Letters to the Editor: Why I will not put my name forward for presidency

'OK, I’d get in free to the matches, but I’d probably have to throw in the muddy ball or shake hands with colossal rugby types, whose grip would crush my fingers'

Fri, 01 Aug, 2025 - 01:00

After a period of reflection, I have decided not to seek a nomination for the presidential election.

My thanks to those who encouraged me to answer Ireland’s call, not for any leadership skills, values, vision, pride in the jersey, etc, on my part but for the free digs when they’re up for the Kerry football matches.

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Obscuring body parts on internet

The modern technology which can prevent airport passengers' own private body parts from being seen by members of airport security is something that should, obviously, be welcomed by everyone.

But, I think, this same helpful technology — with its ability to obscure parts of the human body — could also be put to great good use everywhere on the internet to prevent illicit images of the human body from being observed by mistake by underage individuals who could then, as a sad consequence, become disturbed by them?

Such safety measures that are presently designed to keep the travelling public’s modesty intact at many airports could also, I feel, in the near future potentially make the internet of the 21st century a much more safer place for many people to happily grow and develop their talents and their abilities in?

Along, too, with less hidden dangers for them to worry about?

Hopefully, this should be the happy outcome — most especially for the young and the vulnerable?

Sean O’Brien

Kilrush, Co Clare

Minister must protect Irish hare

During Biodiversity Week, James Browne, the minister for heritage, declared in the Dáil that “respecting our wildlife means protecting them”.

Will Mr Browne respect and protect the Irish hare, an icon of biodiversity, by refusing licences for another season of cruel hare coursing?

He is currently considering an application for the licences which would allow bloodsport clubs to capture thousands of hares and use them as live lures for dogs to terrorise.

Monitoring reports from the past coursing season tell of hares with a broken leg, sore eye, and toe injury as well as a lame hare who “struggled to run off”, a hare who “collapsed as it was running”, a hare who died on release and “hares found dead on the day after coursing”.

Some hares were pounded into the ground by dogs and “euthanised as a result of injuries”.

All the hares suffered fear and stress while being netted from the wild, manhandled, confined in captivity and forced to run for their lives.

Mr Browne must respect the right of wildlife to live free from persecution, and promptly protect hares from this horror.

Philip Kiernan

Irish Council Against Blood Sports

Mullingar, Co Westmeath