Letters: You’d have to be out of your mind to celebrate boxing

People who pay vast amounts of money to watch the unedifying spectacle of so-called sportspersons trying to scramble their opponents’ brain cells need therapy. There are many contact sports but boxing is the only one where the quickest way to victory is to render your opponent temporarily unconscious.

This can only be called grievous bodily harm which, outside a boxing ring, is an arrestable crime. Sport it is not.

Boxing is just a money-making exercise and is controlled by some not-very-nice people.

David Ryan

Co Meath

Why do we put up with the menace of e-scooters?

In light of the slowness in bringing forward legislation over e-scooters and bikes, the first recorded death of a pedestrian by an e-scooter in Britain was reported widely by the BBC and has failed to get a mention here. A grandmother in her 70s was knocked down and died as she was about to enter a shop.

A 14-year-old youth received a six-month custodial sentence while his parents received an Asbo-type order against them and were held liable for all costs present and future. In summing up, the judge was at great pains to point out that footpaths are for pedestrians and only, which is something that needs to be applied here in this country.

Despite the fact that the primary function of a footpath is to be a designated safe area for pedestrians, people are taking their lives into their hands by running the gauntlet of e-scooters.

Anton O’Ceallaigh

Malahide, Co Dublin

It can take a Leap of faith buying tickets for a bus here

I recently decided to buy a TFI Leap Card to travel on all commuter services operated by Bus Éireann. To my surprise my local bus station in Athlone doesn’t sell the cards. After some research, I discovered An Post sells the card. So off I trotted to my local post office and completed my purchase.

Now I’m off to the train station to buy a stamp.

Martin Carey

Athlone, Co Westmeath

We’re lucky we can broaden minds on arts and history

I had the good fortune to read three outstanding letters in the Irish Independenton May 20: ‘Golden gorse a treasured reminder of how lucky we are’ from James Hardy; ‘Ireland may be wealthy, but it is steeped in poverty’ from David Ryan, and ‘Dublin’s history is being sold for a quick turnover’ from John Cuffe all illustrate the beauty that is eternal in Ireland and, alas, the lack of culture in the higher echelons of the Irish Republic in the 1970s.

John Cuffe’s epistle recalls for me (then in my early 20s) the disgraceful conduct of the then Dublin county management team insisting on building “…a concrete bunker on the Viking site at Wood Quay. Had it been developed properly, bearing in mind its unique history regarding our capital, it too would ‘make history in the life of the city’.”

Instead of alcoholic tourism in Temple Bar there would be “educational tourism” on Wood Quay today.

The Irish Independent carried complete reports on Wood Quay court battles in the hope the citizenry would shout loudly at all involved.

Alas, Ireland at that time was led by people with a learned ignorance of Irish history, naive to the fullest of the importance of this Viking site, with its beautiful old buildings. It did not rank with Kilmainham Gaol, so was unimportant to the government, the Dáil, Senate or the city council, which waved the destruction through.

The phrase about Irish history coined by ignorant people was, “Them are old British things”, we don’t need them. Add in the destruction of the railway system – and canals – in the border areas which led to industrial stagnation there for more than 50 years after.

Ireland is fortunate today with its higher education system. For example, Atlantic Technological University Sligo courses with Certificates and Diplomas – for Irish and international students – in Irish archaeology; environmental management; environmental science with ecology. This institute continues to work closely with the voluntary Sligo Field Club in documenting the fauna, flora and archeological history of the north-west.

David Ryan’s words are appropriate: “Wise up. We might be rich in monetary terms, but we are very poor when it comes to reality.”

The arts and history are the bedrock of all nations. Thankfully, Ireland today has the tutors to broaden the minds of their pupils.

Declan Foley

Melbourne, Australia