18 hours Ago
It is an interesting time for Pope Francis to have ushered in a Holy Year, also known as a jubilee, for the global Catholic Church – a time for peace, forgiveness and pardon. With the sad reality of Bethlehem closed for Christmas for the second year running and our news feeds dominated by images of the brutal reality of life in war-torn Gaza and Ukraine, it is a time for everyone to use whatever influence they have to promote and protect peace. This starts in our homes and extends to our schools, workplaces and communities.
Will 2025 be the year peace finally has a chance? Stephen O’Hara, Carrowmore, Sligo With EU at odds on threat from Russia, let’s be clear on how fragile freedom is EU member states disagree on the implications of Russian threats and the extent of their willingness to respond with “boots on the ground” in addition to material contributions (‘With Trump on way and no end to war, EU is in a defence muddle’, Irish Independent , December 26). Peace is earned through sacrifice. As Ronald Reagan said: “Freedom is a fragile thing, and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction.
” It is not ours by way of inheritance – it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation. Giles Brennand, Kinsale, Co Cork As an American, I can only apologise for my country’s horrific support of Israel As a citizen of the US, a country that is greatly aiding and abetting the abject slaughter of the men, women and children of Palestine, I applaud the people of Ireland for condemning Israel, perpetrator of the ongoing massacres in Gaza and the West Bank. I also apologise, profoundly, to the people of Ireland, Palestine and the entire world for my country’s appalling support of Israel’s campaign of ethnic cleansing.
I can only hope the US will some day come to its senses and cease its aggressive support of Israel’s ghastly behaviour in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. In the meantime, please know that I and millions of my countrymen applaud the principled stand taken by our good friends in Ireland. L awrence Reichard, Belfast, Maine, US Only one obvious reason for Netanyahu to dodge ceremony at Auschwitz Karl Martin states that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unable to attend the Auschwitz commemoration ceremony as he is too busy, among other things, fighting three wars on separate fronts.
(Letters, December 26). I would suggest Mr Netanyahu’s generals are quite capable of fighting the wars – of Israel’s own making – without his interference. The more probably explanation to my mind is that on arrival in Poland, Mr Netanyahu would be arrested and sent for trial at the International Criminal Court, which has found sufficient grounds to charge him with war crimes and crimes against humanity.
David Murphy, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14 Verona Murphy is lucky to win Ceann Comhairle role after transfer-friendly vote The role of the Ceann Comhairle is the only role that has been filled in our new Dáil. If a political party wins an election, the role is usually given to a senior person who has been loyal and has served the party with distinction, but when there is a hung parliament, it is usually an Independent who fills the post. Verona Murphy is lucky.
She is only in her second term and has won one of Ireland’s most coveted jobs. The position comes with many perks, including automatic election to the next Dáil. The result of the last election reflects a tight outcome.
It will be remembered as the election where there was little between the major parties and how important it is to be transfer-friendly as transfers were the key to a lot of wins. Thomas Garvey, Claremorris, Co Mayo London exhibition struck chord with my experience of difficult emigrant life Martina Devlin’s article on emigrant life and living conditions (‘The lodging room in a London museum that leaves many Irish visitors in tears’, Irish Independent , December 27) brought back many memories. At 16, I lived in a bedsit and worked on a building site in Birmingham.
The hardship of that life kept me focused on my studies, which ultimately led to a career as a teacher. Like many Irish emigrants, I worked hard to make something of myself, and those early struggles shaped my path. The Rooms Through Time exhibition in London resonated deeply with me, reminding me of the sacrifices made by emigrants and the resilience they showed.
It is humbling to see our history recognised in this way, particularly as I later married a woman whose parents were themselves emigrants to London in the 1950s. Enda Cullen, Tullysaran Road, Armagh Make a point of signing up for ‘Veganuary’ and make a big change for the better It has been a turbulent and difficult year, but 2025 presents an opportunity for the change you wish to see in the world and to embrace a kinder, healthier and greener future by choosing vegan meals. While many New Year resolutions are forgotten by February, those who start their vegan journey today will end 2025 having spared 200 animals from the abattoir and having lowered their own risk of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
They will also have reduced their climate-impacting emissions by up to 75pc. There is a reason the month of January has been rebranded globally as “Veganuary”. A fresh year is the perfect time to align our values with our actions while trying exciting new foods.
Peta’s free vegan starter kit (peta.org.uk) is packed with hints and recipes to help you get started.
Jennifer White, All Saints Street, London Christmas may be over, but the next is only ever just around the corner With the last of the turkey duly demolished, and the in-laws gone home, I was just saying to my wife this morning: “Sure, you won’t feel it until Christmas”. Ed Toal, Galway.
