t help but replay his negative comment in my head. Encountering silence or gruffness in the face of kindness steals something from a heart that cannot be returned in that brief moment.
The temptation is to look inward and form a harsh attitude but I hope we do the opposite – become more open, kinder, and acknowledge each other with thanks, regardless of our gender, age or situation in life. – Yours, etc,
MARY FOGARTY,
Balbriggan,
Co Dublin.
Seeing red
Sir, – In my intemperate reply to Dónall Ó Murchú’s letter (September 23rd) on cyclists and red lights, I made the erroneous assumption that he was driving a vehicle and not, as he states, using public transport. I stand corrected.
I also offer him an apology, citing Justine McCarthy’s recent article, for my rudeness. I was, I acknowledge, guilty of playing the man, not the ball.
I was, however, compelled to respond to yet another blanket denunciation of cyclists in the Letters page of this newspaper.
Cyclists are the most vulnerable of road users. Comments that heighten hostility towards us have the potential to make my journey and thousands of others less safe.
As such, I have no regrets in calling this out, however indelicately I did so. –Yours, etc,
RONAN McDERMOTT,
Rathgar,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – Whatever about cyclists not always going through red lights (Letters, September 22nd), I am regularly taken aback by motorists slipping through on red. I have even been on buses which careered across a junction on red.
Many years ago a bus driver who was accused of doing just that, explained in his defence that it was “an early red”. – Yours, etc,
HILARY CARR,
Stillorgan,
Co Dublin.
