Letters: It's pity Joe Duffy didn't give credit to his hard-working background support staff
Joe Duffy did not mention any of his background team when discussing his departure from 'Liveline' on RTÉ's 'Late Late Show'
I was very disappointed with broadcaster Joe Duffy on Friday's RTÉ Late Late Show.
LiveLine is not a one-man show as he would like us to believe. No mention by him of his background team of phone-call vetters, researchers, sound technicians and others.
Hopefully, before going off air next month, he will give proper recognition to his hard-working background team.
Des McCormack, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14
Great to see politicians finally considering a ban on social media for teens
The Tánaiste Simon Harris recently looked at the possibility of introducing a social media ban here in Ireland for children who are under 16 years old.
I think it's an absolutely fantastic idea that we are now starting to talk about this serious issue.
Politicians have introduced this ban recently in Australia which will be implemented at the end of this year. The damage and abuse that's happening online due to the exposure to inappropriate content on social media is, to my mind, harrowing and distressing.
But one wonders how successful an Irish social media ban would be for the under-16s – a generation of people who are arguably more digitally literate than the people who will be introducing the ban.
I do believe that a social media ban is going to be potentially a hard thing to implement. We don't know how successful this ban is going to be in Australia, because it's not coming into force there until December 25.
We will have to watch and see and learn how this move pans out for them.
But I find it emboldening that we in this country are at least looking at this serious, highly charged and complex issue, as opposed to our legislators burying their heads in the sand.
John O'Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary
Many will be watching new Pope's handling of church scandal in Peru
Thankfully the new Pope, Leo XIV, promises to follow in the reforming steps of the late Pope Francis.
One of his first challenges will be how to confront the continuing fallout from the church sexual abuse scandal controversy in Peru, which he must be painfully aware of from his time as bishop of Sufar and apostolic administrator of Chiclayo in Peru.
Pope Francis did confront the powerful Peruvian-based Sodality for Christian Life for the physical and sexual abuse of its members by effectively dissolving it.
A more daunting challenge for the new Pope is how he deals with Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, former Archbishop of Lima, and a member of the powerful traditionalist Opus Dei organisation who has been accused of the sexual abuse of at least one adolescent boy, which the cardinal has denied.
Pope Francis accepted his resignation as Archbishop of Lima but imposed several penal restrictions on him, which included forbidding him to return to Peru, which he has ignored, and from wearing the distinctive red robes and associated regalia of a cardinal.
In spite of these restrictions, he went to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis.
And he publicly strutted around the Vatican in his cardinal's regalia at several public Vatican events attended by his fellow cardinals.
No action was taken against him. At a pre-conclave meeting of the assembled cardinals in Rome, it was agreed that clerical sex abuse must be one of the first challenges to be faced by the incoming pope.
Hopefully, Pope Leo XIV will face that challenge with courage and determination. Brendan Butler, Drumcondra, Dublin 9
People who still claim to suffer 'Catholic guilt' need to drop the victim complex
Édaein O'Connell resorts to that hackneyed canard of 'Catholic guilt' in her article ('You can take the girl out of church, but it's harder to take church out of the girl', Irish Independent, May, 10).
Nobody can make one feel guilty without one's consent, so let's abandon the helpless victim role.
Incidentally, I'm all in favour of guilt, irrespective of whether it's faith-based or not, if it stops people from bullying, stealing, drug-dealing, abusing children, murdering others, assaulting individuals, scamming others out of their money, damaging property, or committing perjury.
It seems to me that victims of criminal activity would be similarly enamoured of guilt if it stopped their perpetrators from committing any of the above.
Aileen Hooper, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
The three world leaders may be in a daily battle, but only two are competing
On Friday, the former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell received the Charles V European award from King Felipe of Spain.
Many European dignitaries attended the event.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Borrell said: 'The faces of history today are those of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. None of them is European. I know them – well, I know them a bit – and I can assure you that of those three, two are more intelligent than the third. The thing is, the third one doesn't know it.'
It definitely was not Harry Lime of The Third Man film he spoke of.
Declan Foley, Melbourne, Australia
Lack of any international action against Israel a sad reflection on 'democracy'
Edward Hogan's letter asks 'Have we abandoned the Palestinians?' (Sunday Independent, May 11).
The leaders of the so-called free and democratic world continue to voice 'concern' and 'call for ceasefire'.
The Israeli government, meanwhile, ignores such calls.
It ignores international law and violates basic human rights. It destroys hospitals and schools. It kills first responders and denies access to basic food.
Many consider the Israeli government to be pursuing a policy of genocide against the Palestinian people.
Direct action was taken against president Vladimir Putin and many of his associates when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Yet not only has no action been taken against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but many countries continue to provide military aid to Israel for use against the Palestinian people.
I suggest it is a sad reflection on 'democracy'.
Michael Moriarty, Rochestown, Cork
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'To say I saw appalling stuff is an understatement': Irish soldier on fighting on Ukraine's frontline
Despite the horrors witnessed while fighting the Russians on the Ukrainian frontline and suffering from post-traumatic strees, a former Irish soldier says he is actively considering returning to the warzone to fight once more with his Ukrainian colleagues. Peter*, a single man who is in his 30s and comes from the south of Ireland, served with the Defence Forces for five years. He decided to travel to Ukraine shortly after the Russian invasion in 2022 and returned home a year later. However, he told the Irish Examiner he considering going back again to help, like another former Defence Forces veteran has recently done. 'My initial decision was to defend the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and I arrived there a couple of days after the invasion. Recruits take a physiological adaptation training near frontline close to Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Sunday. 'Initially my family were supportive, but were fairly worried. At the start, it was a bit of an unknown. If I'd had gone out later, the conditions of the war would have been more apparent and my family would have worried even more,' Peter said. While he was able to keep in contact with home while fighting in Ukraine, this contact was kept to a minimum, and was essentially limited to letting them know that he was still alive. This was done through various communication channels, but Peter said he was not prepared to reveal them in order to protect others still out there who are in contact with their relatives. He was aware of other Irish people serving with the Ukrainians — although none were in his unit. Peter was posted to a special forces unit which contained a mixture of Ukrainian special forces and airborne personnel. 'I was the only non-Ukrainian in that unit. Their English was very good so communication was not an issue,' he said. Initially, he was based in Kyiv, but after two months was posted to the frontline between Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, and Donetsk. 'To say I saw appalling stuff is an understatement. It got gradually worse as the war went on as there was heavier and heavier combat. Quite a few of my friends died,' he said. All the training he did with the Defence Forces could never have prepared him for what he saw. He said British and American soldiers he met out there, and who had fought for their countries in Iraq and Afghanistan, said it was 'even more brutal in Ukraine than those places". Sometimes, Peter and his comrades were less than 40 m from the Russian lines. The enemy would shout out 'threats of what was coming to us' and call on them to surrender. He was injured once and had to spend a week in hospital. There were times when combat didn't stop, and exhausted soldiers were forced to fight for days without any sleep. 'It was sometimes 24/7 and you would be lucky if you might get an hour to nod off. Once, there were three days of constant combat. The adrenaline would be pumping, the bullets flying and the artillery keeping you awake. You had a sense of duty to your comrades. Anyway, if you fell asleep you were dead,' he said. He managed to secure some leave and returned to Ireland when his unit was stood down for rest. 'To say we were combat fatigued would be an understatement,' he added. Peter is still seriously considering going back to Ukraine because of a 'sense of duty' to those of his comrades left behind who are still fighting. A soldier prepares a 120mm mortar to fire towards Russian army positions near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, last month. Picture: Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade via AP And he readily admitted reports that the Russians are amassing 50,000 troops for a further push into the country 'could be a trigger to go back'. The Russians are currently building up troop numbers near Ukraine's northern Sumy region for what observers believe could be a planned summer offensive. Peter said he was constantly keeping himself updated and is in touch with comrades still fighting with his unit. Again, for security reasons, he won't divulge how this communication is happening. Any decision he makes to return to Ukraine may well be 'spontaneous', but if the Russians launch a summer offensive, he could well go back to help his comrades, a number of whom are close friends. He said one of these men has a wife who has come to Ireland to seek safety from the constant threat of a Russian missile attack. In terms of peace, Peter says while the outcome is 'unpredictable' unfortunately, it looks likely that Ukraine will have to cede some of its territory to the Russian invaders. In terms of dealing with his post-traumatic stress, he is thankful for the charity, ONE, which helps former Defence Forces personnel. 'I was quite reluctant to seek help initially. A mutual friend said I could do with some support and gave me the relevant contacts (with ONE). The friend realised I needed help. Some friends and family members said there were certain indications. I had anger issues, felt desensitised, and isolated when I came home,' he said. Peter is urging others who have returned from the frontline to contact ONE for help. 'I was unaware and then somewhat reluctant,' he said. He was initially advised to contact a GP, but said it was extremely hard to relate military experiences to a "civilian" who has never experienced them. 'You get cut off from reality and 'civies' wouldn't have a clue what you went through,' he added. (not his real name*) 'They all say they want to return to the frontline' Audra Larkin, charity ONE's veteran support officer, aaid she was currently offering support to three former Defence Forces personnel who have returned home from fighting in Ukraine. Audra Larkin, who is one of six ONE veteran support officers based around the country, said she was currently offering support to three former Defence Forces personnel who have returned home from fighting in Ukraine. Ms Larkin told the Irish Examiner she was aware of another former soldier she supported in her role with the charity who has since returned to Ukraine to continue fighting invading Russian forces. Those who have served in Ukraine continuously talk about 'the buddies' they have left behind and feel guilty for leaving them, according to Ms Larkin. 'They have said they would all go back tomorrow. They are all open about this. We outline the risks and possible consequences of doing this, but there is an overwhelming camaraderie,' she said. Ms Larkin said one of the Defence Forces' veterans she helped to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder returned to Ukraine last January. He is only in his 20s. It is understood he lost one of his friends in the fighting and was determined to return, despite the obvious risks. 'He felt a deep commitment to his comrades. This person felt guilty not being with them. This is part of a soldier's mind,' she said. She said the soldiers' desire to return to the frontline comes despite the 'harrowing stories' about what's happening in the brutal war in Ukraine, which has been raging since the Russian invasion of February 2022. She also said the charity she works with, ONE, started to see the 'emergence' of returning Irish fighters from Ukraine seeking counselling support towards the end of last year. Ms Larkin said she knew from those she was currently helping that there are more ex-members of the Defence Forces who have fought in Ukraine but have not approached ONE for help. 'We are urging them to just reach out [to us]. They will receive professional help from staff who will deal with them in the strictest confidence,' she said. Ms Larkin said it was important former soldiers are able to seek help from people who have knowledge of the military, with military backgrounds, and who can operate with their "shared language". Ms Larkin, who has many years of experience within the Defence Forces, said her background was hugely important in helping her understanding of veterans' needs. 'I've been in the Defence Forces my whole life. I was born into the Defence Forces. I grew up in the Defence Forces." As well as serving oversees herself, she also worked in addiction services. She joined ONE from private practice, having gained experience there in helping combat veterans deal with post-traumatic stress. Irish who died fighting in Ukraine A number of Irish citizens have died while fighting for Ukraine. The list of fatalities includes a former member of the elite Army Ranger Wing (ARW)) who was killed on September 19 while fighting alongside Ukrainian Special Forces. Robert Deegan, from Co Kildare, was killed while fighting in Ukraine. Robert Deegan was 29 and from Newbridge, Co Kildare. He had joined the fight shortly after the 2022 Russian invasion. He lost an eye while serving with Ukraine's Special Forces Unit that year. His injury was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) but once he recovered, he went back to fight alongside his Ukrainian comrades — going against advice from some family and friends. He was said to be 'laser-focused' on returning to Ukraine and 'deeply committed' to the Ukrainian cause. The highly-skilled soldier had served not only in the much-vaunted Ranger Wing, but was also involved in the Engineers Unit of the Defence Forces Training Centre. After his death, his family released a statement saying he died 'like a warrior', protecting his comrades and he had made "the ultimate sacrifice while staying true to his principles and character'. On the day he died he continued to fight on in the face of a Russian onslaught in order to provide cover for his colleagues' retreat. As a younger man, he was a champion cyclist who represented Ireland, and some of his family are understood to have had a long history of service with the Defence Forces. In December 2023, dual Irish-American citizen Graham Dale, aged 45, originally from Raheny in North Dublin, was killed while fighting for the Ukrainians. He had previously fought with the US Marines in Iraq and moved permanently to Dublin in 2020. Dale had joined the US Marines following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Finbar Cafferkey, from Achill, Co Mayo, was killed while battling Russian forces near the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk Oblas in April 2023. Finbar Cafferkey, aged 46, from Achill, Co Mayo, was killed while battling Russian forces near the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk Oblas in April 2023. Part of the Shell to Sea campiagn in the 2000s, he had previous combat experience in Syria helping Kurdish militia fight Islamic State insurgents. Rory Mason, 23, from Dunboyne, Co Meath, died while fighting for Ukraine's International Legion in the Kharkiv region near the Russian border in October 2022. Irish man Rory Mason was killed in action in Ukraine. His father, Rob, told the BBC: "Though we are deeply saddened at his death, we are enormously proud of his courage and determination and his selflessness in immediately enlisting to support Ukraine." "Rory was never political but he had a deep sense of right and wrong and an inability to turn the other way in the face of injustice. "Those who fought alongside Rory speak of a truly brave and courageous man who could have left at any time but chose not to. In August 2024, Alex Ryzhuk, aged 20, from Rathmines, Dublin — a drone operator — was also killed fighting for the Ukrainians. The youngest of the Irish to die fighting in Ukraine, he was born in Dublin to Ukrainian parents. News about rape and torture by Russian troops in the Ukrainian city Bucha in April 2022, as well as the deaths of relatives and friends fighting in the war are understood to what motivated Alex to leave Dublin and travel to the frontlines early in 2023.
