The People’s Letters Page

Dear Editor,

I agree with John Tierney (Southside People, 10/8/2022) and John Fitzgerald (Southside People 17/8/2022) regarding the lack of political will to save Irish wildlife.

The Wildlife Service has little profile and less impact on the appalling treatment of our hares, foxes, badgers and birds.

Our wildlife is neglected, violated and decimated. When will Ireland learn to value its natural resources?

People including politicians must be made aware that animal welfare and protection of wildlife are integral parts of biodiversity.

The hare coursing licence for 2022-2023 should be suspended immediately.

The Wildlife Service should be given appropriate resources to confront those that continue to support coursing in spite of its barbaric treatment of hares and the abuse of greyhounds.

Ireland needs to wake up and save its wildlife before the latter is completely and irreversibly destroyed.

Yours sincerely,

Teresa Mitchell (Arklow)

 

A Chara,

I refer to the recent article on page 1 of Northside People East ‘Local archaeological find at risk of losing protection.’

I am, writing to express my total abhorrence at the above, proposal.

I would urge the minister for the sake of Irelands cultural heritage to reject and reconsider, the allocation of ill thought out SHD and fast track rezoning of protected lands.

Whilst, the need for allocated housing is paramount, it does not justify, the erosion of such a significant archaeological find.

Yours sincerely,

Étáin J Feeley

 

Dear Editor,

Virgin Media is being inundated with complaints about its plan to televise a major greyhound racing event next month.

The company has stated its intention to televise the “Derby semi-finals and finals” at Shelbourne Park stadium. The sports coverage team is to include Ivan Yates, he well-known broadcaster, bookie and former government minister.

Animal welfare groups and thousands of animal lovers in Ireland and abroad have emailed Virgin Media, pleading with them NOT to cover the event.

Greyhound racing has for long been a target of animal protection campaigns, but the “sport” in Ireland was dealt a severe blow in 2019 with the screening of an award-winning RTE Investigates documentary titled “Running for their lives.”

Following the programme’s horrific revelations of widespread animal cruelty in Ireland’s greyhound industry RTE ceased its coverage of the big annual races at Shelbourne Park Stadium.

Now, Virgin Media plans to resume TV coverage of greyhound racing, stepping into the vacuum created by RTE’s departure, despite being aware that over 6,000 greyhounds disappear in Ireland every year (as revealed by the RTE documentary) and that dogs are routinely abandoned or killed after they underperform or their careers end.

Over the years shallow graves have been unearthed nationwide containing the sad remains of greyhounds shot thorough the head or beaten to death with shovels. The animals are also exported to jurisdictions where they are hanged from trees or, worse of all, boiled alive.

The Campaign for the Abolition of Cruel Sports hopes that Virgin Media will heed the many appeals it has received in recent days and weeks. We believe it should immediately scrap its proposed coverage of this discredited cruel dog-killing “sport.”

We understand that the company’s Managing Director, Paul Farrell and CEO, Tony Hanway, have received a huge volume of complaints re the plan to promote greyhound racing.

Thanking you,

Sincerely,

John Fitzgerald, PRO, CACS

 

Dear Editor,

Irish society has descended into a ‘no country for respect for life’.

Healthcare workers are been used for medical punch bags, public transport has become pugilistic transport, elderly people cower in their homes dreading a visit from those who fail to grasp the words, private property.

A night on the town could see a paramedic becoming your best pal.

Onto this pyre of human life that turns respect into smoke is the treatment of the non-human members of our society.

Animal abuse is taking place, both in public and private, during every one of the 1,440 minutes of the day.

From companion animal abuse, factory farming, live hunting, vivisection, zoos, live shooting, and live animal exports, the many forms of animal abuse is only limited by the perpetrators imagination and governmental approval.

People are shocked.

But even a cataractic eye can see that Irish society is in moral decay mode.

Life for human and non-human has been rebranded as valueless.

A society where criminality taints every level of our existence.

Where the divide between criminality in a legal context and in an illegal context is non-existent.

The stench of a rotting society seems the fragrance to wear.

Anger is vented but soon wafts away in the diffuser of indignation.

What is required to remedy this society decay is an overhaul of attitudes backed up by clear legislation and cohesive legal punishment.

The time for salty tears can wait, the time for action cannot.

Yours,

John Tierney, Chairperson-Waterford Animal Concern

 

Dear Editor,

May I add my support to James Carney’s letter ( 24/8/22) concerning E bikes on the footpath.

I too nearly fell victim to one of these bikes travelling on the footpath at about 40 Kms per hour.

These bikes are not just dangerous for pedestrians, but far too fast for children to control.

So, may I suggest that all E bikes intended for children should have a built in speed limiter fitted.

Say 10 to 15 KM per hour.

The Gardai should be in a position to seize bikes in default.

Yours faithfully,

Noel Owens

 

Dear Editor,

The appalling claiming of Michael Collins and his legacy by various Fine Gael politicians over the past few weeks was a real eye opener for me.

As anyone who did primary school history in this country knows, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail were the pro and anti-Treaty parties.

Fine Gael wasn’t founded until 11 years after Collins’ death, so why do they claim ownership of him?

Just because they were pro Treaty doesn’t mean Collins would have been a card-carrying member of the party.

The other annoying thing about the recent centenary of the death of Michael Collins was once again being subjected to that other longstanding urban myth, that Collins was somehow responsible for the partition of the North.

Northern Ireland had been partitioned before the Treaty.

The Government of Ireland Act, which created two Home Rule Parliaments in Ireland, one for the South and one for the North, was passed by the House of Commons and The House of Lords in November 1920, a good 13 months before the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed.

Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.

Yours sincerely,

James Carney, Cabra