Letters to the Editor: Who are the judges really defending?

One reader writes into to say that 'dishing out the same old suspended sentence time after time must get boring, but it is especially important to get members of the Defence Forces back to work'

Attack victim Natasha O'Brien and her mum Anne attending the women's protest in Limerick last weekend.

What a great job judges in Ireland, and especially in Limerick, are doing! They help all those nice criminals and encourage them in their all-important careers while, at the same time, advising victims of what is really important.

Dishing out the same old suspended sentence time after time must get boring but it is especially important to get members of the Defence Forces back to work — after all, aren’t they the ones who are employed to keep us safe?

And, of course, after offering such wonderful service to the criminals of the State, judges deserve to live in lovely homes in crime-free parts of town. 

Pity the poor bar workers who have to traverse the streets at night.

Anne Murtagh, Kilkenny

Sentences should fit the crimes

It is apparent that a significant contributor to violence by men towards women can be found in our courts. The imposition of a suspended sentence by Judge Tom O’Donnell on the soldier convicted of assaulting Natasha O’Brien is by any standards unduly lenient.

This leniency is particularly troublesome seeing as some citizens of this State have served custodial sentences for not having a valid TV licence.

It is my view that sentences handed down by the courts should reflect society’s abhorrence of particular crimes. I believe there is much unease among the citizens of this state at the disparities in sentencing by some judges.

One of the four pillars of the Judicial Council of Ireland is public confidence in the judiciary and in the administration of justice.

However, there appears to be no framework for elucidating clear, coherent sentencing principles in our courts.

Tom Cooper

Templeogue, Dublin 6

Time to stand up to cowardly attackers

The soldier who beat a young woman in an unprovoked attack in Limerick city and was given a suspended sentence of three years. This was outrageous, to say the least. It sends out the wrong message of violence against women and then he boasts about it on social media.

This was a cowardly attack on a young girl on her way home from work, and fair play to the person who saved her from much worse. This is very frustrating for the gardaí who thoroughly investigated this case.

We need more women like Natasha O’Brien and protests to stand up to these cowards who think they can beat up women and get off on a suspended sentence.

Noel Harrington

Kinsale, Cork

Thank you Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh

I am very saddened to hear that Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh has left us.

His commentary on the first floodlit game in Croke Park on February 3, 2007, between Tyrone and Dublin will always stay with me.

I cannot remember his words as the game was about to start, but I will always remember the vivid picture he created of all the legends of Gaelic games gathered in their celestial seats looking down on the new Croke Park packed to capacity in the month of February.

Thank you Micheál for that and the myriad of pictures you painted for me over all the years.

Michael Gannon

St Thomas Square, Kilkenny

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Workers need apartments too

In my opinion, most of the student accommodation built since the 2016 Tenancy Act has been developed predominantly on sites more suitable for permanent "residential" houses and apartments for people who live and work in Cork City. 

The purpose built student accommodation developments so far are definitely at a higher density than should be allowed, like having six to eight-bed apartments with a kitchen/living/dining area for eight to 10 people in one apartment at €11,000 for a 10-month stay.

Then, of course, these buildings are used for "tourist" accommodation during the months when students are supposed not to exist between May and September. 

That is another contravention of the 2016 Tenancy Act as purpose built student accommodation is by law exclusive to the student body and not for tourists or other tenants, as these developments are also designated as tax-free, being supposedly for a social benefit to society.

The bottom line here is we need real apartments on these inner city sites for real working people who want to live in the city, not for temporary transient students and tourists. 

If that’s a problem, then move the university 20 miles west and start again as should have been done before this purpose built student accommodation madness began.

Brian O’Callaghan,

Cork

Defending the right to die

Please, in this democracy may I have the right to choose how I want to exit this planet? ( Oireachtas committee proposals on assisted dying ‘completely rejected’ by bishops, Irish Examiner, June 24)

This legislation will not bring about compulsory medically assisted death.

It will enable those who choose to make formal arrangements to have medical assistance at the end of their lives, to have their suffering eased, without any fear of criminal prosecution for medical team or family members.

It does not block the right of anybody to accept and find meaning in their suffering. It’s all about respect, choice and sound administrative procedures.

Is féidir linn!

Mary Fitzgerald

Killavullen, Mallow, Cork

Fool Britannia

In the second half of the 1990s, when Cool Britannia was at its peak, the fault lines in Britain were clear and obvious: Oasis on one side, Blur on the other.

While some may think that bright and shiny New Labour was akin to Blur, the truth is that the Tony Blair revolution was more Oasis. It rocked the system.

The Blur response was to change its initial rather ’80s pop vibe, allowing it to become cool enough to fit in again, à la David Cameron’s Conservatives.

Now, Keir Starmer’s Labour is set to ramp up the revolution started by Mr Blair and that was left largely unchallenged by the soon-to-be thrashed Tories. Think of it as the surreal Harry Styles era of British politics. Audacious for sure, but what’s really behind all the glitz and glam?

The ordinary Joe (be that a he, she, or they) might feel re-energised with the Harry hype, but this is sure to be ephemeral.

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK could be seen as a throwback to The Lightning Seeds, coming with another version of ‘Three Lions’ to whip up some English nationalism.

So we’ve gone from Britpop to pop goes Britain. Cool Britannia is long dead. All hail Fool Britannia.

Brendan Corrigan

Bogotá, Colombia

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