The voiceless can still have their say

Sir — Fianna Failers who might still blast out in his or her cups The Men Behind The

Wire in an unguarded moment when they think the pub holds no fear of being seriously found out, become all sentimental and hold sweet tenor tones in the ‘sneaking regard’ of the “bit-forIrelanders”.

Leopards and grassroots type spots of republicans of the small ‘r’ variety still stalk the minds at election times.

I’ve heard them... the men whose fathers held mass meetings in the old days with rallying cries such as: “There’s men here tonight who fought and died for Ireland.”

One such offspring told me lately that my grandfather and his brother fell out because they took opposite sides in the Civil War and never spoke again for the rest of their lives... “not even attending the funerals of each other” (sic).

He appeared dewy-eyed and half cut as he imparted his unnecessary information.

I did not know of his friendly nudge and wink, carried-for-alifetime secret, prior to him literally bumping into me, thankfully. But we can only work with what we’ve got and listen to thunder at these times.

Good luck all to all participants, especially the passionate unknown individuals whose photos look down from the poles, and who have personal and real, small local community concerns; yet their presence among the ‘big boys and girls’ shows me that despite my inherent cynicism regarding ‘established’ parties and Dail politicians, the voiceless can sometimes have their say at polling stations, albeit rarely.

They are possibly the new voice of the defunct town commissioners/council, which was a retrograde step too far.

That everyone can stand in this election gives us the hope that democracy still lives, and we applaud those ‘little people’ who put themselves before the electorate, in times when local voices go unheard. Robert Sullivan, Bantry, Co Cork