Age-old question: At what age does a life become worthless?

While we may show respect for the elderly, that respect comes from a place in Irish society where older people are pushed to the margins, says Sabina Brennan.

IMAGINE for a moment that you are an emergency room doctor. Think ER rather than A+E. Paramedics burst through double doors presenting you with two patients.

Both have serious gunshot wounds. Both will die without immediate treatment. You can save only one. One is 27, the other is 87.