The People’s Letters Page

Dear Sir,

Firstly, thank you for your excellent paper…always interesting, informative and entertaining.

Re your regular letter writer John Fitzgerald, is it possible for him (through your paper) to organise a group who would be interested in furthering the cause of saving hares.

It seems to me that he is a ‘voice in the wilderness’ and with many people joining his cause, the government may be made to see sense.

Thank you,

Lorna Vinall

 

 

Dear Editor,

May l suggest that we spend no more funds on statues, remove the Spire and install in Phoenix Park or such like a green public area.

What we need is public toilets not more cafes on O’ Connell St, one of these when vacant should be used as a public convenience with security.

Tourist board take note, also Dublin City council and gov TDs.

All side streets are used as public toilets which is becoming a health hazard due to no toilets and such places, pubs, hotels, cafes, are refusing admission and in fact have notices “toilets only for use of residents or customers” as l called into five public cafes and hotels l know the situation.

Aged persons, incapacitated persons or women with children must have access.

In actual fact, Joe Duffy on air, highlighted this serious matter but to no avail.

So, l hope you will highlight this your papers.

Thanks,

Mary Sunshine

 

 

Dear Editor.

August is a big month for the equestrian sector, with all the glitz and glamour of the Dublin Horse Show, the month when Irish horseflesh is showcased to the world in a PR extravaganza.

Unfortunately, it’s also the time of year when one of most attractive creatures in the Irish countryside has to literally run for cover.

The “cubbing” season is upon us.

This involves the hunting and killing of fox cubs to give novice hounds a taste for blood.

Early in the morning, when most other people are still in their beds, a hunt arrives in a field or wooded area known to contain a litter of fox cubs.

The covert is encircled by hunters, some mounted, some on foot.

They make a lot of noise until they flush out the cubs. The waiting novice hounds are then released to attack the covert.

The unsuspecting cubs are ripped to pieces.

Any cub attempting to break through the human chain is whipped or kicked to the pack.

At the horse show you’ll often hear someone refer to “a spot of cubbing”, as if it were a harmless board game or you might think you’ve misheard a reference to clubbing.

A Red C poll revealed that 77% of Irish people favour a ban on fox hunting.

That figure would probably increase if people could see what happens to the unfortunate cubs.

During the worst of the Pandemic, when we found time to re-connect with nature, many of us experienced the joy of seeing a fox moseying about a quiet town or village street, or spotted one while out walking within the two kilometer limit, glad of this uplifting sight in the midst of our Covid woes.

I suggest we maintain that respect for our wildlife heritage and say NO the monstrous cruelty of cub hunting, Ireland’s hidden blood sport.

Thanking you,

John Fitzgerald

 

 

Dear Editor,

Speaking as someone who has nearly been hit numerous times by e-bikes when walking on a footpath I think it’s time for a rethink.

I was an avid lover of motorcycles in my younger years and would still have a keen interest in them even though I don’t ride anymore.

The point I’m trying to make is, in my opinion, many e-bikes are more like a motorcycle than a bicycle.

They are capable of hitting, and maintaining high speeds, much faster than a manual bicycle.

However, due to their heavier frames they can be a bit trickier when it comes to handling. Our transport regulators are failing to move as quickly as advances in the technology of popular e-bikes that can put people at great risk. Any machine which is capable of travelling more than 30/40 kilometres per hour is not compatible with pavements used by pedestrians.

Yes, we must ensure that we protect riders of e-bikes, but we also must pay equal attention to protecting vulnerable pedestrians from negligent riders.

Yours sincerely,

James Carney,

Cabra