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Irish Times
25-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, July 25th: On starving Gazans, wind farms, and sprats
Sir, – In years to come, when future generations look back at The Irish Times archives and view Tuesday's front-page photograph (July 22nd)of emaciated infant Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, with his ribs protruding through his back and a black refuse bag as a nappy, they may justifiably ask: 'What did we do at the time to stop this?'. Even for readers bombarded day after day by horrific images from Gaza, this photograph stopped people in their tracks. It highlighted the scale of failure by the international community to prevent this humanitarian nightmare deepening, and underlined the urgent need for effective action to address this suffering. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the UN Security Council that what is happening in Gaza is a 'horror show', that 'malnourishment is soaring. Starvation is knocking on every door', and that Gaza was enduring 'a level of death and destruction without parallel in recent times'. Concern welcomes the secretary general's focus on Gaza, and the recent statement by the foreign ministers of 28 countries and the EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, but it is not enough. READ MORE International efforts must ensure that aid is not just allowed into Gaza, but that it is available where people need it. The very limited access to essential food and aid – there are currently just four distribution points where there had been 400 during the temporary ceasefire – is adding to suffering, forcing two million people into overcrowded, increasingly militarised zones where they face growing levels of risk and insecurity. Concern is playing its part, providing funds and technical support to its partner, CESVI, who this week installed a reverse osmosis filter to provide safe water to the Al Rantisi Hospital – the only children's hospital currently operational in Gaza city. With Concern's support, CESVI has also been trucking water to over 100,000 people on a regular basis over the last 12 months. Earlier this week, Antoine Renard, the country director for the UN's world food programme in Palestine, stressing the need for humanitarian assistance to reach people where they are, noted that aid agencies in Gaza were seeing people who were so weak that some were fainting while queuing for the meagre rations available to them – boiled water with just a few lentils in it. Central to international humanitarian law – the law of war – is the requirement that civilians must be protected and must never be targeted. The level of risk facing those seeking to access the very limited food and aid that is available is well known, and the civilian population now has to choose between risking their lives trying to access food aid for their family or face slow starvation. Highlighting the need for urgent action, the IPC – the globally recognised system for classifying the severity and magnitude of food insecurity and malnutrition – estimates that 470,000 people (22 per cent of Gaza's population) will likely face 'famine' levels of food insecurity between now and September. The current situation in Gaza highlights why the UN Security Council passed a resolution in 2018 that condemns both the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access. It urged parties to all conflicts to comply with international humanitarian law and called for accountability for those who violated it. To prevent further unnecessary loss of life, the international community must make greater political efforts to secure the release of all hostages, a permanent ceasefire, unfettered access of civilian populations to adequate levels of principled humanitarian aid, and the restoration of respect for international humanitarian law. Given the extreme nature of suffering being felt by Gaza's civilian population, every effort must be made to enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to work safely and effectively to save as many lives as possible in this catastrophic situation, and to prevent it from deteriorating even further. – Yours, etc, DOMINIC CROWLEY, Chief executive, Concern Worldwide, Dublin 2. Sir – Every time I see the bony outline of a child's body in Gaza, I see my two-year-old. I cannot begin to imagine the helplessness of Gazan parents as their child withers away in front of them. How have we come to this, stripping a parent of their ability to care? Now, as I am overcome with guilt as I sweep up my child's discarded food off the kitchen floor – I plead with everyone, please can we do more? March. Donate. Write. Scream. Gazan parents deserve to see their children live, really live. – Yours, etc, CILLIAN QUINN, Cabra, Dublin 7. Sir, – As the Occupied Territories Bill returns to debate, I hope we remember Ireland's proud tradition of standing up for human rights – just as we did when we boycotted South African goods during apartheid. Israel's ongoing occupation and settlement expansion break international law and basic decency. While we wait for our Government to act, we can take small steps ourselves. By checking labels and choosing not to buy goods and services that profit from the occupation, we send a peaceful message of solidarity. Small actions, taken together, can help build a fairer world – just as they did before. – Yours, etc, BARBARA McCARTHY, Malahide, Dublin. Listeria outbreak Sir, – The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has confirmed that a person has died as a result of listeria infection (' Adult dies with listeria as FSAI investigates outbreak ,' July 24th). The FSAI website goes on to list about 200 food products from a particular producer which should not be consumed. On checking my fridge I have one such item for which I can produce the receipt for €4.25. Yet, there is no national recall from the various supermarket chains listed as selling these products. Surely there is an obligation on the supermarkets to take back these products and to give either a refund or a credit note? I await their notice in the newspapers. – Yours, etc, TONY CORCORAN, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. Derrybrien wind farm saga Sir – Thank you to Michael McDowell for highlighting the insanity that has been the sorry saga of the Derrybrien wind farm (' Demolition of wind farm cannot be justified ,' July 23rd). I have used this wind farm as a project for my 15 and 16 year-old geography students. I have visited the wind farm several times with successive classes over the past six years. It is not until you are standing at the foot of one of these enormous wind turbines that you realise the huge cost to the environment and exchequer it will take to dismantle them. There will be a huge amount of traffic, lorries and heavy plant equipment on narrow rural roads that will have to be used to dismantle the 74 turbines over years. It makes the case for wind farms saving carbon emissions a bit of a joke. The bog can never be restored to being a carbon sink with 74 concrete bases and the carving up of the blanket bog into a patchwork of roads and 2 metre deep drains. So what is the point of dismantling them? Every one of the students who have chosen Derrybrien as their project for their diploma and have done their own research cannot comprehend why they have to be dismantled. And neither can I. The next question is how much will it cost to dismantle them? If the blanket bog can never become a carbon sink due to the damage caused, what does that mean for the dozens more wind farms built on peat uplands all over Ireland when the time for decommissioning comes? Derrybrien has become the case cited for people objecting to wind farms on peat uplands (including in Scotland and Wales) and for academics in universities in the UK and elsewhere where they use it as a case study. The decision to dismantle is the culmination of multiple bad decisions and lack of accountability, and it will not benefit the environment, the community of Derrybrien or the carbon emissions it was built to save. – Yours, etc, CAROLINE KELLY, Whitegate, Co Clare. Sir, – In addition to the excellent points raised by Michael McDowell, there will be an additional cost in terms of the fines to be paid when Ireland fails to meet carbon emissions reduction targets in 2030. The bog slide of 22 years ago is water under the bridge. It is not too late. The Government must legislate to save the Derrybrien wind farm resources. – Yours, etc, PATRICK TALTY. Co Clare. Climate obligations Sir, – Breaching climate obligations is a wrongful act under international law (' Clean environment is a key human right, court rules ,' July 24th). Some of the words of International Court of Justice presiding judge Yuji Iwasawa that didn't make it into the article are worth highlighting. In presenting this groundbreaking ruling, Judge Iwasawa said: 'Above all, a lasting and satisfactory solution requires human will and wisdom – at the individual, social and political levels – to change our habits, comforts and current way of life in order to secure a future for ourselves and those who are yet to come.' – Yours, etc, HANS ZOMER, Chief executive, Global Action Plan, Ballymun, Dublin 9. Grocery prices Sir, – Your photograph of a basket of grocery products in today's Irish Times (page 12, July 24th) caught my attention. Of the 18 products identified I, in my time as a sales rep, sold 10 of them. Sadly, with the rise in the cost of food prices and the growing popularity of own label products, many of those brand leading products would not feature in today's average basket. – Yours etc, MICHAEL C O'CONNOR, Co Waterford. Taxing Irish companies Sir, – Fintan O'Toole warns that Ireland's windfall corporation tax revenues have lulled successive governments into 'laziness' and an instinct to avoid hard choices. (' Magic coins fill the coffers of paranormal Ireland ,' July 22nd). This shows up in how the tax system treats Irish start up companies. Multinationals enjoy a low headline 12.5 per cent corporation tax rate and can remit profits overseas easily. By contrast, an indigenous founder faces the EU's highest dividend tax rate (52 per cent) and the EU's fourth highest capital gains rate (33 per cent). In the round, Irish taxes on capital are the second-highest in Europe. To tempt a venture capital investor to invest ¤1 million over five years, an Irish start up must generate ¤11.7million of pre-tax value. In Sweden, the EU country with the best track record of nurturing startups, the equivalent figure is ¤8.7 million. This wedge dissuades successful founders from backing the next generation of entrepreneurs, and makes it impossible for startups to prize software engineers from the multinationals. Irish startups consistently cite a shortage of funding as their biggest challenge. If Ireland wants to diversify away from US multinationals, it should stop penalising Irish start ups. Irish entrepreneurs should not have to be smarter, harder working or luckier than their European peers to compete on level terms. – Yours, etc, SEÁN KEYES, Executive director, Progress Ireland, Baggot Street, Dublin. Sprat chat Sir, – I see from today's Irish Times that the Government is to ban the fishing of sprats in Irish inshore waters. ( 'State to ban sprat fishing inshore ,' July 23rd). In all of the 10 years or so that I have lived in the Republic, I have yet to see a fresh sprat as opposed to ones sold in tins. Can your readers enlighten me on where to find fresh sprats? – Yours, etc, DAVE WRIGHT, Co Wexford. Setting the record straight Sir, – Kevin Lyda (Letters, July 22nd), while defending Ireland's new abortion law, remarks: 'After repeal, I had hoped some anti-Repeal folks would actually help get things done to help families and make non-termination choices' more attractive. I must say that I have been disappointed, even in the low expectations that I had.' To set the record straight – since the new abortion law took effect in 2019, the Pro Life Campaign and others have repeatedly called on the Government to engage in dialogue with us on finding common ground between those with opposing views on abortion, with the aim of ensuring that no woman feels abortion is her only option. From press conferences, numerous public marches, contributions in the Oireachtas, public submissions, lobbying efforts et cetera, pro life individuals have worked tirelessly and constructively to engage with the government and successive ministers for health, but have been met with silence. Meanwhile, the abortion numbers have continued to soar year-on-year since the law changed, as pointed out in Breda O'Brien's excellent article (' As abortions triple, when will we admit that reluctant repealers were profoundly wrong ?,' July 20th). Pro-life groups and other voluntary bodies will continue to offer practical assistance on the ground to women facing an unplanned pregnancy and to new mothers and families experiencing difficulties. It is deeply regrettable however – and indeed unacceptable in a democracy – for the Government only to engage with one side of this issue when it comes to policy planning – while completely blanking the insights, perspectives and personal experiences of those with a different take on things who have an important contribution to make. We are in contact all the time with women who opted for abortion and now regret their decision. Disgracefully, their voices too are completely excluded from the decision-making process. This ongoing refusal by the Government to engage with differing perspectives cannot be defended and needs to change. – Yours, etc, EILÍS MULROY, Pro Life Campaign HQ, Dublin 2. Puck Fair and dates Sir , – You report that in the course of a Circuit Court hearing in Killarney seeking the retention of late opening hours for pubs in Killorglin during Puck Fair it was stated that the fair had been running since the last year of the reign of James 1 in 1603 ( ' Puck Fair's late-night drinking hours survive for another round ,' July 23rd). Whatever about the date of the first Puck Fair, 1603 certainly was not the last year of King James's reign, in fact it was his first year as king of England and Scotland. He died in 1625. Had he died on the earlier date we would have been spared the Ulster plantation and all that followed as a consequence. – Yours, etc, LOUIS O'FLAHERTY, Dublin 9.
Irish Daily Mirror
23-07-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Motorcyclist to face trial over pedestrian collision after family's DPP appeal
A motorcyclist is to go on trial next year in relation to a fatal collision with a pedestrian in Dublin city centre three years ago after the victim's family successfully appealed a decision of the DPP that there should be no criminal prosecution arising from her death. Marie Farragher Pollard (62) from Bruckey, Castlegar, Co Galway, sustained fatal injuries in the incident which occurred at around 10.40am at the junction of Eden Quay and Beresford Place, Dublin 1, on November 9, 2022. The retired nurse and married mother-of-three, who came originally from The Neale, Co Mayo, died two days later at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin where she had been rushed by ambulance for treatment for her injuries. The driver of the motorcycle was uninjured and did not require medical treatment. A sitting of Dublin District Coroner's Court on Wednesday heard an application by gardaí for an adjournment of the inquest into Ms Farragher Pollard's death under Section 25 (2) of the Coroners Act as criminal proceedings had been commenced in the case. Detective Inspector Ken Hoare told the coroner, Clare Keane, that the case was listed for trial in July 2026. Dr Keane granted the application and adjourned the inquest until a date to be determined on completion of related criminal proceedings. The coroner had previously been informed at a hearing of the inquest last January that Ms Farragher Pollard's family had appealed the decision of the DPP in relation to the Garda file on the fatal incident. The original direction that there should be no prosecution arising from the pedestrian's death has now been reversed. Ms Farragher Pollard, who had worked as a theatre nurse at University Hospital Galway until her retirement in 2020, was struck by the motorcycle while she was visiting Dublin to attend an exhibition. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week At the opening of her inquest in June 2023, her husband, Tom Pollard, gave evidence of formally identifying his wife's body. The results of a post-mortem showed Ms Farragher Pollard had died as a result of a traumatic head injury. Tributes paid to the nurse following her death described her as a "bright light" who was known for her charity work with Concern in Thailand and Bangladesh in the 1980s. Dominic McSorley, the then-chief executive of Concern, said Ms Farragher Pollard was a "compassionate, caring and professional" charity worker who "was loved by all including the refugees and communities she worked with." "Marie fitted in easily and effortlessly everywhere she worked," said Mr McSorley. Sign up to the Irish Mirror's Courts and Crime newsletter here and get breaking crime updates and news from the courts direct to your inbox.
Irish Examiner
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Live Aid's message of empathy and action should inspire renewed solidarity today
Michael Buerk's iconic BBC report from Ethiopia in 1984 was not the first to raise the famine alarm bell. Brothers Kevin and Mike Doheny from Ballinalacken, Co Laois, who worked with Concern in Ethiopia had been pleading with broadcasters to film the unfolding catastrophe. While the main networks including the BBC deemed it unsafe to send a crew, the Doheny's persuaded an independent cameraman, Paul Harrison, to travel to Ethiopia in July 1984. Later, back in London, when Harrison was transferring the film to tape at Visnews, the horrific famine footage was seen by a journalist from ITN. It was shown that night on their bulletins with a caption asking for donations to be sent to Concern in Dublin and was later picked up by French, Irish, Canadian and Australian media. It wasn't until October that year that Michael Buerk went to Ethiopia, and while he was not the first reporter to cover the crisis, his broadcast, with harrowing images shot by Kenyan cameraman Mohammed Amin, produced one of the most powerful television reports of the late 20th century. Bob Geldof saw the reports and decided that something, anything, had to be done. Band Aid was born, culminating in eight Live Aid concerts that raised £150 million, (equivalent of £490 million today) for famine relief and development in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa. The full impact of Live Aid on famine relief has always generated debate but, without question, it not only raised desperately needed funds (Concern alone received £11 million for food supplies for both Ethiopia and Sudan that saved thousands of lives), it also raised an extraordinary level of public awareness, sparking a global movement that led to increased aid spending and policy changes. As Geldof put it: We took an issue that was nowhere on the political agenda and…. were able to address the intellectual absurdity and the moral repulsion of people dying of want in a world of surpluses. Bono, having performed with U2 at Live Aid in London, travelled with his wife, Ali Hewson, to Ethiopia at the end of 1985 where they visited the Concern team in Wollo, the epicentre of the famine. Geldof and Bono, true Irish humanitarian activists, clearly attuned to Ireland's own deeply troubled history of famine, embarked on a lifetime journey that took them from charity fundraising to tackling the deeper structural causes of poverty. 40 years on from the momentous Live Aid concerts, while the narrative and conversations around humanitarian work have changed to be more inclusive and representative, the commitments to end global poverty and hunger have weakened. We have more data, technology and better resources but in a world that is more dangerous, more brutalized, with hunger and starvation on the rise, empathy and action is in short supply. Gaza, Haiti, Yemen, South Sudan and many more contexts are already in what is called "catastrophic food insecurity", one step away from starvation. Sudan, now more than two years into a horrific war has become the world's largest hunger crisis. Famine has been declared in north Darfur and is threatened in 13 other parts of the country. Twenty years ago, when I worked in Darfur, I saw how the horror of conflict and suffering shocked the world and yet when I returned last year, a new generation of Sudanese were reliving the same hell; except, this time, the world is failing to pay adequate attention or provide sufficient resources. Across the globe, humanitarian needs are rising as resources are diminishing. Apart from a handful of donors, including Irish Aid, which have stayed the course, funding levels for humanitarian and development work, already in decline, hit a new crisis level this year. The magnitude and suddenness of funding cuts from major donors means that, at best, 114 million people, 38% of the total number of people in need of humanitarian assistance globally (299.7 million) will be assisted this year, and then only if the $29 billion required to assist them is immediately forthcoming. And this is the problem - as of June 30, just $5.96 billion has been received. In contrast, global military expenditure reached a record high of $2.718 trillion last year, and this figure is set to be surpassed this year. Seventy years on from his 'Chance for Peace" speech, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower's words ring ever more true: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed'. Across the world, humanitarian actors and civil society are working relentlessly to respond to the escalating needs of conflict-affected populations. However, the lifeline that is humanitarian assistance can only be stretched and cut back so far. It is already at breaking point. If this trend of underfunding for humanitarian crises continues, millions of people in dire, life-threatening circumstances cannot and will not be reached with food, water, shelter, and protection. Many of them will die. It is that simple, that brutal, and totally preventable. Political self-interest We are failing, not just on resource mobilisation, but also at a political level. Human suffering is repeatedly sidelined by political self-interest. World leaders failed to agree an adequate climate finance deal at COP29 to help those countries that suffer the greatest impact of climate change. The UN Security Council has consistently failed in its mandate to maintain peace and security, refusing to call for immediate ceasefires, the protection of civilians, and the safe delivery of humanitarian aid in places such as Gaza and Sudan. The horrific images from Michael Buerk's report which shocked the word into action 40 years ago continue to be played out on our TVs and social media which pound us with even more disturbing images spurring public outrage and demands for political action. Yet with all our digital technology, reporting is highly selective. Little attention is given to the millions of people who struggle in the crises such as those in Sudan, and so many other parts of the world where there are still children dying in their mothers' arms, there are still people desperate for grains of wheat in the sand. They remain out of sight, out of mind, and marginalised from public and political attention. Live Aid broke the deafening silence around famine in Ethiopia. The enduring power of its message of empathy and action should inspire renewed calls for global solidarity in the face of ongoing challenges. We all have a role to play and as the UN turns 80 this year, we must urge member states to put empathy and action at the heart of every decision, and live up to its claim to be the one place on Earth where all the world's nations can gather together, discuss common problems, and find shared solutions that benefit ALL of humanity. Dominic MacSorley is Humanitarian Ambassador for the Irish humanitarian organisation, Concern Worldwide. For more details of Concern's work visit
Irish Independent
27-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Tributes following death of Clare man hailed as ‘global leader' in humanitarian aid
Mike McDonagh of Miltown Malbay and formerly of Ennis passed away on June 21, 2025, peacefully. For 34 years, Mike worked as a humanitarian. First, he worked with Concern for over 20 years, serving as country director in Somalia, Angola, Laos, Rwanda, North Korea, Zimbabwe, and many other countries around the world, moving on to work with the United Nations in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. He also previously worked with the HSE. Condolences have poured in from previous co-workers and friends from around the world. 'A global leader, Mike was truly an Irish humanitarian - there was no-one better at using charm, intelligence, humour to get the job done,' Dominic MacSorley, former CEO of Concern Worldwide, said. 'He passionately believed that everyone caught up in extreme crisis had a right to life saving assistance regardless of the risks and challenges. There was always a way. 'Relentless, impatient, funny, generous, he was above all, extremely effective. He was also lucky and no more so than when he met Sarah. 'He will be missed by many in Concern and across the humanitarian sector.' Another former colleague of Mike's said he was 'more than just a boss', he was 'a true leader, mentor, and a genuinely kind soul'. 'His integrity, humility, and quiet strength left a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege to work with him,' the tribute read. 'I still remember how he led with wisdom and compassion, always making time to listen, support, and uplift those around him. He believed in people — and that belief inspired so many of us to be better at what we do, and more importantly, better human beings.' ADVERTISEMENT "Fare thee well humanitarian and Development Luminary, we shall forever cherish your legacy,' another tribute said. 'Mike McDonagh was my first Head of Office in OCHA Sudan, and we cordially worked together. I loved his humility, visionary leadership, coaching skills and humour. 'He shaped my humanitarian career in the UN and inspired me to take up challenging tasks. May his soul rest in perfect and eternal peace.' Other tributes described Mike as an 'exemplary humanitarian' and a 'true beacon of hope for people in need across the world'. Mike is survived by his wife Sarah, his daughters Saoirse and Molly, and his extended family and friends. Mike will repose in St Joseph's Church, Miltown Malbay, on Friday, June 27, from 5.00pm to 7.00pm, with his funeral mass taking place the following day at 12.00pm.
Irish Independent
10-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Global Climate Café movement is coming to Wicklow this month
The climate café phenomenon has been growing since 2015, having started as a community-led movement in rural Scotland, with sister cafés continuing to emerge across the globe. The first event will be run by Concern Worldwide, Wicklow PPN and the West Wicklow Environmental Network on Saturday, June 14, from 10am to 1pm. Anyone interested in climate issues and over the age of 18 is invited to attend. Wicklow Uplands Council are then hosting a climate café on Monday, June 23, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, in the Wicklow Uplands Council office on Roundwood's main street. Both events are part of Concern's Intergenerational Climate Campaign. The ideas and opinions of participants will help shape a set of climate asks that Concern bring to the Irish Government ahead of COP30 this November. While both events are free to attend, you must first register for tickets at
