Letters to the Editor: Irish defence forces in Middle East only serve Israel’s aims

Irish soldiers have been serving in Lebanon and the Middle East since 1958. Forty-nine Irish soldiers lost their lives on these missions, 47 of them while serving with UNIFIL and two with UNTSO. Picture: Sam boal/Photocall Ireland

Speaking this week on the Claire Byrne programme, Cathal Berry TD said it is in Ireland’s “vital interest” that Irish troops stay in Lebanon to prevent the regional war from escalating.

Irish soldiers have been serving in Lebanon and the Middle East since 1958. Forty-nine Irish soldiers lost their lives on these missions, 47 of them while serving with UNIFIL and two with UNTSO.

This has been a huge sacrifice by these 49 soldiers, and a huge loss to their families and their Irish Defence Forces colleagues.

Cathal Berry did not explain why it is in Ireland’s “vital interest” to expose Irish soldiers to such tragic loss of life.

UNTSO has been in existence for over 75 years since 1948, and UNIFIL for 45 five years since 1978. Any UN peacekeeping mission that continues for so long has been failing to achieve peace.

Arguably, the presence in the region of these UN missions has enabled Israel in particular to avoid peaceful resolution of its conflicts with the Palestinian people and with neighbouring Arab states. It has also enabled Israel to illegally occupy and attempt to annex large amounts of Palestinian territory and the Syrian Golan Heights.

Irish soldiers serving with UNIFIL will not prevent Israel from once again attacking and occupying parts of Lebanon and will not help to end the Israeli war crimes, and probable genocide, that are occurring in Gaza.

The decision of the Irish Government to withdraw the Irish contingent from the Golan Heights this coming April is the correct decision and a similar Irish Government decision should be made with regard to Irish soldiers serving with UNIFIL in Lebanon. There are other important conflicts, especially in Africa, where Irish soldiers could be more effectively deployed on genuine UN missions.

Edward Horgan, Castletroy, Limerick

Spend on needy, not dead language

In response to Jennifer Horgan’s recent piece on the Irish language, I agree with some of the points: obligatory regime, academic approach to teaching. However, I feel the points about feeling culturally adrift with signs and peers seem comical at best.

The Irish language tax funding is unfair as the vast majority have no interest, no connection to a practically dead language and the idea of forcing people to go along with such a regime is unfair given the need to fund and enforce the delivery of basic needs in this sorry, divisive State.

I speak as a former national school teacher from the uncultured Limerick-Shannon industrial area where I felt culturally dumped upon.

It’s natural, I guess, to big up your own culture but in the grand scheme of things it’s like sticking a Paddy hat on some statue.

Seán Olibhear Ó Gallchobhair, Strawberry Hill Cork

Lovett story opens old family wounds

The programme about Ann Lovett on TV before Christmas, and the subsequent feature in the Irish Examiner (January 3) by Rosita Sweetman were harrowing.

My dad was born in Granard on October 3, 1916, and he never spoke of his parents but cried when it came to Granard and Ann Lovett. He said there was never Christianity, charity or compassion in that town, and that [Ann Lovett] could [have been] my mother or me. Eventually he told me his mother was not married, and he had lived in the poor house.

He maintained that his mother was later driven out of Granard, where she, her husband and four children left Ireland to start a new life in Australia. He always believed that Brinsley McNamara’s book, Valley of the Squinting Windows, could have been written about Granard, when the author was driven out of his home village of Delvin, Westmeath, where people believed that he [was referring to them in the book].

My father always spoke of his mother, and wondered if she loved him. The most difficult thing for him was to tell me that his parents were not married. I put my arms around him, saying that he was not responsible, and not to blame himself. So I asked why he did not tell me [before], whereupon he said that I would abandon him like his mother. He kept asking if she loved him. I then told him that I would not abandon him, and cared for him after his stroke, and cared for him for 11 years, whereupon he would go to St Oliver’s ward, in St Finbarr’s hospital, for two weeks for respite, and home for four weeks, where he received wonderful, loving care.

I also contacted a genealogist in Sydney, where she had found his brother, and spoke to him.

Name and address with the editor

96FM tone deaf on Tubridy times

All my extended family and friends, without exception, have asked me to let you and the people of Cork know of our shared and genuine disappointment at the decision of 96FM to reduce the air time of Oldies n Irish from four hours to two.

It is particularly galling that their motivation for doing so is to provide airtime instead for the British programme of Ryan Tubridy, someone we believe is an overrated Dublin 4 windbag of arrogance.

This is a big mistake and will only lose them Cork listeners.

I have also contacted 96FM directly as a courtesy. I also intend to contact as many advertisers on their station as I can to let them know that we will be abandoning that station until they reverse this stupid tone deaf decision.

Anthony Barry, Passage West, Cork

Celestial tributes a menace to animals

For many, a public expression of their grief following a personal loss involves releasing balloons or Chinese lanterns skyward. A floating companion to a spirit starting its celestial journey.

However, this public tribute carries a danger to domestic and farm animals, wildlife, and the environment.

Releasing balloons or lanterns into the environment is essentially ‘pretty littering’.

Released balloons and lanterns float back to earth as plastic confetti strewn on the ground and their shape and colour can attract the attention of an animal. Balloon shards and attached string become a choking hazard which can lead to a veterinary emergency which often results in death.

Humane alternatives to balloon and lantern include planting a tree or garden as a living long term reminder of a special someone.

Having a bubble party with large bubbles made with eco-friendly soap mix is a fun way to bring people together to remember or celebrate a person’s life.

The pin of awareness needs to burst those balloons whose defined trajectory — what goes up, must come down — causes so much lethal damage.

John Tierney, Chairperson Waterford Animal Concern

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