For all their talk of representing ordinary working people I find Sinn Féin’s decision to fly Mary-Lou McDonald around the world in business class reeks of hypocrisy and double speak.

Make no mistake about it — the system of Direct Provision is a continuation of Ireland’s institutional abuse in the early 21st century.

Recently, I went early to Páirc Uí Chaoimh with a threefold purpose: (1) to watch a couple of senior hurling matches involving four clubs with a decent record of success to their credit, and, hopefully, be entertained by them.

I concur with your editorial (September 13) of the late Ian Paisley whose political career was punctuated with nakedly sectarian acts and deeds and the destruction of many political initiatives and moderate leaders of unionism who were engaged in genuine attempts to bring peace and stability to Northern Ireland.

While everyone is entitled to hold their personal opinions, however misguided, it behoves them at least not to distort facts in order to support them.

I wish to thank the Irish Examiner and Jim Roche for their excellent history pullout which appeared in the Irish Examiner on August 23rd last.

Next week the Champions’ League group stages begins and it highlights the complete failure of John Delaney to steer League of Ireland clubs anywhere near the pinnacle of European competition.

What a depressing illustration of the dearth of genuine talent within the current political class, if all it takes to be considered the next messiah is for someone like Leo Varadkar to say in public what is clear to everyone who has ever experienced the Irish health service, that the health budget is either not enough or not being spent correctly.

Former minister Phil Hogan has been named as [EU] Agriculture Commissioner and normally one might like to see a resumé of past achievements, but would this not resemble washing our dirty linen in public?

I can sympathise with the sentiments of Isaac Barr, of Michigan, with regard to living in Haifa as he did in 1948 as a 14-year-old (Irish Examiner, Wednesday, September 10).