Copyright independent
There was more than enough evidence of the blatant disregard for democracy and the deliberate blocking of candidates to ensure that, when people got a chance to show their disgust, they acted in the only way available to them and spoiled their votes. Hopefully, this will lead to an awakening of efforts to ensure that in future, disregarding the wishes of the people when they are allowed to display them after proper and balanced debate will result in rejection by the people. Mary Stewart, Ardeskin, Donegal town Fianna Fáil must reclaim itself from rule-by-one set-up with some urgency I used to vote Fianna Fáil. I bought into their aspirational notions of abolishing partition. So much for all that. But as the men in mohair suits became more associated with hair-shirts, and as FF shrank in popularity and reason d’etre, they became more Fine Gael than the Blueshirts. Today, Micheál Martin ranks in a plethora of grey men in blue suits like Macron and Starmer, selling their version of an uncaring elite. Our housing system is smashed, our immigration policy broken and an effort to appoint another blue suit to be our president by Mr Martin failed. Instead of rallying around Martin and giving him a grand EU presidential six-month farewell, the party now finds itself in a state of crisis that was totally avoidable. It’s time Fianna Fáil reclaimed itself from this rule-by-one set-up. Eventually, the rope runs out for both FF and FG. John Cuffe, Co Meath Connolly should focus on building bridges to reconnect with main governing parties President-elect Catherine Connolly was recorded in a Dáil debate transcript (November 8, 2016) as stating: “I rarely use such strong language, except in regard to the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil parties.” Such is a past example of intrinsically robust commentary the president-elect has espoused with respect to the government parties that ought to be abandoned upon assuming her new role. My own party, Fine Gael, is composed of members who joined the party with a view to making a positive difference to current affairs in this State, such as through support of more pragmatic, prudent and progressive politics. The party membership is mainly made up of unpaid participants and volunteers who comprise a cohort of citizens with a conscientious viewpoint regarding the welfare of the country. Likewise, I am sure Fianna Fáil members would have the same opinion regarding their own party. Former president Mary McAleese began her successful two terms in the role with a theme of “building bridges”. Perhaps it would be wise for the president-elect after her inauguration to be mindful of building bridges of her own with respect to the governing parties. Councillor John Kennedy (FG), Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown I ditched TV drama when even characters appeared bamboozled by the plots I read with relief Ksenia Samotiy’s article on the tyranny of “must-watch” TV (‘The relentless churn of ‘unmissable’ TV shows has sucked all joy out of viewing’, October 28). I appear to be fully delinquent. I have never seen a Netflix series in my life, yet I hear people discussing them now with the same emotional bandwidth once reserved for religion or scandal. There was a time, I confess, when I was devout myself. In my early 30s, I watched Coronation Street religiously, and friends knew better than to telephone me at 7.30pm. At the height of the drama, when Deirdre Rashid was jailed, someone even erected a sign on my front lawn proclaiming: “Deirdre is innocent.” Certain neighbours, assuming it referred to the Troubles, had to have the matter gently explained. I gave up once the plots descended into such confusion that even the characters themselves seemed uncertain whose bed they were waking up in. Since then, I have restricted myself to the two remaining pillars of reality, horse racing and the news, though the latter delivers little cheer. I will not be seduced by streaming platforms or their algorithms. If my cultural illiteracy condemns me to discussing only the weather, I am perfectly content. At least it still has seasons. Enda Cullen, Tullysaran Road, Armagh People are deserting the church because their voices are being ignored In a recent moving speech in Tuam Cathedral, Fr Mark Quinn blamed constant criticism by the media of the church for many lay Catholics leaving it. Probably the real reason why so many people have left the church is that they have come to grasp the truth that they have always had little or no voice in how it is run. In the 1970s, if lay catholic parents really had a voice to express themselves clearly at that time, they would surely have asked the leaders of their church to make sure its teaching orders must stop shouting at and beating their children so much. The clergy should, today, start the long overdue process of sitting down from time to time with laypeople, just like Jesus did with the family of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, so that they can discuss together better the stories of the gospel if they really and truly want more lay Catholics to return to their church? Sean O’Brien, Kilrush, Co Clare Prince Andrew should become ambassador to remote islands full of penguins The whole Prince Andrew matter has gone on too long and it might be time for him to retire into the background or go elsewhere. Maybe he could be the ambassador to the remote Australian Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands that gained fame when Donald Trump tariffed the penguins there. It is puzzling as to why Prince Andrew is interested in a two-for-one swap of houses, especially as one is big and grand and the other two are small. On what basis is his ex-wife – living under the one roof despite being divorced – entitled to a ‘free’ home, given that she left the royal firm? Enough is too much in this case. Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia
