Letters: Leaving Cert students, follow your hearts – a degree is not the answer to everything

Irish Independent

22-06-2025

The headline chimes with the same trope that is wheeled out year after year by universities about the value of Arts degrees (and Social Science degrees), battered as they can be by the waxing and waning of the degrees' prospects.
Perhaps the most important thing these degrees do is confer status. A degree is a degree is a degree. All the better if it is from a prestigious university.
A degree is a signal. It confers and signifies 'middle- class' and is an undoubted advantage in the marketplace. They're not cheap either. And the more things we have to pay for, the harder it is to be poor. Meanwhile, the Leaving Certificate has diminished in status and the prestige it once deservedly had.
In the 1980s, adults queued up at night school to complete the exams they regretted not taking beforehand.
The skills gained were invaluable; the esteem restored equally so. Of course, we should be all for the humanities.
Likewise for apprenticeships and whatever route one takes to navigate an ever-changing job market.
Follow your heart.
John O'Driscoll, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary
Government must stop genocide in Gaza
Madam — Our public representatives are being spat on because of their continuing inaction on Gaza and now they are blaming the opposition parties — 'TDs spat at and refused cafe service as abuse over Gaza intensifies', June 15.
'Our Government has sat back and done nothing, absolutely nothing,' said one woman, clearly venting her frustration, which many of us would fully align with. Surely, it's beyond time our Government grew a backbone and did something concrete and tangible to stop this mass killing of innocents on its watch. Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry
United Ireland is not likely soon
Madam — Now that we are approaching July and the annual season of Orange marches, lamp posts throughout most of the North of Ireland will be decorated with flags of various hue, but mainly red, white and blue or the Union Jack.
Every year, about 3,000 parades are approved by the commission overseeing such events. Come July 12, there will be an exodus by nationalists to Donegal, Sligo and possibly even Spain. Anywhere to avoid being forced to watch and listen to Orange bands and their followers taking over towns and villages to commemorate a battle fought in Co Meath between the king of Scotland and a Dutch king called William.
Meanwhile, across Antrim the locals are revolting. Apparently, some foreign folk have arrived in recent years and are propping up the ailing health service and various factories; but they sound and look different from the indigenous people of the county. Outsiders will not be tolerated, and emblems must adorn the front doors of residents to identify loyalty to the crown and thus ensure that the house will not be firebombed or its windows smashed.
In that other part of this little island, the 26 counties, the inhabitants look on aghast at what is happening. There is much weeping and gnashing of teeth by so many politicians. But that's as far as it will go.
Quite rightly, the British would do anything to offload the mongrel of a region that is Northern Ireland, but sadly, and very possibly with some justification, the Irish Republic will procrastinate until the cows come home on the subject of unification. And who could blame them. Sean Sheridan, Omagh, Co Tyrone
Next budget will be a bonanza for rich
Madam — It's looking like the coming budget, if we are to believe the experts, will be a bonanza for the already wealthy in our society — property investors and the hospitality sector.
With hoteliers and restaurant owners seeing a decrease in the Vat rate, I can't speak for everyone but I have rarely seen any decreases in the price of a meal to match. As for the developers, the housing crisis will make them wealthy even beyond their current situation. Mike Burke, Sixmilebridge, Co Clare
Families should get vouchers for food
Madam — On the discussion around changes to child benefit, giving vouchers for healthy, age-appropriate food and beverages would be the best system — ensuring well-nourished, active babies and children. That would bring value for money. Margaret Walshe, Dublin 15
Leaving Cert is just a silly test of memory
Madam — Is the Leaving Cert a good examination for life? All it proves is one has a good memory. And on the day of the exam, students may be under par. They should be assessed on a monthly basis and judged accordingly at the end of the year.
Not days of examination papers crammed together over a few weeks. Education is a process; it is not a result. Does having a good memory prepare one for life? I don't think so. Having common sense is much more important. There should be another way to assess students. Terry Healy Riordan, Kill, Co Kildare
Time to do away with the presidency
Madam — As the country faces another costly presidential election, one wonders if we need a president now. The Irish Constitution expressly puts executive authority in the democratically elected government.
The non-executive presidency is weighed down by protocols and formalities, irrelevant in a modern republic grappling with very serious housing, health, criminal and international issues. The president holds office for an inordinately long seven years, and can be elected for a second term. It's almost impossible for an ordinary citizen to contest this election as a nomination requires the support of at least 20 members of the Oireachtas or four local authorities.
In addition to expense-free living in the Áras, the president is entitled to an annual salary of €332,070. Presidential staff and ceremonial functions, at home and abroad, cost the taxpayer at least €5m per annum.
Some very fine people have held the office. But, in my opinion, the position is now unsustainable and the money spent in electing and maintaining a President of Ireland, a nominal and virtually powerless figurehead, is urgently needed elsewhere. Billy Ryle Tralee, Co Kerry
Skehan holds a mirror up to society
Madam — In last week's Sunday Independent, Conor Skehan's contemplative article ('What are Ireland's blind spots and how can we fix these system failures?') shoves a somewhat uncomfortable mirror into the gaze of Irish society and its most crucial influential undertones.
As an example, he states: 'The traditional media is anxious about its shrinking influence.' The traditional media was habitually based on a brand of journalism underpinned by truth, courage, tenacity and dedication, but was overly comforted in its status as 'traditional'. In allowing itself to be so cosseted, it was always going to be a step behind in exploiting the broadest effects of digitalisation and in comprehending the unfettered tones and effects of 'social media', where truth is not fundamental.
These are, indeed, tough times for the 'traditional' media, but, for society's welfare, its a battle it cannot afford to lose. Sticking with old values but with a more vigilant and astute eye on societal gestation and evolving 'tech' will serve much better than, for example, the showiness I'm observing n the broadcast media, where the 'gotcha' question is so often tediously pursued. Michael Gannon, Saint Thomas Square, Kilkenny
Forsyth obituary missed some facts
Madam — Some saw Frederick Forsyth's books as lower down the literary ladder than his near contemporary John le Carré. But he was widely known as a skilled author of 'faction', drawing on his years as a journalist.
In that light, some elements of Liam Collins's obituary likely would have irritated Forsyth, who was known for his accuracy. St John's Wood, one of his homes, when he left Enniskerry in 1980, is not in Surrey but the borough of Westminster.
The 'small farm' he moved to was a working enterprise he ran in Hertfordshire, on about 175 acres, from the late 1980s to 2010. He self-depreciatingly described himself as poor with money. Aside from his divorce from his first wife and the loss of money to the once-notorious Roger Levitt, he also turned down the offer of a share of the profits when selling the film rights to The Day of the Jackal.
Instead of the 'huge royalties' referred to in your obituary, he got a flat £20,000 (the equivalent of perhaps £250,000 now) instead of £17,500 plus a percentage of the profits. Being a man of certain political views, in recent years his 'extensive journalism' was mainly for the Daily Express and Daily Telegraph and not the Daily Express and The Guardian. Arran Dowling-Hussey, Gray's Inn, London
A very insightful piece from O'Malley
Madam — I want to commend your journalist, Eoin O'Malley, for offering a refreshingly grounded and socially insightful perspective on the social value of the pub in Irish life. 'Down with the puritans — we should all go back to the pub', June 15.
The suggestion that pubs are socially controlled environments where people can meaningfully connect with peers highlights a crucial, often overlooked aspect of public life.
In a time when isolation and division are growing concerns, it's encouraging to see writing that recognises the social value of shared spaces, like pubs. This piece doesn't just make a case for leisure, it makes a compelling argument for community cohesion and mental well-being. Well done. Don Byrne, Raheny, Dublin 5
GAA four-step ball rule is nonsense
Madam — GAA, have a bit of cop on. Your four-step ball carrying rule is a fiasco. Seamus Foley, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath
There is a time when you need to step up
Madam — Brendan O'Connor's question, 'Where have all the grown-ups gone?', on June 15 reminded me of one time I was in our local pub. I asked the owner: 'Where have all the characters gone?' He took a few seconds, looked at me, and said: 'They're dead. You're the characters now.'
It was a lesson, and not a gentle one. You don't get to stand on the sidelines forever. At some point, it's your turn to step up. Perhaps the same applies to grown-ups. Enda Cullen, Tullysaran, Co Armagh
Women matter, so do not shut us down
Madam — The letter, 'Policing toilets is just not workable' on June 15, could be said to reflect a now-familiar tactic: minimise, deflect and suggest there's nothing to debate.
For years, this approach has been used to shut down women's voices, to brand legitimate concerns as wrong and cast those raising them as the problem. That may once have worked. It no longer does.
Ten years on from the introduction of gender self-identification, the effects on law, language and public policy are clear — from the loss of female-only spaces to the silencing of sex-based advocacy — yet attempts to discuss them are met with straw-man arguments.
These kind of responses don't open space for discussion. They try to close it. And it raises a fair question: if the Gender Recognition Act has had no adverse effect, why the reluctance to talk about it?
Women's voices matter. And in a democracy, transparency is not something to fear, it's something we are owed. If there's really nothing to hide, then let's talk. Kate Flannery, Limerick
Female boundaries are being eroded
Madam — Bernie Linnane (Letters, June 15) might be happy to share single-sex spaces with any man who claims to be a woman, but she's not authorised to consent on behalf of any other woman. Consent isn't transferable, and my consent isn't hers to give away.
The Gender Recognition Act may not mention toilets, but it has created a legal grey area, where women are expected to stay quiet while our boundaries are eroded.
We're not asking for birth-cert checks at the toilet door. We're asking for the basic right to say no and not to be thought of as bigots for doing so. Sarah Holmes, Newcastle, Co Wicklow
Let's celebrate the richness of Irish
Madam — I mostly agree with Ciara Kelly when she writes that talking, reading and writing in Irish, in that order, gives a better grasp of the language.
But don't underestimate the benefit of remembering a line from an Irish poem written in the pure richness of the language (Saibhreas na Gaeilge). It has always served me well. Anne Finegan, Ashbourne, Co Meath
I could not survive without the Sindo
Madam — Congratulations to Mediahuis Ireland, the publisher of the Sunday Independent among others, in celebrating reaching 100,000 digital subscribers. News is at everybody's fingertips nowadays as the digital age goes from strength to strength.
I have to confess, I personally prefer to get my fix of the current news the old way, by buying the Sindo every week. I couldn't survive without it. I enjoy thumbing through the pages of sport, features and current affairs. I have also had a number of letters published, which is always very exciting and uplifting. There is something magical about having your thoughts published in a reputable national newspaper. Thank you, for lifting my spirits in this way.
Well done also to your team of wonderful journalists. Onwards and upwards. Tom Towey, Cloonacool, Co Sligo
Tommy Conlon nails it on hurling fiasco
Madam — Once again, Tommy Conlon nailed it. The absolute nonsense of deciding the GAA jewel in the crown by subjecting the hurling warriors to the shambles of a penalty shoot-out.
Just because it might add drama to a boring soccer game does not mean it should be used to lessen a fixture built up in the GAA calendar. Enough is enough. If there is a draw after extra time, there should be a two-week break to let the players recuperate and then set them free to entertain us once more. John McCann, Donegal
Why is Kate Middleton on the front page of an Irish paper?
Madam — I am mystified as to your choice of photo on the front page of the Sunday Independent (June 15). What has Kate Middleton's fancy hat, trooping the colour (what colour), or the King's makey-up birthday, so that he can be nice and warm, to do with anything related to Ireland? Michael Kenefick, Whitegate, Co Cork