Sir, – The Taoiseach was correct when he said that this country’s relationship with the United States was very important for us on so many levels. That, he implied, governed our public responses to certain emanations from the White House and/or its incumbent.
But the most recent racist outrage from Trump must have crossed the ultimate line.
The late Hubert Butler was never more right than when he said that “too high a price can be paid for tranquility. If we suppress a fact because it is awkward, next we will be asked to deny it.”
We cannot allow ourselves, individually or as a State, to be misunderstood on this instance.
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All of us must speak out now to condemn what is by any standards an impermissible assault on human dignity. – Yours, etc,
BOB COLLINS,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – I do not see how in all honesty, the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, can go to Washington next month to present a bowl of shamrock to US president Donald Trump.
The latest posting on his Truth Social platform, of an explicit racist portrayal of the Obamas is just another example of the depths of vulgarity to which this president will stoop.
The bowl of shamrock is not, it is true, the equivalent of a Nobel prize, but is a high honour, given, as it is, on behalf of the people of Ireland.
The abusive behaviour of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents, used as a quasi storm-troopers brigade, is another reason for reticence.
Even the head of Apple Computers, Tim Cook, has broken silence and condemned the actions of Ice saying that everyone merits to be “treated with dignity and respect”.
The Taoiseach must give mature reflection on what has come to pass in recent months and make the right decision.
If Martin does go, despite everything, and he may well do so, I must strongly say, he is certainly not acting in my name. – Yours, etc,
DAVID LYONS,
Dublin 8.
Sir, – I am deeply disappointed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s decision to accept Donald Trump’s invitation to take part in the St Patrick’s Day shamrock ceremony.
At a time when the world is witnessing unprecedented political turmoil, this gesture feels not like diplomacy but deference.
Trump has repeatedly insulted our European allies, undermined the international rule of law, and made reckless threats to numerous countries.
His name appears in deeply troubling contexts, from misogynistic rhetoric to mentions in the Epstein files.
His administration’s record on climate denial, immigrant abuse and contempt for democratic institutions should have been enough to make us think twice before offering another bowl of shamrock.
Must Ireland really bow and scrape before such behaviour simply to keep American investment flowing?
What price are we putting on our independence, our dignity and our values?
The shamrock ceremony was once a symbol of friendship and cultural warmth; today, it risks becoming a photo opportunity for hypocrisy. – Yours, etc,
COLM O’CONNOR,
The Haven,
Waterford.
Alternatives for young people
Sir, – Youth drinking levels continue to surge with 43,000 young people aged 15-24 living with alcohol dependence in Ireland.
Contrary to drink industry reports, alcohol consumption increased among 15-24 year olds from 66 per cent in 2016 to 78 per cent in 2025, according to the latest figures from Alcohol Action Ireland.
What is also clear is that binge drinking, recognised as risky and hazardous consumption, is widespread. Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) regularly binge drink (six or more drinks in a drinking session) and one in three young drinkers has an Alcohol Use Disorder. Ireland now has the second highest level of binge drinking across OECD countries.
The evidence is clear – large numbers of young people are addicted to both social media, and hazardous and dangerous alcohol consumption, with few alternatives outside of sport.
What can be done to provide young teens with viable alternatives?
Novelist Joseph O’Connor suggested recently that every Irish teenager should be given a €300 culture voucher by the Government.
This would be redeemable in bookshops, cinemas, theatres, concert halls and galleries. Similar schemes have been rolled out in Italy, France and Germany,
Another option is the inclusion of young people’s voices in the process of “placemaking”. By being actively engaged in the creation of “youth spaces”, young people feel an investment in their community and develop a sense of ownership of their space.
Research across Europe highlights the importance of these spaces for teenagers’ social, physical and emotional development.
Isn’t it time we adults dropped the idea that young people are “at risk” or “troublesome”, and began to see them as a vital and valuable part of the country’s future? – Yours, etc,
CATHERINE CONLON,
Ballintemple,
Cork.
Persistent rainfall
Sir, – Your recent coverage of persistent rainfall again explains short- term weather interactions while omitting any reference to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO).
This omission has become consistent, including in Met Éireann’s public commentary, despite the NAO being a primary driver of Irish weather variability, particularly rainfall persistence and resistance to clearing.
One possible explanation is an institutional preference to simplify public communication. But simplification has a cost.
When large-scale Atlantic modes are excluded, prolonged rainfall is framed as a sequence of unusual events rather than as behaviour emerging from a known oscillatory system.
That framing may sit more comfortably alongside dominant climate narratives, but it reduces analytical clarity. Ireland’s weather is shaped by climate trends and by Atlantic variability. Leaving the latter unnamed distorts understanding of both.
What is not named cannot be tracked. What is not tracked cannot be planned for. – Yours, etc,
CONOR SKEHAN,
Malahide,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Consistent rainfall has been an aspect of life on Ireland for as long as the island has existed. Despite this reality, our footpaths pool with water, our drains overflow and, in the event of higher than normal rain, our roads flood.
Worse again, our water supply is somehow inadequate to meet the needs of the greater Dublin region and there are those across the country frequently on boil notices.
To add insult to injury, during occasional summer heatwaves, we quickly experience water shortages, hosepipe bans and warnings about excessive usage.
More infuriating still is the lack of State-run facilities suitable for wet weather entertainment and education of children.
If nothing else, such facilities would at least ensure greater commerce for the city at weekends.
Our utter failure to adequately manage the most basic reality of Irish life is an indictment of all those we have elected for the last century. – Yours, etc,
STEPHEN ADAM,
Raheny,
Dublin.
Sir, – Last Thursday there were 13 counties under rain and wind warnings from Met Éireann, surprisingly Galway wasn’t one of them,
Is this a record? – Yours, etc,
JIM FOY,
Salthill,
Galway.
Sir, – I dare, I just dare Uisce Éireann to issue a water shortage warning for the east of the country this year. – Yours, etc,
AENGUS KING,
Donnybrook,
Dublin 4.
Sir, – Are we sure we need to divert water from the Shannon to Dublin? – Yours, etc,
DARAGH SOLAN,
Cabinteely,
Dublin 18.
Exhausted priests
Sir, – Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown’s recent remarks about priest exhaustion should be read as more than a comment on workload. They point to a deeper institutional lag within the Catholic Church.
For generations, the church in Ireland functioned under exceptional conditions, high vocational supply, large congregations, dense parish life and strong cultural authority.
Those conditions have eroded but the organisational model built upon them remains practically intact. A system designed for plenty is now operating under long-time scarcity.
As priest numbers declined, responsibility was not redistributed but concentrated.
Clergy became sacramental ministers, managers, safeguarding officers and community organisers. Exhaustion followed, often moralised as fidelity rather than recognised as evidence of structural failure.
Compounding this has been persistent confusion between ontology and function.
While only priests can perform certain sacramental acts, it does not follow that priests must perform many non- sacramental roles. Historically they did not.
Long-term sustainability requires strategic change rather than tactical adjustment; governing scarcity honestly, formalising distributed authority among trained laity, redefining parishes as networks rather than isolated units, and repositioning priests as custodians of sacramental life rather than universal operators.
The Bishop of Derry has named the reality. Whether the church responds with reform or denial will determine whether exhaustion remains the price of continuity. – Yours, etc,
WILSON BURGESS,
Bonds Hill,
Derry.
A rugby nation
Sir, – Disappointing as the Paris result was, as rugby supporters, we Irish must acknowledge the extraordinary achievements of our teams over the past number of years.
To say we “punched above our weight” is understating the amazing successes of our recent representative teams .
We’ve basked in the glory of our becoming world beaters and a nation to be feared.
Management and players must be congratulated and thanked for the pleasure, the excitement and the sheer glory of recent times.
No doubt there’s more success on the horizon, but, for now, our international and provincial managements deserve our sincere thanks for the ride – and the pride. – Yours, etc,
MIKE MURPHY,
Lansdowne Place,
Dublin 4.
Sir, – The television coverage of Thursday night’s match between France and Ireland lasted for over 200 minutes. Even taking ad breaks into account, this means that more time was spent talking about the game than was spent playing it.
Does anyone actually watch the coverage in its entirety? I thank goodness for the record function and fast-forward. – Yours, etc,
DAVE ROBBIE,
Booterstown,
Co Dublin.
Driver distraction
Sir, – The current debate on road safety seems to be focused on introducing mandatory helmet and high visibility requirements for e-bike, e-scooter and possibly pedal bike users.
Driver distraction also forms part of the overall debate.
However, the fact most new cars now seem to come standard with large computer monitors on the dashboard – sometimes referred to as infotainment systems – is never mentioned. I am genuinely baffled. Surely these screens must only encourage motorist distraction and potentially lead to accidents? – Yours, etc,
BARBARA MONAHAN,
Clontarf,
Dublin.
Sir, – There is a key question that those considering legislation mandating hi-vis for cyclists must answer: high visibility to whom?
Hi-vis presumes attentive drivers, yet as this newspaper consistently reports, distracted driving – from mobile phone and in-car entertainment systems – alongside larger vehicles, higher speeds, and rising drink and drug driving, contributes to serious and fatal collisions.
When drivers are not looking, visibility becomes largely irrelevant.
If we are serious about safety, hi-vis should be recognised for what it is: a last resort, marginal mitigation, not a substitute for tackling the underlying causes of road hazards. – Yours, etc,
AARON COPELAND,
Director,
A Playful City,
Dublin.
Coverage of League of Ireland
Sir, – Two pages of coverage of Ireland’s loss to France in Friday’s Irish Times. On Saturday, a further three pages of rugby analysis along with two pages covering English football stories, pre match.
Then I spot two columns in the inside pages of Saturday’s sports supplement on only one of the season’s four opening League of Ireland games played on Friday night, that of Derry versus Sligo, a game that was carried live on Virgin TV because the scheduled game of Shamrock Rovers versus Dundalk was postponed due to the weather.
Almost 20,000 tickets were sold for the Bohs v Pats game in the Aviva yesterday. This was also being carried live on Virgin TV.
The average attendance at a Premier division game last season was almost 4,000.
It would appear your sports editorial view is that these fans do not read The Irish Times. – Yours, etc,
SEÁN LEAKE,
Terenure,
Dublin 6W.
Honouring David Norris
Sir, – David Norris is rarely mentioned in public discourse today. That silence reflects poorly on us, not him.
Long before it was conventional, safe or politically advantageous, Mr Norris stood single-handedly against an unjust law that criminalised homosexuality in this country.
He challenged the State itself, took Ireland to the European Court of Human Rights, and won.
The freedoms now enjoyed by the LGBTQ community stand firmly on the foundations he laid.
He is more than a single-issue campaigner. An academic and arts and heritage advocate, he brings James Joyce to the streets of Dublin through Bloomsday celebrations, champions Dublin’s Georgian architecture, and his colourful, unique and generous character makes us appreciate those who stand out in an everyday society.
The Irish have a tendency all too easily to fell the noble stag, dazzled by the new star and overlooking those who have shone in the background.
If we truly honour courage and pluralism, we should recognise David Norris now – not retrospectively.
A bridge, an airport terminal or public space named in his honour would be a fitting tribute to this visionary.
Let our country secure his name in the history books and celebrate a man who helped shape Ireland into the kinder society it is today. – Yours, etc,
WILLIAM BOURKE,
Slane,
Co Meath.
