Letters to the Editor: Suicide is still a serious problem in Ireland

Former Ireland footballer Clare Shine ahead of this Year’s Darkness Into Light. Picture: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Darkness Into Light, the flagship fundraiser for Pieta House has developed into a powerful movement, one that sends out a message of hope, compassion, and support to many people.

It also plays a major role in addressing the stigma and shame that in the past became synonymous with suicide.

Many people walk in remembrance of family or friends lost to suicide, others walk to support those who are bereaved and also those who are suffering the anguish of mental health.

The presence of so many people participating in the Darkness into Light walk also demonstrates the strength, solidarity, and openness that has emerged as a result of the walk.

This year’s walk takes place at 4.15 am on Saturday, May 6, and unfortunately, since last year’s walk, many more families will have experienced the tragedy that is suicide in their lives.

We cannot become complacent about suicide, it’s something that is rarely reported but it is happening all too often. Were it not for the presence of Pieta House, and other charities and agencies, suicide figures would be much higher.

To all those who will participate in this year’s walk, just remember that your support will highlight the fact that suicide is still a major problem in our country and will help to provide professional assistance to those who need it most.

John Higgins

Ballina

Co Mayo

Wrong diagnoses leading to abortion

As a mother to a child who died following a life-limiting condition diagnosed in the womb, I am appalled that the abortion review is seeking to make it easier to abort babies like my little girl, despite the revelations of abortion after misdiagnosis which have now come to light.

Terrible mistakes have already been made under the 2018 act and abortion is irreversible.

In the Baby Christopher case,
a little boy was mistakenly diagnosed with Trisomy 18 and aborted. 

His distraught parents later learned that further tests actually showed he was perfectly healthy. 

We were told these mistakes would never happen yet this catastrophic error occurred just three months after the law was introduced.

Now we know that the State Claims Agency also faces two additional cases where it is likely babies were aborted after a misdiagnosis.

During the abortion referendum, families pleaded with then Minister Simon Harris for an opportunity to inform the legislation given our concern that this would happen. 

Our concerns were ignored. The safeguards were not implemented. And babies and families have paid a terrible price.

It almost beggars belief that the abortion review does not even refer to these cases. Instead, it seeks for the HSE to remove even the unsatisfactory safeguards currently in existence.

It is heartbreaking to me that in a debate often focused on political point-scoring, the love and joy that babies like my daughter can bring to the world is rarely considered.

In the rush to make abortion available, it is all too easily forgotten.

Vicky Wall

Dungarvan

Co Waterford

Peace is needed now to save Ukraine

The war in Ukraine is a humanitarian disaster similar to the war in Sudan. 

Yet calls for peace are silenced. An immediate ceasefire should be called for with a return to high-level talks in order to achieve a peaceful resolution.

Ukrainian soldiers rest in a shelter at the frontline positions near Vuhledar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Sunday, April 30, 2023. Picture: AP Photo/Libkos

Sanctions, drones, and missiles have not prevented the horrific slaughter of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers along with thousands of others being maimed both physically and mentally for life.

High time to march for peace in Europe and abandon the warmongers! Then Ukrainian refugees could return home and rebuild their country. 

As young men die in their thousands, their wives, parents and children are spread all over Europe starting new lives maybe never to return and that would be a tragedy.

Such a scenario will make it impossible for the country to recover if this war continues.

It will end up just another failed State joining Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

It is time to save lives rather than pour in more weapons and prolonging this war.

It is not a time for grandstanding. A neutral country like Ireland is well positioned to broker this peace so that Ukraine will have an opportunity to build a future.

Nuala Nolan

Bowling Green

Galway

Crowning of king is now just old hat

In regard to the coronation of King Charles III in the UK, I wish to put forward a critique of the view of monarchy propagated by politicians and those influencing political opinion in Ireland.

Monarchy is an anachronism, a relic of feudalism and should have been abolished centuries ago. It was with the political theories of republicanism, democracy and socialism that monarchy was deemed to be irrelevant in societies aspiring to be modern and progressive.

Modern republicanism has its origins in the English Civil War in the 17th century which challenged the feudal order and where for several years there was no king. 

This was followed by the American Revolution and the French Revolution. Along with republicanism, ideas of democracy and socialism began to become popular among the working classes leading eventually to the Russian Revolution.

These revolts against monarchy and for societies based on democracy and equality also found an echo in Ireland in the rebellions of 1798 and the Easter Rising of 1916.

Finally, it is worth recalling here the words of one of the leaders of the Easter Rising, the great Irish socialist James Connolly, on the occasion of the visit of King George V to Ireland in 1910.

“Monarchy is a survival of the tyranny imposed by the hand of greed and treachery upon the human race in the darkest and most ignorant days of our history. 

It derives its only sanction from the sword of the marauder … its gifts to humanity are unknown, save as they can be measured in the pernicious examples of triumphant and shameless iniquities”.

Kieran McNulty

Tralee

Co Kerry

Time for monarch to right wrongs

With the coronation of the British monarch approaching, it’s important to recognise the role of monarchy in our inherited history.

Indigenous and republican groups from 12 Commonwealth countries are calling on Charles to acknowledge “the horrific impacts on and legacy of genocide and colonisation of the indigenous and enslaved peoples”.

The coronation of King Charles III takes place on Saturday. Picture: Dan Kitwood/PA Wire

We in Ireland should join this call. Why not? We still play cricket in the Commonwealth. 

We have never had a proper apology from the royal family for the years of war and crimes against a civilian population. Elizabeth’s few words at Dublin Castle in 2011 were flimsy and totally insufficient.

More than an apology, we need reparations for stolen land, stolen culture, and stolen lives. 

Descendants of wealthy settlers still profit from their privileged position during the Plantations, the Penal Laws, and more.

One hundred years ago, the Free State was too reluctant to create social change, and preferred to keep the Ascendancy close to power, and high above ordinary people.

Today is time, with still so much inequality, is time to stop all of this nonsense. Wrong was done in this country by warlords calling themselves noble. It’s time to right those wrongs.

Jack Desmond

Clonakilty

Co Cork

Off-shore turbines

How good to read our dilatory Government has, at least for the moment, removed their attention from onshore to off-shore wind turbines. 

However, their present plan sounds debatable in the extreme: very close to the shore of a most beautiful area of Connemara coastline and exceptionally high turbines, the result of the small distance off-shore suitable for fixed-bottom wind turbines needing shallow water sites.

If planning is cleared for the first projects, fixed-foundation turbines will be visible on the east coast from Louth to Wexford and on the west coast off Connemara, very close to the shore, with no consideration of environmental consequences to seabed, coastal sea life and fishing, not to mention tourism.

Meanwhile, we have these huge areas of deep water along the south and west coasts where floating turbines could provide increasing levels of renewable energy. 

Floating offshore technologies allow wind turbines to be used in deep water up to 1km deep using anchors and mooring cables. 

In Ireland floating wind turbines would work well in our very deep water, too deep at the preferred over 22km from shore rule, for bottom-fixed turbines.

Of course, resources will need to be in place for grid reinforcement and infrastructure required to connect floating offshore wind to the grid. 

The first floating wind farm, off the east coast of Scotland, is supplying the Scottish grid.

Dr Anne Baily

Carrick-on-Suir

Co Tipperary

Spread it around

Hopefully, the reduction in the price of butter will be spread evenly among us.

Tom Gilsenan

Beaumont

Dublin 9