2 weeks Ago
The scrupulously egalitarian Vincent Browne first drew my attention to the curious media cliche of reporting that a notable figure, most commonly the President, had “led the tributes” to a given individual. Of course, the phrase is generally used in times of bereavement, when it would be tasteless to scrutinise the phrases that allow us to grieve as a nation. I was surprised and amused, then, to hear the presenters on Monday’s RTÉ Six One News announce that President Michael D Higgins had “led the tributes” after Rory McIlroy’s US Masters triumph.
I propose that as McIlroy’s achievement was a sporting, skills-based one, the speedy tributes of globally successful golfers should be regarded as “leading” the chronological and conceptual way. Surely Shane Lowry, who scooped McIlroy off the ground in a bear hug, outranks our President when it comes to offering “tributes” to his fellow Irishman’s golfing performance? Brian Ó Éigeartaigh, Donnybrook, Dublin 4 Conor McKeon’s article on Augusta was an excellent piece of sport journalism The article by Conor McKeon at Augusta on the back page of Monday’s Irish Independent is excellent journalism. Well done, sir.
Donal O’Shaughnessy, Rathfriland, Co Down What a roller coaster of emotions as Rory rose to claim the elusive prize The golfing gods at Augusta were intent again on cruelly testing Rory McIlroy during the final round, but with tremendous courage he overcame the pressure and adversity to finally pull on the green jacket. It was a roller coaster of emotions for the ages. Congratulations, Rory – no one deserves it more.
Aidan Roddy, Cabinteely, Dublin 18 Extremists don’t go about in uniforms these days, it’s hoodies and baseball caps John Downing’s review of the book, Burn Them Out , reminds us that Ireland has no natural immunity to fascism – a virus that never dies, only mutates (‘Ireland’s history has shown we’re not immune to fascism’, Irish Independent , April 15). From Blueshirts to British fascists, we’ve had our home-grown movements, waving flags and conjuring threats to nation and faith. Today, the tactics have changed.
The rhetoric is online, the uniforms are hoodies and the rallying cries are soundbites. Extremism spreads not so much through ideology as identity – fragmented, performative and viral. I suspect the next wave of extremism in Ireland will not come wearing jackboots, but casual streetwear and baseball caps, holding smartphones.
Enda Cullen, Tullysaran, Armagh Government must forget the negativity and get on with jobs they’re paid to do Before last year’s election, all was rosy in the garden, with promise after promise from the Government. Since the election, it has been nothing but negativity of how bad things could get. Tariffs or no tariffs, the Government needs to drop the negativity and get on with the job.
Maybe start by reaching out to all the contacts made while flying all over the world for St Patrick’s Day. This is a time for action, not scaremongering, then maybe we could be confident of an affordable cuppa. Seamus McLoughlin, Keshcarrigan, Co Leitrim Trump is in serious danger of someone kicking, not kissing, his you-know-what After the worldwide mayhem caused by Donald Trump’s tariffs policy, with much pride and scarcely concealed scorn he told a black-tie gathering that the world’s leaders were lining up to “kiss my ass”.
The sell-off of US bonds and market turmoil over the previous days caused alarm bells to ring loudly in the White House as billionaires and corporations got weak at the knees on seeing trillions of dollars disappear from their investments. They had a quick word in Trump’s ear, and he hastily paused the tariffs for 90 days as the bond markets were tanking. But of course he dressed this all up as a great win for America and his leadership.
If Trump and his team continue to threaten tariffs that will bring poverty and hardship to US voters, and across the world, there could be a bloodbath for the Republican Party in the mid-terms. In turn, disgruntled voters will “kick ass” good and hard, and the new administration will have nobody to blame but themselves. It is imperative that in order to preserve the norm in world markets, sensible dialogue on tariffs must be allowed to prevail with all economies in the months and years ahead.
Tom Towey, Cloonacool, Co Sligo Live in the moment and recognise your neighbour as your brother or sister John Scally (‘Courage of a very human hero carries the light of Easter out of darkness’, Irish Independent , April 12) is a reminder yet again of man’s inhumanity to man. The inclusion of German pastor Martin Niemoller’s poem, First They Came , is appropriate this week with the approach of Good Friday, the day when Jesus gave his life for all mankind. It is a day of sad commemoration, when rightly it should be a day of joyous celebration of the awesome gifts of forgiveness and renewal that Friday brought for mankind.
First They Came illustrates clearly there are “no others” in this life, irrespective of those who erroneously allege there are, as if they alone know how God thinks and what he or she thinks about mankind. Here are some words from Graham Hancock in his book Magicians Of The Gods (page 439) on mankind achieving “unity of being”. “What it will take is the recognition that we are, after all, one species, one people, one family, and that rather than waste our energies on murderous feuds in the name of ‘God’, or ‘country’, or political ideology, or selfish greed, the time has come for love and harmony to displace fear and turmoil in every aspect of our lives, so that we can secure the human future.
.. We will, in short, have to awaken to the full mystery of the magnificent gift of consciousness and realise we must not squander it an instant longer.
” To me this is the meaning of Easter: Live in the moment and recognise your neighbour as your sibling, irrespective of their choice of individualism by sex or creed. One should realise that every person on this earth originated in Africa. Declan Foley, Melbourne, Australia.
