Letters to the Editor: The spring equinox restores our energy

Celebrating the Spring Equinox is Pai Lily Hughes aged 10 from Dublin. Picture: Justin Farrelly

Spring equinox marks a time of rebirth in the Northern Hemisphere, with the sun moving north across the equator and daylight and darkness almost equal at 12 hours each. I hope that the spring equinox, which occurs this week, will be a watershed, marking the beginning of the end of the mentally exhausting coronavirus.

The arrival of spring has certainly put a spring in our steps and joy in our hearts. Summer time begins next Sunday, March 28, so the days will be noticeably longer. The trees are sweetly blooming while warmth, growth and greenery are returning. Birds are singing and building nests, bees are buzzing, while animals are mating and producing offspring.

As a third lockdown nears an end, the arrival of spring restores our energy. Spring whets the appetite for exercise, sport and outdoor life.

Alfred Lord Tennyson maintains that in Spring a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of love. Mine turns to sea swimming in Fenit, walking in Banna Strand and the mouth-watering anticipation of a feast of Gaelic games. But this year also, with child-like enthusiasm, I await my turn to be vaccinated. In the poetic words of Brendan Kennelly, ‘I have no fear of death, yet I’m in no hurry to die,’ as I still have a great deal of living to do!

Billy Ryle

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Tralee

Co Kerry

Sport: Sour grapes leave bitter taste

How pathetic to hear sections of the British media demanding an inquiry as to the appalling display of their equine stars at the Cheltenham Festival.

Racheal Blackmore, right, and Jack Kennedy after their Cheltenham Festival success.

Could it be the Irish have better horses? And that they are looked after/fed and trained better? And that our jockeys are superior? It was bad enough having your back-sides kicked for four days racing, without your Rugby team having theirs, handed to them on a slab in Dublin.

Sour grapes leave a bitter taste!

Sean Kelly

Tramore

Co Waterford

Man does not live on bread alone

Outside queues for takeaway coffee are ok; outside queues for Holy Communion are not? Supermarkets can be packed; churches cannot? Supermarkets must limit the number of people; churches do it, it’s ‘exclusionary’ and better to allow no one in?

Yes, people need to buy food and drink. Jesus also said “man does not live on bread alone” (Matthew 4:4) and “unless you eat my body and drink my blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). Churches are as safe as anyone can make them. Should they reopen now as quickly as possible? Again, I leave the last word to Jesus: “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s – and to God what is God’s” (Mark 12: 13-17)

Nick Folley

Carriagline

Co Cork

Grand Parade: Why not meet me there?

William Lyons, Protestant bishop of Cork, writing to Sir Robert Cecil, Secretary of State for England in 1600, in effect against an extension of the city, stated that he heard wise men of great experience say that the city was too large already and that the Corporation should make better use of what they had. Lyons need not have been overly concerned, the boundary extension envisaged then did not materialise for another 400 years. Nevertheless, the advocacy and vision of the present city council for the regeneration of Cork is impressive.

The most significant, in my view, is the funding for the central library in Grand Parade. This is much more than the development of a new central library. The development when complete, along with the associated works on Bishop Lucey Park, is one of a number of elements that will make Grand Parade one of the finest urban places of any European city.

Grand Parade has a north-south orientation which means it gets plenty of sunlight. It is a wide street with mid-height old and new buildings. As one saunters southwards on Grand Parade there will be a number of ‘surprises’. There is the English Market and the medieval city wall. There will be a visual sense of the street being framed, not only on both sides of the street, but also at the end of the street. As one progresses along the street, one realises there is something before the buildings at the end of one’s view — a river. And when one gets to the end, there is a boardwalk with wonderful vistas of churches and bridges both upstream and downstream.

Who will write the Cork Saunter? Grafton Street will not be the only wonderland!

Kevin Terry

Cloyne

Co Cork

Cork City must protect its core

The proposed dockland development for Cork loses sight of the historic decay at the heart of the city. We don’t need a comparison with Dublin or anywhere else. Cork city needs to preserve and protect those beautiful old buildings at its core that define our place. First, let’s respect what we’ve got. Hoping for a small touch of wise leadership.

JP Long

Friars’ Walk

Cork

Private blessings for same-sex couples

It is difficult to understand why some members of the Catholic Church expect the Vatican to lift its ban on blessing same sex-unions. The institutional church is very clear on the issue when it states that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered... Under no circumstances can they be approved.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church). 

Pope Francis. Given that most Catholics in Ireland express opinions about contraception, divorce, and abortion incompatible with papal teaching, why look to the Vatican for enlightenment on same-sex marriage? 

The Church reiterated its traditional stance on February 22 when the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that same-sex unions cannot be blessed because God “does not and cannot bless sin.”

Given that most Catholics in Ireland express opinions about contraception, divorce, and abortion incompatible with papal teaching, why look to the Vatican for enlightenment on same-sex marriage? It seems pointless! An alternative is indicated by the growing practice of Catholic priests bestowing blessings on same-sex couples in private. This would have been unthinkable 30 years ago.

This seems like progress.

Dr Don O’Leary

Ballyviniter, Co Cork

What we can do for a sustainable future

I write to reflect on the changes we all need to make regarding a sustainable future.

• • Can I cycle, walk, car-pool, take public transport?
• • Can I consider the items I need to purchase throughout the day?
• • Where will the plastic go? How can I recycle properly?
• • How can I be a good example to others and to our children?
• • Can I lobby politicians, councillors to drive for a greener future?
• • Can I volunteer to keep my area litter-free?
• • Can I reduce the energy I consume?
• • How many of us know what the Sustainability Development Goals are?

During the pandemic, we have all become more aware of the wonderful countryside we have. Let’s give it the respect it deserves.

Declan Whelan

Leamlara, Co Cork

Irish radio: Give musicians a break

Irish musicians haven’t been the best represented on Irish radio in recent years. This has influenced the lack of homegrown music in our national charts, compared to so many countries in Europe. You are also more than five times more likely to hear an Irish male artist than an Irish female artist on Irish radio. Talented Irish women artists need to be heard. Irish radio should be full of homegrown music of people of different backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations and genders. Our radio should be representative of our society.

Take Lesley Roy for example. You’re extremely likely to hear the same song by an international artist multiple times in an hour on the same station. If you suggest similar treatment for Roy’s ‘Maps’ you’d be considered mad to give that airplay to what many would consider the best song and artist to represent Ireland at the Eurovision in two decades.

Let’s stop the cycle of waiting for homegrown artists having to establish themselves abroad before getting the attention they deserve at home.

Gavin Brennan

Jervis St

Dublin 1

What about Stander!

The very best aspect of the great win over England at the Aviva on Saturday was the emotion, tears, gratitude and integrity of CJ Stander in the aftermath of the game. While with us, he made the most eloquent statement as to how the red of Munster and the Ireland jersey should be worn, but none more so than in this his final game for us. Totsiens, mooi loop! CJ

Michael Gannon

St Thomas’ Sq, Kilkenny