I would like to respond to Justine McCarthy’s thought-provoking piece about having empathy for our neighbours who are in need of debt- forgiveness (“Playing the neighbour blame game won’t win mortgage war”, Comment, last week).
Irish people, led by our political class, did over-extend themselves. People could have moved onto working-class estates in Dublin for less than €240,000 at the height of the boom. However, everyone wanted to live on leafy, middle-class estates.
So people on modest incomes borrowed more than €350,000 to live the dream. They added fitted kitchens and trimmings with supplementary loans for tens of thousands. This was on top of lavish Celtic tiger weddings and his/her SUVs.
I’m sorry, but I resent being asked to pay for that. These people should return their keys, learn how to use public transport, and go on a social housing list. Then they’ll be my neighbours and they’ll be living in the real world.
Tom McCarthy Kilmore West, Dublin 5
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1916 quarter has backing
Michael Clifford’s column “There’s no profit in sale of heritage for political gain” (Comment, last week) made welcome reading for those of us campaigning for the development of the GPO/Moore Street battlefield area into something more worthwhile than a shopping centre. Our proposal, to develop a 1916 cultural quarter of excellence and education, has received widespread support from all political parties, groups and independent TDs. Despite this, the area continues to decline.
It is not quite accurate to claim the government has no view on the matter. A Dail motion proposed by Sinn Fein on our behalf was carried. It places on record “that Dail Eireann welcomes the minister’s assurance that the monument is fully protected”. That being the case, a developer’s application to build must be refused.
James Connolly Heron, Ranelagh, Dublin 6
Hear my song
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Why was there no mention on your list of The 100 Greatest Irish Films (Culture, last week) of Hear My Song. This quirky movie was released in 1991 and told the story of Irish tenor Josef Locke, starring Ned Beatty, and with a cast that included Adrian Dunbar, Frank Kelly, Anna Manahan and James Nesbitt. It used a litany of Irish locations, including the Cliffs of Moher, O’Brien’s Tower and Davenport hotel.
Michael Baynes by email
Better choice
It’s a pity you didn’t include Today Is Better Than Two Tomorrows, a documentary by Irish director Anna Rodgers that evoked the mysticism of Southeast Asia that makes that part of the world so special.
Shane O’Reilly Foxrock, Dublin 18
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It’s a corker
Your article Cork girls went topless (News, May 20) highlighted an apparently common practice in 16th-century Kinsale, as documented by Laurent Vital, the royal secretary of Archduke Ferdinand of Habsburg. Vital seems to have had somewhat of an obsession with Irish women’s breasts, detailing their size and shape. Maybe this is where the phrase “It’s a Corker” originates? It might also explain why the French tended to land at Kinsale in “support” of their Irish allies.
Mark Lawler Kilmainham, Dublin 8
Data protection
Phil Hogan, the minister for the environment, is threatening to gain access to personal data in pursuit of those who have not paid the household charge. Hogan should understand that if he does so without authorisation from European authorities, he will leave himself open to legal actions based on principles in the European Convention on Human Rights.
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John Kelly Mullingar, Co Westmeath
Flocks in translation
Leo Varadkar should realise that tourists don’t expect clean streets in Dublin (“We can scrub up well for visitors”, Brenda Power, Comment, last week). Hasn’t he heard the song Dirty Old Town?
The tourists that spend the most are the older generation. Many older Europeans don’t speak much English. And that means they don’t bother coming to Dublin for fear of communication problems.
So Varadkar should wake up and smell the macchiato. Big spenders are queuing up to be relieved of their euros in Ireland. Provide linguists for the service industry and watch those European pensioner wallets come flocking.
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Paul Cleary Castleknock, Dublin 15