Madam, - Advent is the time for seeing portents and signs; new stars in the East and things like that. Yet even Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar would be hard put to figure out such signs as have recently (re-) appeared on our streets.
Careful study of these (with plenty of time to do so as the gridlocked traffic inches forward) reveals three castles at top left, an oval shape top right, and a J followed by a number top centre. The first is a heartening sight, confirming for the weary traveller that he or she is in Dublin rather than Hell, and the second is presumably either a diagram of one's likely route due to road works or an indication that one is near Lansdowne Road. The central alphanumeric motif is a mystery - does, say, J57 mean the number of Juggernauts ahead or, perhaps, the number of miles to Jerusalem? Using Occam's Razor one might conclude that it stands for Junction 57: a really, really useful piece of information!
These signs are obviously an embarrassment to the Department of Transport for why else would Seamus Brennan miss a photo call unveiling them? I suggest the Minister give all of us a Rosetta Stone for Christmas. - Yours, etc.,
EAMONN SWEENEY, South Hill, Dartry, Dublin 6.