City must first deal with the culture of violence

NOW that Cork is about to assume the mantle of European Capital of Culture, perhaps the city fathers might turn their attention to what’s going on in the city centre at night time, especially at weekends.

Many people feel unsafe walking the streets as coarse and aggressive simian types roam about from pub to pub, while various brutes urinate and vomit against shopfronts.

The city is increasingly characterised by acts of (largely unreported) vandalism and there is an ongoing threat of gratuitous violence - especially at weekends - as neolithics in varying degrees of intoxication crawl home to their caves.

In this post-Celtic Tiger age, where the aggressor seems to have more rights than the victim, there is a complete lack of authority at all levels of society, and Cork is no exception.

It seems ridiculous to erect signs promoting the Capital of Culture when, in reality, the place exhibits the worst elements of a medieval town.

If nothing can be done to make the city a safer place, maybe the Cork 2005 organising committee could arrange open-top bus tours for visitors who could be shown around at night and given bananas and nuts to throw at the troglodytes.

Anthony Hartnett

14, Chestnut Grove

Bishopstown

Cork