It was with sorrow that I heard the RIC commemoration planned for January 17 was deferred. Surely we are mature and Christian enough to forgive the past.

As the world veers closer to the right and the isms - particularly racism, fascism and consumerism - we are in dire need of two essential entities; balance and respect for each others right to live in peace and comfort.

In some quarters of the media, it has been said that Verona Murphy is only saying what a lot of people think.

At this time of year, it is important that we remember the power of compassion, and the importance of those who choose to act in the face of suffering. Permit me to tell you the story of two nurses who were determined to never look away.

In response to Emilie Michael’s reply to my letter of December 14. I thank her for acknowledging that my statements were factual.

The insurance industry is ripping us off while the number of claims is falling, according to the Central Bank.

Palestine could have been wound up in 1967

Homelessness, poverty and the law are locked and linked in a symbiosis which perpetuates the former.

A national dental health plan, Smile agus Sláinte, was published to less than enthusiastic response from the profession, largely due to concerns about resource.

I love a good old storm. Watching the coverage on the news bulletins on TV from around the country is like watching coverage of the St Patrick’s Day parades.

Over the past few weeks, there have been many articles in relation to nationalistic-based rhetoric in Irish politics.

The 2018 Health Research Board report on alcohol treatment published this week presents both cause for concern and an urgent opportunity for change (Major increase in number of people who have already developed severe drinking problem when they seek help, figures show, November 19) The figures show that those in treatment report drinking significantly more on a typical day than should be consumed per week for low-risk drinking. This echoes the complacent and complicit attitudes towards alcohol misuse borne out of the Drinkaware Index study, with 10% of Irish drinkers reporting consumption of 7-9 standard drinks on a typical drinking occasion and a further 9% having 10+ standard drinks.

Your editorial lifted the spirits — ‘Remittance comment controversy: A shameful misuse of our parliament’ (Irish Examiner, November 14).

The level of intent is generally taken into consideration by the courts when determining the punishment being handed down to somebody who commits a criminal offence.

Is there no end to the inappropriate behaviour of our publicly elected representatives in the Dáil?

In Bishop Cullinane’s letter to schools in his parish, the Christian methods of prayer and meditation on Christ are offered as paths to freedom, but all others are dismissed, by referencing a homily by the Pope.

The Dental Health Foundation read with interest the ‘Learner Dad’ article by Pat Fitzpatrick: “As long as other people gave their kids more sugar than we gave ours, we assumed we didn’t have a problem”, about his daughter’s recent experience of tooth decay (Irish Examiner, Feelgood, October 18).

According to the Oireachtas Education committee, “a school’s religious ethos should not be allowed to influence teaching of sexuality and relationships” and it has decided that the present RSE (Relationships & Sexuality Education) programme delivered in our primary and secondary schools is “narrow and outdated” and needs a complete overhaul.

The racist chanting from Bulgarian fans directed at some England soccer players at the recent European championship qualifier match in Sofia was roundly criticised by the English FA and by Fifa, the world governing body of football.

President Michael D Higgins was right when he criticised the Turkish military intervention in Syria: “I am appalled by any possibility of coercion or forced returns of refugees and underline, in the strongest terms, that any attempt at demographic change is not acceptable.”

What Turkey is doing in Syria has serious implications for the rest of the world. International laws are being violated, civilians are being displaced, local demography is being changed and lives are being risked.

This crisis did not magic out of the blue. It is a result of a steady, predictable decline in capacity in direct provision since 2017.

Environmentally, the increasing number of visitors is unintentionally degrading the area that they come to see and admire most in the Burren.

The Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland (IAI) welcomes the conferring of “special core status” to history at Junior Cycle by Minister for Education Joe McHugh.

We have seen the latest attempt from a Government obsessed with being seen to do something about smoking.

A few decades ago, medical doctor and author John Bradshaw delivered an RTÉ Thomas Davis lecture as part of a series on morality and the law.

I wish if we had shown even 10%

Fifty-odd years ago two lifelines were thrown to rural Ireland by a Fianna Fáil majority government. In July 1961, Ireland applied for membership of the EEC. Just five years later, in September 1966, the minister for education announced his free education scheme. We then joined the EEC in 1973.

One of the almost universally accepted consequences of climate change is rising sea levels. This reality threatens homes, farms, towns and large cities.

The statement by the Apprentice Boys of Derry, acknowledging that members of the Clyde Valley loyalist flute band wore a contentious British Parachute Regiment emblem during an Orange Order parade and that this “may have caused upset to many in the nationalist community”, is deeply depressing.

I am sure that Ms O’Regan-Sheppard (Irish Examiner, 8/8/19) is perfectly correct in pointing out the unfair advantages enjoyed by Airbnb properties over traditional, regulated forms of tourist accommodation, but this alone would not lead to the development of a single-night culture as opposed to longer stays.

Your editorial (Irish Examiner, August 7) dealing with the attendance of young Fine Gael members at a conservative youth conference is dangerously intolerant of opposing views, and dangerously incendiary by attempting to link the inherent evil of white supremacy and racism to mainstream conservatism.

Hey Jude, let’s start to make it better, be nicer.

I arrived hungry and angry as some strange man removed me from my place of comfort.

Allow me to I put the following points to Daniel McConnell ‘Ireland is too hardline on backstop’, (Irish Examiner, August 3) for his consideration.

John Wall made headlines in recent weeks after taking to social media asking the HSE for an explanation as to why his medical card has been revoked twice since his terminal diagnosis of stage four prostate cancer two years ago. Here he reflects on what has happened since and why he is determined to see his battle through to conclusion.

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan’s rejection (viz, Sean O’Rourke RTÉ Radio 1, July 8) of a 43-year-old apology together with a statutory Inquiry into the 1976 Sallins mail train robbery/miscarriage of justice case should come as no surprise to me, to my family or to the other families whose loved ones were wrongly accused, beaten in garda custody and imprisoned in connection with it.

With the economic recession, compounded by greed and avarice on the part of some landlords, and the annual rates, many commercial concerns have closed while others struggle for financial survival.

The result of the recent behaviour and attitudes poll showed a considerable slump in Fine Gael’s

Data is the new oil bringing great benefits for digital media corporations. But how does this advance the cause of humanity?

The long-awaited Government Action Plan is remarkable not only for what it includes, but more especially for what it leaves out. It was easy to hit all the soft targets and the usual suspects.

The headings on the pages of Monday’s newspapers proclaimed Dublin’s record ninth provincial title in a row.

Elaine Loughlin reported “Fianna Fáil leader wants the Dáil to go wild” in the article ‘Green welcome for FF’s wild proposal’ (Irish Examiner, June 14).

For the first time in I don’t know how many decades, we are building a hospital. And a national children’s hospital at that.