Letters to the Editor May 19th: On famine in Gaza, cars as weapons and scrapping Sevens Rugby

Irish Times

19-05-2025

Famine in Gaza
Sir, – Ireland and six other European countries' statement on May 16th calling on Israel to lift its
Gaza
blockade (
Ireland joins countries calling on Israel to lift Gaza blockade
, News, May 17th) is far too little, too late. After over two months of what the statement describes as a 'man-made humanitarian catastrophe', in which
Israel
has blocked food, aid or medical supplies from reaching two million people now on the brink of famine, not to mention the 19 months of bombardment and over 53,000 deaths, only now are they calling for the world to 'assume the responsibility to stop this devastation'.
The statement rightly notes that many Palestinians could starve to death in the coming weeks unless immediate action is taken, which asks the question of why it has taken 75 days for action, in the form of a mere statement, to be taken.
CHRISTINE MAGUIRE,
Beaumont,
READ MORE
Dublin 9.
Sir, – Liam Herrick of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) wrote a balanced and prescient article (
Ireland says Israel is carrying out war crimes in Gaza. Now it must act
, Opinion, May 14th). I think most people in this country feel angry and upset about the continuing inhuman treatment being meted out to the people of Gaza – men, women and, unforgivably, children.
We and our Government must do more and urgently. I encourage everyone to read the article and do everything possible to support the objectives of the IHREC to stop the suffering and starvation. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL J HALL,
Castleknock,
Dublin 15.
Scrapping sevens rugby
Sir – The Irish Rugby Football Union decision to scrap the very successful s
evens'
programme is disgraceful, stupid and shortsighted. As an avid rugby supporter, having travelled all over the world following Irish rugby, I'm most disappointed with the decision, apparently citing funding costs as the main reason. How then can they justify spending very large fees on foreign players' short-term contracts for one particular province which would have gone a long way to fund the sevens' programme? It just doesn't make sense. Also, imagine if they cancelled the women's sevens' programme, all hell would break loose. I appeal to the powers in charge to revisit and reverse their decision for the betterment of Irish rugby. – Yours, etc,
AUSTIN SAVAGE,
Cualanor,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.
Castletown House
Sir, – In 2013, I was a volunteer at the Big House Festival held over three days at Castletown House. It was a magical event, a celebration of all that was great about heritage, culture, music, drama, art and community in Ireland. The management of the house at the time stated that, in creating the concept for the festival, they wanted to fill the chasm they felt existed between the people of the town and 'the big house'.
I listened to Minister Kevin 'Boxer' Moran on RTÉ's Morning Ireland today (May 16th). Having been born into Celbridge and lived a childhood in Castletown in the 1970s and 1980s, it was heartbreaking to hear the State itself further driving a wedge into the chasm reopened between the community and 'the big house'.
While giving the staff of the
Office of Public Works
his '100 per cent' backing, the Minister failed to give credit to the tireless work of all community groups established since that time, as they strive to protect the integrity and heritage of Castletown.
The State, through the OPW, has lost its long-established M4 vehicular access to their own land, and its car park, through poor management, ill-judged procurement decisions, and errors of omission in failing to secure retention of it.
Narratives advanced to the contrary, that attempt to scapegoat community groups, merely divert attention from the OPW's failure to manage State property, and its purse, efficiently. The Minister and his team need to focus their expertise, effort and attention on strategic actions to regain the M4 access and utilise the collective expertise of community representatives.
Contemporary landlords of the property of Irish citizens must appreciate, their role is no longer to dominate but to collaborate and communicate. – Yours, etc,
JILL BARRETT,
Rocklands,
Celbridge,
Co Kildare
Restraining Trump
Sir, – Diarmaid Ferriter's conclusion that US president Donald Trump 'is facing no table thumpers, at home or abroad' to restrain his policy excesses is open to question (
'
Was it for this that London endured the Blitz
'
, Opinion, May 16th).
On the same page Stephen Collins outlines how the US president's Liberation Day tariffs initiative was restrained – quietly and effectively – by Chinese president Xi Jinping (
Ireland should fully support the EU's response to Trump
, Opinion, May 16th).
Collins goes on to demonstrate that the EU has the commercial and political heft to engineer a similar tariff policy rethink on the US side. Ireland's long-term interests are indeed aligned with a more integrated European Union. – Yours, etc,
JOHN NAUGHTON,
The Gallops,
Leopardstown,
Dublin 18.
Cars are weapons
Sir, – Back in the 1960s, my father-in-law, at the tender age of 17, waited enthusiastically at the local driving school in York to embark on his first driving lesson. However, before he was even allowed to sit in the driving seat, the instructor told him to go around to the back of the car and push it. Predictably, this was something of a challenge, particularly given the size and weight of vehicles in those days. The instructor then said: 'Now lad, don't you forget that that is the weapon you are driving, and what damage you can do'. My father-in-law never forgot those wise words, and relayed them to his own children and grandchildren. – Yours, etc,
STEPHEN YEO,
Churchtown,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – I find it mind-boggling the number of zoom meetings I've attended where participants are driving a car whilst contemporaneously on a video call. No human being has the executive function to do both these tasks at the same time. You are neither at the meeting nor driving a car. Hang up. A car is a lethal weapon. – Yours, etc,
Dr VINCENT WALL,
St Luke's,
Cork City
Fighting Words
Sir, – What a wonderful collection of Irish talent was featured in your
Fighting Words
magazine, which presented the literary prowess of the young of Ireland (Irish Times, May 14th).
As a retired teacher of first- and third-level students, I feel it is essential that the attempts of our aspiring writers are published. There is nothing like concrete evidence to endorse the confidence and trust in these young contributors to continue to submit their work both in English and Irish. Submissions come from writers throughout the whole island. The youth advisory panel, composed of teenagers, notes that there is 'an automatic connection with people you have never met before because you bond over writing.'
In today's digital world, which is screaming advice from all corners particularly to young people, how refreshing it is to read a young man
Djamel White
, recalling that during his formative years he joined Fighting Words. It was there that he observed 'at the centre of it are the stories and poems, but it is in the people where the magic lives.'
Seamus Heaney once wrote: 'Between my finger and my thumb, The squat pen rests; snug as a gun.' Heaney knew that the act of writing holds power and significance, much like a weapon. That was his magic and it worked. – Yours, etc,
BRENDA MORGAN,
Howth,
Co Dublin.
Derelict property ownership
Sir, – Mark O'Connell's views (
I have an appetite for irony but this is too rich even for me
, Opinion, May 17th) that derelict property ownership is a form of antisocial behaviour is bang on To add insult to injury, sales of such properties, if it does happen, comes with a price where our estate agent friends happily proclaim that the building qualifies for the refurbishment grants and low and behold one finds the price reflects this.
Here in Letterkenny, a number of such properties came on the market with prices that make it less than ideal for refurbishment to a suitable rated property. A cheap and cheerful refurb will inevitably follow providing substandard accommodation, thus perpetuating the cycle of neglect.
The refurbishment grants have become an award for bad behaviour happily scooped up by the vendor, – Yours, etc
JOHN O'CONNELL,
Highfield,
Loughnagin,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.