Like many before me, I’ve spent most of my adult life living and working in London. Although I haven’t been back home to Munster since a wedding in the mid-noughties, I keep tabs on what is happening there, as best I can. That tradition is long-established, well respected and good for purpose.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine four months ago, it occurs to me that we need to rethink our position on neutrality. I don’t say that as someone who has cosied up to the auld enemy. I say that as someone ready, willing, and able to read which way the wind is blowing in Europe now that Putin has shown his true face to the world.
Before all this started, the Russians made a show of strength by effectively infringing on our territorial waters, to make a point about how prone the high-speed computer cables and international shipping lanes nearby are to attack. It beggars belief that we lacked the ships, aircraft, and manpower to track their progress properly. Relying on the RAF in particular to nanny us through a crisis isn’t unacceptable so much on the grounds of atavistic chest-thumping but because being seen to be one of the weakest and most cowardly children in the neighbourhood is tantamount to suicide now that the biggest bully there has lost all sense of reason, proportion, and restraint.
Of late, I’ve continued my habit of going to the Russian consulate here in London to post material challenging Russian aggression, seeking assistance for the Ukrainians, and resisting any and all attempts at appeasement. While there, I am frequently asked: why are you here and what has it to do with you?
Firstly, I’m a European so I deeply resent how the likes of Aaron Banks can sue somebody like Carol Cadwallader for simply stating that he had far too many meetings with the Russians prior to the 2016 EU referendum here in the UK.
Secondly, I’m a humanitarian so I am enraged by the indiscriminate and disproportionate targeting of my fellow Europeans in Ukraine by a poorly led, poorly deployed, and poorly disciplined rabble of raping, torturing, and murdering barbarians.
Thirdly, I see how it is increasingly likely that small states will be as grist to the mill that are an increasingly unstable US to the west and the twin threats of rampant authoritarianism to the east.
Many of the readers of this newspaper will, like me, have visited countries in Russia’s shadow. We need to pay heed to advice from our brothers and sisters in Finland most of all. Their history resembles ours. Their strengths and weaknesses are not that dissimilar.
Their instinct to fight tooth and nail when put in a corner should also ring a bell with us. Mouthing auld catch phrases is all well and good but the threats now are real, present, and all but unavoidable unless we take steps to protect ourselves.
Kevin Thomas O’Connor
Stockwell
Lambeth
London
Joining Nato will not benefit Ireland
There is much talk of the expansion of Nato these days.
I wonder would those commentators pushing for us to join a military alliance, which includes the UK, have been so bellicose a hundred years ago when we ourselves were in a similar situation to Ukraine.
When the UK was fighting to “defend the rights of small nations” in the First World War, it spilt blood in this country to crush ideas of nationhood here. Many people living in Ireland then in positions of privilege supported the British in their defence of “law and order”.
This is the hypocrisy of large powers, even to this day.
There will be no benefit to joining Nato, only cost, risk and moral culpability in war crimes done by “partner nations”, including the USA, the UK and Turkey.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is brutal, but let’s not react hastily to jump into a boat where we don’t belong.
Fachtna O’Raftery
Clonakilty
Cork
No action on crisis in Defence Forces
Minister Coveney was fast enough to permit members of the Defence Forces be deployed to Dublin Airport to assist if required with security duties. Unfortunately, when it comes to addressing the crisis in the Defence Forces regarding retention of personnel, mainly due to pay and conditions, no action is taken.
Not only that, but six months after the Commission on Defence reported, we are still waiting for his plan to address the crisis in defence. At a time of crisis regarding European defence and security, you would expect that measures to address our deficiencies would be expedited. Clearly not.
Conor Hegarty
Blackrock
Co Dublin
End dependency on Dublin Airport
I recently travelled to Germany and back via Dublin Airport. The journey by bus [from Cork] to Dublin took longer than the flight to Germany. Being obliged to get a bus means adding a few extra hours waiting around in Dublin airport each way in order to be sure of not missing connections if the flight is delayed or traffic on the road is heavy.
In fact my outward flight was delayed by about two hours and the return flight was cancelled and rescheduled for the evening, I was woken by text to inform me of this at 5.30am.
Though glad of the early warning, my night’s sleep was cut short. I had to book a new bus journey back to Cork for 1am arriving into Cork around 4am before the final leg of the journey home. I was lucky to be able to do so at such short notice as many bus services were booked out and the only other alternative would have been an overnight hotel stay — if a room was available.
While I have every sympathy for staff who were off sick, as long as Dublin Airport continues to get priority over the regional airports, and the majority of air traffic is funnelled through it, this kind of saga will be repeated over and over.
Were there regular, year-round direct flights from my local airport to the places I want to go, I would not be making a 500km round trip by bus to Dublin Airport and turning a trip abroad that shouldn’t last more than a few hours into a 12-hour marathon.
Nick Folley
Carrigaline
Cork
Complain directly to your ministers
Over the past weeks/months many people have contacted newspapers/radio talk shows expressing dissatisfaction with the performance of the Government. Many feel the ministers to be “out of touch” with “real life”.
I wonder, how many have actually contacted government ministers to express that “dissatisfaction”?
I would urge people to communicate directly with government ministers to express their dissatisfaction.
I also suggest such communication be polite, respectful, kept brief and to the point, following the “KISS” principle — keep it short and simple).
Michael A Moriarty
Rochestown
Cork
Protect Cork City’s inspiring views
Michael Moynihan writes that London has a very extensive protected view corridor system, designed to protect iconic views — ‘As Cork expands and develops we must not lose sight of the views’ ( Irish Examiner, June 30).
This is news to many readers and most people would agree it is a great idea. All too often new office blocks or whatever can turn a scenic urban area into a depressing eyesore.
The idea that inspiring views should be protected is a great one, especially for a hilly riverside city like Cork which is situated on the shore of one of the largest natural harbours in the world.
(Stand on top of Cathedral Road on a fine sunny day for a spectacular view of the harbour and its hinterland.)
Stand by the Berwick fountain on the Grand Parade when there is a cruise liner docked at Kennedy Quay and look down Oliver Plunkett St. The superstructure and masts give the illusion that the huge ship is parked behind the bus station on Parnell Place.
There are some fantastic views in Cork City and we should follow the example set by London and protect them.
Michael O’Flynn
Friars Walk
Cork
Famine figures
Now we’ve a population equivalent to the census calculated in 1841, of more than 5m people, should we also be preparing for another famine of sorts, which does not have to entail the much maligned spud?
I think so.
Robert Sullivan
Bantry
Co Cork
