Politicians are only doing what is in their best interest in looking for votes.

Terry Prone tells us in relation to the American presidential election that ‘the rest of the Republican candidates for the nomination ... have to cope with rampant hatred, as a tool deployed by (Donald) Trump’ (Irish Examiner, January 11).

Alison O’Connor is right to advise women to question canvassers and politicians in the forthcoming election on female equality [Opinion, November 20].

In his recent TV programme David McWilliams went to London - a centre of colonial power for centuries - to get someone to denounce this small democracy and former colony as a ‘pariah state’.

The ‘reverence for Jimmy Barry-Murphy’ is richly deserved (Irish Examiner, Sport, August 31).

Well-known Irish ballet dancer Monica Loughman has secured a temporary High Court injunction aimed at preventing her former partner from terminating her employment or winding up a ballet company in her name.

Your columnist Michael Clifford rightly condemns the “same old political promises”, but he ignores the elephant in the room: media hype [Irish Examiner, January 3].

Michael Clifford says the Government has made a ‘hames’ of setting up the water infrastructure. If they have, the media coverage of the issue has not done much better.

Declan Kenny may be right or wrong when he says that the proposed Irish post-codes are “a mess that will be foisted upon us” as part of our “less glorified history” of “willful ignorance and incompetence” [Letters, October 17]. 

Nick Foley blames ‘Labour under Burton’ and ‘Labour under Gilmore’ for ‘slowly flaying Paddy alive’ [Letters, October 11].

The power of the media in influencing our political attitudes will be measured by the survival or non-survival of the Taoiseach between now and the next general election.

Terry Prone tells us that ‘shouting abuse at journalists’ is not good (June 23). Why is it not? The media are as much to blame for the bankruptcy of the country as the politicians and bankers.

Terry Prone’s article on ‘challenging sexism with humour’ is apt (Irish Examiner, May 12).

I welcome Oisín Sheehan (aged 11) to the debate on why there are so few women in politics (Letters, April 29).

A Wexford man has been sentenced to ten years in prison with the final three suspended for raping a Kildare woman while she slept.

Gardaí are investigating a shooting incident in Sligo town.

DOUGLAS, CORK

DETAILED evidence was given in a trial yesterday of what was seen in the seconds before two cars crashed, resulting in the deaths of two teenagers.

A TEENAGER who claimed attackers danced on his head, threw him into the boot of a car and drove him to a cemetery, denied yesterday he would say anything in support of his own gang to get other men convicted.

IN his column (November 10), Steven King defended Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi by saying “over-zealous magistrates have only managed to find against him on one relatively minor perjury charge”.

YOUR editorial on the Willie O’Dea affair blames what you call “our tolerance of institutionalised dishonesty” for the problems of the country (January 20).

THE issue of holding an inquiry behind closed doors into how the Government, banks, and developers nearly bankrupted the country seems to have ceased to be a subject of public discussion.

IN his letter headlined ‘All subservience spent’ (November 11), John O’Driscoll is wrong when he says we have stopped tugging the forelock. Celebrity media show-offs and taxpayer-funded politicians with an enormous sense of entitlement have replaced the landlord’s agent and the clergy.

AS the only fashion statement I seem ever to be able to make is to wear “hideous” clothes, I am heartened to learn from Terry Prone (August 3) that I should soon be in fashion.

YOUR report and editorial (May 14) on funding preschool education for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds who leave school early highlights a very important issue at this time.

COMPLAINTS by Seán Ó Neachtain MEP (Letters, September 22) about Libertas funding of the no campaign in the Lisbon Treaty referendum leaves him open to a charge of hypocrisy.

TOM CAREW (Letters, September 24) may well be right when he says the Taoiseach is “one decent, honourable, incredibly hard-working public servant”.

A 23-year-old man has died after apparently being assaulted with a slash-hook in Sligo town in the early hours of this morning.

A 23-year-old man has died following an assault in Sligo town in the early hours of this morning.

The Rat Pack will be better represented in Sin City after a road was named after Dean Martin.

THREE very low-grade flat races and some modest National Hunt fare make Thurles this afternoon the proverbial minefield as far as punters are concerned.

BEEF OR SALMON, whose jumping was suspect on his seasonal reappearance at Clonmel, will have a racecourse school this morning in preparation for Sunday’s Grade One John Durkan Memorial ‘Chase at Punchestown.

Barrow Drive could be on course for an early trip to Cheltenham after landing the National Lottery Agent Champion Chase at Gowran Park.

The feature of the second day of the Galway Festival, the McDonough Handicap, has gone to 8/1 shot Vinthea.