It’s interesting to note within months of its signing how two of the main protagonists viewed it.
In 1998 at a ceremony in Arbour Hill cemetery, then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern noted “our nation is and always will be a 32-county nation. Antrim and Down are and will remain as much a part of Ireland as any southern county”.
However, David Trimble, Northern leader, weeks later stated: “The illegal territorial claim to Northern Ireland in Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish Constitution has been removed and the south now accepts the legitimacy of Northern Ireland”.
There is a big difference in interpretation between the two leaders.
Recent DUP and Conservative Brexit shenanigans have cemented Trimble’s take.
Dublin’s problem with Northern Ireland is colored by their negative view of republican nationalist ideas of a united Ireland. The southern region never spoke with a unified voice. Varadkar’s flying different colored kites insults Irish nationalists who genuinely seek a unified country. Much of Dublin’s strategy on Northern Ireland is linked to their view of Sinn Féin.
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John Cuffe, Co Meath
It’s clear the Government’s priority is horse stables ahead of classroom tables
Representative bodies of more than 3,000 schools in Ireland have made a public plea for additional government funding. In 2023, places designed for child development and learning have become the University of Oliver Twist bearing the motto, ‘Please Sir, can I have some more’.
The government’s policy of providing a small snippet of funding does not come close to meeting the financial requirements of providing educational services and operational needs.
Their request for €50m in additional funding is met with a dismissive response from civil servants, who occupy well-heated offices and respond with a typical bureaucratic line of “we will consider it and get back to you”.
Perhaps if schools were run from stables, the money would flow freely.
In the 2023 budget, €91m was allocated to horse and greyhound racing. That’s €72.8m for Horse Racing Ireland and €18.2m for Greyhound Racing Ireland.
Money extracted from the citizens’ purse is being used to support two minority recreational interests that are marred by animal cruelty, illegal drug use, and financial malpractice.
The government’s stance appears to prioritize horse stables over classroom tables, and greyhound racing tracks over repairing classroom infrastructure.
It’s time we face reality and confront these issues.
Ignoring these harsh realities will keep the government in perpetual detention, forcing them to write “Children’s education must come first” 50 million times.
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John Tierney, Association of Hunt Saboteurs, Dublin 1
Some swine cut Curly Wee – a pig’s ear of a decision for such a big newspaper
Just as I was starting to get over the loss of Curly Wee and the way he was unceremoniously let go, I strongly believe that those responsible for this decision should be summoned before the Oireachtas Media Committee to explain why it was made without any consultation.
A newspaper with 50 pages each day couldn’t spare a few inches for Curly Wee.
I look forward to seeing Curly Wee back where he belongs, and I have no doubt that if he chooses to run in the local, general, or even presidential elections, he will have my vote. William Troy, Dublin 8
Moving rabbits to other areas of the country surely better than a mass cull?
Reports indicate that the OPW is planning to cull rabbits in Co Kerry.
Instead of killing these animals, there could be an argument made for trapping and relocating them to other parts of the country, where rabbit populations have dwindled due to the abundance of American mink and the resurgence of the pinemartin.
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Peter Declan O’Halloran, Belturbet, Co Cavan
After Trump is silenced, can we use the same power on all the other spoofers?
It seems like a dream come true. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team is attempting to prevent Donald Trump from making “inflammatory” comments, albeit only in relation to people involved in a specific court case.
Is there a special mute button? Based on his past behavior, it seems unlikely that Trump will keep quiet voluntarily.
If such a button exists, there would certainly be a high demand for it, as most of the public is tired of listening to politicians and their lies, damned lies, and, in this case, promises.
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Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia
Micheál, the Shinners are not brainwashing their youth, this is your legacy
I’m telling you, those Shinners are corrupting the minds of our youth.
The fact that Micheál Martin and his “all shook up” followers gathered at a pub named the Horse and Jockey for their so-called think-in would surely bring back memories for many members, perhaps reminiscing about the good old days at the Galway Races. Those were the days when party members who dropped €50 on the floor of the Galway tent wouldn’t even bother to pick it up.
Poor Micheál just can’t let go. He had to take a swipe at the Shinners, accusing the media of praising Sinn Féin, who, according to him, are “infecting” the minds of Ireland’s youth.
It’s a shame that some of the farmers protesting outside his think-in forgot to remind him to look in the rear-view mirror. If he did, he would see the devastation his party caused during the boom-and-bust years.
The youth of that time had their lives turned upside down, with emigration being the only option for many.
Those who stayed behind are now aging with graying hair, finding themselves on never-ending housing waiting lists, competing with other homeless individuals who fled war in their homelands.
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James Woods, Dún na nGall
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