Letters to the Editor: Sporting conduct damages hurling

Irish Examiner

02-05-2025

I read in a recent Irish Examiner (April 29) an article under the heading: 'Hurling doesn't feel tough right now' attributed to Wexford senior hurling player Lee Chin.
In it, he calls into question the lack of sportsmanship displayed by certain players towards their opponents and to referees and other game officials. I believe that any player or supporter could have no reason to disagree with his honest assessment of the behaviour of certain players, and indeed supporters.
As a Kildare native who could be regarded as not being from a hurling county, I base my agreement with Lee Chin on the fact that I have resided in Enniscorthy since the last few days of 1967.
I recall watching Lee Chin playing in minor club hurling in his younger days and remarking that he had all the makings of a future star. In the intervening years, he has confirmed the high regard I had of him.
While some players may not agree with his views, those people may be confirming an attitude that is damaging the wonderful game that hurling is — when played in a sporting way.
It is a joy to watch some of the game's star players in their prime, and it is shameful to see the behaviour of those who depend on unsporting conduct to prevent us from enjoying hurling at its best.
Tony Fagan
Enniscorthy, Co Wexford
Nature is the king — and so is cash
Nature has its way of reminding us that we are but pimples on the backside of the universe.
Storm Éowyn last year and the latest electrical outage in Spain and Portugal have reminded us that electric everything is not the be-all and end-all, and that we cannot do without back-to-basics solid fuel, oil or natural gas, to light and heat our houses, and cook our dinners.
All the solar power, wind power, and wave power in the world require electricity to power them, and won't save us from the ravages of beautiful or terrible nature, depending on your viewpoint.
With all the ATMs and tap machines and Google and Visa pay systems down, we are taught once more that nature and cash are kings.
Kevin T Finn
Mitchelstown Co Cork
Celebrate amid grief for our Pope
Recently the world bid farewell to Pope Francis, a leader whose life was a profound testament to the Gospel's call to serve the marginalised. He left behind a legacy marked by compassion, humility, and an unwavering commitment to social justice.
By adopting the name of St Francis of Assisi, he embodied the principles of simplicity, environmental stewardship, and a deep love for the impoverished.
From the very beginning of his papacy, Francis envisioned a 'poor Church for poor people,' advocating tirelessly for the most vulnerable among us.
His urgent calls for action on climate change underscored the need to protect 'our common home', transforming the Church's approach to social issues. He promoted a model of a 'field hospital', focused on healing rather than judgement, and his famous declaration: 'Who am I to judge?' signified a significant shift towards inclusivity and understanding.
As we reflect on the legacy of Pope Francis, we mourn not just the passing of a pope, but the departure of a man who redefined kindness, mercy, and demonstrated that humility is a form of strength. He articulated love as an essential duty, transcending mere doctrine, and embodied a spirituality that crossed religious divides. His steadfast faith in God was paralleled by his belief in humanity, recognising the inherent dignity in every person.
His life was a testament to kindness, mercy, hope, and prayer, and as we honour his memory, we are called to become beacons of light, inspired by his faith in humanity.
Though our time with him was brief, his impact was profound, bringing joy, mercy, and hope to the vulnerable. As we reflect on his journey, we take comfort in knowing he now runs freely in Heaven, unburdened and surrounded by love.
Let us celebrate his new beginning, even amidst our tears, as we honour his legacy and the light he brought into the world. As we shed tears of sorrow, we also celebrate his new life in the heavenly realms, bidding him a heartfelt farewell until we reunite. We are eternally grateful for your kindness, guidance, and steadfast compassion.
Rest in peace, dear brother, leader, shepherd, and source of inspiration. Your grace, prayers, and deep love for all, especially the marginalised and those in need, will always be remembered. May the angels lead you to paradise, where you will be glorified alongside Christ. We pray for eternal rest for you, O Lord, and that perpetual light may shine upon you. May your soul, along with all the faithful departed, find peace through God's mercy. Amen.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
Ronan Scully
Knocknacarra, Galway
No excuse for genocide
Paul Kearns' insight from Tel Aviv was shocking and refreshing to see the truth from an Israel-based journalist about the coldhearted opinions of the Israeli population.
The refrain 'There are no innocents in Gaza' that Paul mentions could be turned around to say: 'There are (almost) no people who in Israel who think killing Palestinians is wrong'.
It was good to acknowledge that support for Israel's murderous assault on Gaza is widespread in the civilian population.
His account was good up until a point. In his last paragraph, Paul mentions 'the euphoric celebrations on the streets of the West Bank and Gaza in the immediate days after the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, when it had become clear over 1,000 Israelis had been murdered.'
Maybe spending too long in Israel has distorted what it means to have legitimate military targets. The numbers are clear: 379 of the Israelis killed on October 7 were on-duty Israeli forces. Killing soldiers putting Gaza under an illegal siege is not murder. Of the 700 civilians, many were enlisted as reserves — or perhaps they could be described as militants.
Of all the deaths, it's clear that the Israeli army were responsible for a huge number of them.
The Palestinian resistance did not have tanks. They did not have Apache helicopters, nor fighter jets. Yet many of the deaths resulted from heavy artillery fire.
No one talks of the Palestinian prisoners of war that day. How many died? How many were summarily executed? How many were tortured after capture?
War crimes probably did occur from the Palestinian resistance, but this is no excuse for genocide.
If that was the case, then Palestinians would be justified in pursuing a similar goal against the
Israelis.
Fachtna O'Raftery
Clonakilty, Co Cork
Trump sounds like a broken record
It's unsurprising to learn that US president Donald Trump has taken no responsibility for the state of the economy. He insists that poor economic performance was not related to his global tariffs. He even wrote on his social media platform Truth Social: 'This is Biden's Stock Market, not Trump's. I didn't take over until January 20th. Tariffs will soon start kicking in, and companies are now starting to move into the USA in record numbers.'
All I say to that is: Give me a break. In his book The Apprentice, Trump was proud to share his philosophy of denying everything and never accepting responsibility allied to presenting every defeat as a victory.
Trump is sounding every bit akin to a broken record, so much so that one feels that he doesn't even believe what he is saying anymore.
John O'Brien,
Clonmel, Co Tipperary