Letters: Next election campaign will be fun if energy of last weekend’s votes persists

The popular publican, who was endorsed by the Healy-Raes, surpassed the 2,095 quota by 128 votes in the Listowel Electoral Area. ​

But the really interesting part is Speedy Nolan was ably supported on the hustings by an energetic 84-year-old former Fianna Fáil politician, Dan Kiely, a once close confidant of former taoisigh Charles Haughey and Bertie Ahern.

As a senator, the colourful and charismatic Kiely would ­distinguish himself as a champion of Irish immigrants. The story of how he ­personally delivered 15,000 visa applications to a centre in Virginia in the US is wonderfully relayed in his recent best-selling memoir, The Final Count. So now we have the Energiser Bunny in Greystones and Speedy Nolan in Moyvane barrelling towards a general election on the power of lithium ion. Fasten your seatbelts.

Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry

Helen Ogbu’s election is a great response to creeping anti-immigrant sentiment

I was delighted that Helen Ogbu was elected as a city councillor last weekend. She is Galway’s first person of colour to be elected to city hall. In one way, it’s surprising that it took so long for something like this to happen considering the high non-national population of the city according to recent census results, approximately 20pc. Galway City East is the most culturally diverse area of Galway.

It was a good result too in the face of anti-immigrant sentiment emanating from certain quarters. As we all know, a number of candidates ran on an anti-immigrant platform, but all of these candidates were rejected in the three city wards. In fact, nationally, only a handful of anti-immigrant candidates were elected. What this means is that those that shout the loudest do not always represent the views of ordinary citizens.

Tommy Roddy, Ballybane, Co Galway

Macron’s comments on far right are risky, he must accept will of the people

While watching news reports of French president Emmanuel Macron announcing a snap election in the wake of the rise of the National Rally party in the French European Union elections, I was alarmed by the reports that “he cannot accept” the rise of the far right.

He may have genuine concerns regarding the French electorate moving towards the right. However, the fundamentals of any democratic society is to accept the will of the people through the ballot box.

This is extremely dangerous language for the leader of any country, as it may cause the electorate to fracture further, which would not be befitting of a republic which emphasises the importance of “liberty, equality and fraternity”, as documented in the most recent constitution of 1958.

Eamonn O’Hara, Manorcunningham, Co Donegal

Insidious appearance of swastika graffiti must be stamped out immediately

I’m not Jewish but I have many close Irish contacts and friends who are. I have been told of two recent incidences of graffiti where ­swastikas were scrawled in public view in ­places where my Jewish friends work.

They were ignored by ­passers-by, then reported to ­management by my friends, then subsequently removed. One of these places was the local university and the other a local supermarket. My friends and I were obviously disgusted that this type of graffiti didn’t attract immediate condemnation, and in hindsight, the gardaí should have immediately been contacted in both incidences. These incidences and a complaint would then be on record, and maybe CCTV could have been used to identify and punish the culprits.

Unfortunately, my children have told me that there was always the odd swastika carved into a desk or two at school. Having reported the perpetrators to teachers, the reply was “he doesn’t understand the meaning of it”, but given recent world events, the continued appearance of these symbols is particularly pointed.

The swastika is an insignia of the Nazis who were responsible for the elimination of six million Jewish people, along with countless other ethnicities who did not fit their ­intention to create an Aryan race.

Captives were murdered in death camps on an ­industrial scale. This symbol can only be ­interpreted as representing pure evil and is intimidating to those whose families have suffered at the hands of this evil.

Name and address with editor

French president’s D-Day decorum only highlighted Sunak’s self-indulgence

I was watching the D-Day 80th commemorations from the beaches of Normandy and was surprised by the sincerity and empathy shown by France’s president Emmanuel ­Macron towards the veterans. Sincerity and empathy are not words the public would associate with ­politicians, but its rarity was shown that day by a grateful president.

When Mr Macron pinned the Legion d’honneur to each of the veterans’ chests, he did so with pride and appreciation.

Although he was born long after D-Day, he was aware of the sacrifice so many made to free France and the rest of occupied Europe, and the ­contribution of the veterans. Before the veterans received their medals, he looked at each of them with a warm smile and read out their names and the Legion d’honneur citation. ​

When it came to bestowing the honour on 103-year-old veteran, British naval officer Christian Lamb, he surpassed himself with his touching and heartfelt speech, outlining her life and her contribution to the war ­effort. There was nothing staged in his actions, nor was he just going through the motions as we are so often used to seeing from politicians.

Where Mr Macron showed the ­essence of good manners, ­decorum and respect, the British prime ­minister was lacking in all these attributes when he deserted the ­Normandy beaches, in favour of a vanity TV interview in the hope of raising his profile for the ­forthcoming general election. By his self-indulgent action, Rishi Sunak let down a whole nation and insulted the surviving veterans and the memory of all those who died for freedom, the freedom that allowed him, in a ­democracy, saved by those he insulted, to reach the high office he holds.

Jim Yates, Old Bawn, Dublin 24