Storm Desmond

A chara, – I have just heard the woman from Met Éireann refer to the storm outside as Desmond. Could they not have picked a more menacing name? Desmond just about conjures up all the danger of a friendly old neighbour you might invite in for tea. “Will you have a biscuit with that, Desmond?”

He's not the kind of man who whips lassoes of rain around your garden and whistles eerie tunes in your gutters and drains; no, he reads Ireland's Own, likes Mariettas and butter and calls his mammy on Sundays. No name for a storm! – Is mise,

BILLY Ó hANLUAIN,

Dublin 12.

Sir, – I wonder if we stopped calling storms by name would we get fewer of them? – Yours, etc

AIDAN FEIGHERY,

Dún Laoghaire,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – Come back, Clodagh! All is forgiven. – Yours, etc,

ANNE BYRNE,

Bray,

Co Wicklow.