Happy new year Micheál, it can’t be as bad as 2021

HE WAS in peril of being the first leader of his party not to become the Taoiseach when he was so elected in June 2020 in the midst of a pandemic of yet unfathomable predictability and effect.

He has had to ‘address the nation’ more times than any predecessor in such a short interval, invariably bearing bad news.

His manoeuvre room for even normal political ‘spin and evasion’ has been severely constrained by the logic, integrity and bluntness of medical science and its practitioners.

He is reminded, poll after opinion poll, of the seepage of his party’s traditional republican vote to a relative ‘reborn’ to democratic politics.

He is constantly in the firing line, taking relentless punishment on a daily basis from an opposition gifted with an ‘every which way’ posture by the fog of a truly unprecedented state of affairs to befall his country while meantime the buzzards in his own party prepare their ‘flight plan’.

His county having reached this year’s All Ireland hurling final made headlines in being awarded no All Stars, can it get much worse?

Unfortunately I’m afraid so, his Tánaiste in government will in little more than a year have taken his post from him.

As the person with ultimate responsibility he continues to toil for this country as he genuinely sees fit, so in deference to the season upon us, ‘party politics’ aside, he is surely deserving of our appreciation this Christmas time, despite his just having had to reimpose restrictions that may last into the early weeks of the new year.

Have a happier new year, Micheál.

Michael Gannon, Kilkenny.

Respect your elders

IN the light of attacks on some of our senior citizens, the Gardaí recently urged people to keep a close watch on elderly neighbours. Such is obviously sound advice and should be heeded.

While many younger people show respect for their elders, sadly, it is the opposite case with some others. A friend of mine in his seventies lives beside a man who, for reasons best known to himself, refuses to bid him the time of day. However, the ‘old fella’ in question, is good at ignoring people when the need arises.

There will be a sad lack of Christmas spirit about this selfcentred individual and there are many more like him in our midst. There are also the people who will be beating their breasts in churches during the festive season and, also stopping speaking to former friends. What hypocrisy!

Eric Rice, Navan, Co Meath.

Brilliant? Absolutely

OF late I have heard, on more than one occasion, something being described as absolutely spectacular. At least one person wonders if there is a difference between spectacular and absolutely spectacular or brilliant and absolutely brilliant, etc?

Seriously though, there is an urgent need for a campaign to reduce the use of the overused word which must be headwrecking to many listeners. I have even heard radio presenters who should know better repeatedly saying ‘absolutely’.

Willie Wilson, Waterford city.

Lament for a poet

I WAS greatly saddened to hear of the recent passing of Thomas Kinsella, one of our greatest poets.

In 2007, he was quite rightly granted the Honorary Freedom of the City of Dublin.

He was best known for great works such as the Butchers Dozen, Mirror In February and Another September, as well as his translation of Táin Bó Cúailnge.

He went on to become the poet in residence at Illinois University and was later Professor of English in Philadelphia in the USA.

So many of our own students here at home were introduced to his poetic words through the Leaving Cert curriculum.

I first discovered his work in Soundings but I have to say that my own personal favourite was always Mirror In February.

Kinsella would also have had the distinction of being the only living poet at that time who was on the Leaving Certificate school syllabus.

His works unequivocally captured his lifelong love affair with Dublin.

I always found that his writings captured the zeitgeist of the age and this was quintessentially his gift as a poet.

It’s so sad to hear of his passing. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h’anam dílis.