Napoleon once said: “All great events hang by a hair. The man of ability takes advantage of everything and neglects nothing that can give him a chance to succeed; whilst the less able man sometimes loses everything by neglecting a single one of those chances.”
Boris Johnson, in his arduous endeavour to be remembered as the man who gets Britain out of the EU, has neglected several facets of Brexit: the physical and psychological impacts of Brexit on countless families still grappling to know their human rights and future in the post-Brexit era, the destiny of the UK as a single geopolitical polity, and the future of the Good Friday Agreement and Gibraltar to name only a few. Johnson could easily be remembered as the reckless and arrogant guy who used his people as sacrificial lambs for his political ambitions.
Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob
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London, UK
Cardinal Newman’s wise words could apply to Brexit
Cardinal Newman, referring to the ongoing tensions between the Irish and the English, once wrote: “God forbid that man should continue to place divisions between two peoples that God himself has seen fit to place so close together in terms of temperament, character and manners.”
On the occasion of that great Churchman’s elevation to the altars, is it too fanciful to detect his intervention in the apparent breakthrough between these two peoples over the issue of the Irish Border?
Michael Leahy
Clifden, Corofin, Co Clare
Memorial planned for those who served in World War II
Following a very successful project to unveil a memorial to all those who served in World War I from Kilkenny last year, the Kilkenny Great War Memorial Committee now plans to unveil a memorial to all those who died in World War II from the county of Kilkenny.
We are appealing to anyone who has information about anyone who served in the war to get in touch. We are looking for a name, rank, regiment, service number or any relevant information.
The names of the survivors will be placed on a database for future generations. All records are sealed in London and not available publicly, and only families who can prove that they have a relative can access their records.
Information about anyone can be emailed to [email protected], posted to 48 John Street, Kilkenny, or phone 0863369080.
Donal Croghan
Fairways, Kilkenny
Small changes can make big difference to carbon footprint
We’re currently in danger of accepting a rural/urban divide when it comes to decreasing our carbon footprint. I live in rural Ireland and with a few simple changes to my household over the last number of years my carbon footprint has been greatly reduced. Do I have a way to go? Yes. The car is petrol. The home heating is fossil fuel. My husband and I don’t claim to be green but we strive to be green. We hope to own an EV one day and to amend our heating system.
The changes cost us little and yet according to the media, because we live in rural Ireland our hands are tied. I accept when it comes to transport, those living in urban settings have the upper hand, but transport is only one part of the larger jigsaw that is a better, greener society. Everyone in this country, no matter the county, is capable of doing something to mitigate carbon emissions.
The changes within my home include collecting rainwater from gutters for garden use, a compost bin to take our kitchen peelings, cardboard, teabags, etc, and a second compost heap to take garden waste.
Homemade raised beds house vegetables. Over 100 native trees and shrubs bought for a pittance during the last few bare-root seasons are scattered about our plot and act as a natural habitat for wildlife. In time some trees will be coppiced for our own firewood.
Indoors, lights are only turned on if needed. Showers are kept short and where there were plastic bottles of shampoos and conditioners and hand soap, there are now bars of soap.
Our water tap has been fitted with a filter so there’s no need to buy plastic bottles of water.
Food shopping is done using a list and there’s no straying towards bargain buys, meaning there is no food waste. As for fast fashion, I have not bought clothes or shoes or handbags in years. Anyone with a home in rural Ireland is capable of reducing their carbon footprint. Farmers have yards packed with sheds which can be utilised to collect rainwater and made available as a drinking source for animals. On a larger scale, farmyards have the capacity to house PV panels and generate green electricity to power milking parlours, lights, etc. It’s easy to allow someone say you can’t make a difference. It’s even easier to believe them.
Marie Hanna Curran
Cloonkeenkerrill, Colmanstown, Co Galway
Source: Read Full Article
Home » Analysis & Comment » Letters to the Editor: 'Johnson risks leaving legacy of recklessness and arrogance'
Letters to the Editor: 'Johnson risks leaving legacy of recklessness and arrogance'
Napoleon once said: “All great events hang by a hair. The man of ability takes advantage of everything and neglects nothing that can give him a chance to succeed; whilst the less able man sometimes loses everything by neglecting a single one of those chances.”
Boris Johnson, in his arduous endeavour to be remembered as the man who gets Britain out of the EU, has neglected several facets of Brexit: the physical and psychological impacts of Brexit on countless families still grappling to know their human rights and future in the post-Brexit era, the destiny of the UK as a single geopolitical polity, and the future of the Good Friday Agreement and Gibraltar to name only a few. Johnson could easily be remembered as the reckless and arrogant guy who used his people as sacrificial lambs for his political ambitions.
Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob
Please log in or register with Independent.ie for free access to this article.
Log In
New to Independent.ie? Create an account
London, UK
Cardinal Newman’s wise words could apply to Brexit
Cardinal Newman, referring to the ongoing tensions between the Irish and the English, once wrote: “God forbid that man should continue to place divisions between two peoples that God himself has seen fit to place so close together in terms of temperament, character and manners.”
On the occasion of that great Churchman’s elevation to the altars, is it too fanciful to detect his intervention in the apparent breakthrough between these two peoples over the issue of the Irish Border?
Michael Leahy
Clifden, Corofin, Co Clare
Memorial planned for those who served in World War II
Following a very successful project to unveil a memorial to all those who served in World War I from Kilkenny last year, the Kilkenny Great War Memorial Committee now plans to unveil a memorial to all those who died in World War II from the county of Kilkenny.
We are appealing to anyone who has information about anyone who served in the war to get in touch. We are looking for a name, rank, regiment, service number or any relevant information.
The names of the survivors will be placed on a database for future generations. All records are sealed in London and not available publicly, and only families who can prove that they have a relative can access their records.
Information about anyone can be emailed to [email protected], posted to 48 John Street, Kilkenny, or phone 0863369080.
Donal Croghan
Fairways, Kilkenny
Small changes can make big difference to carbon footprint
We’re currently in danger of accepting a rural/urban divide when it comes to decreasing our carbon footprint. I live in rural Ireland and with a few simple changes to my household over the last number of years my carbon footprint has been greatly reduced. Do I have a way to go? Yes. The car is petrol. The home heating is fossil fuel. My husband and I don’t claim to be green but we strive to be green. We hope to own an EV one day and to amend our heating system.
The changes cost us little and yet according to the media, because we live in rural Ireland our hands are tied. I accept when it comes to transport, those living in urban settings have the upper hand, but transport is only one part of the larger jigsaw that is a better, greener society. Everyone in this country, no matter the county, is capable of doing something to mitigate carbon emissions.
The changes within my home include collecting rainwater from gutters for garden use, a compost bin to take our kitchen peelings, cardboard, teabags, etc, and a second compost heap to take garden waste.
Homemade raised beds house vegetables. Over 100 native trees and shrubs bought for a pittance during the last few bare-root seasons are scattered about our plot and act as a natural habitat for wildlife. In time some trees will be coppiced for our own firewood.
Indoors, lights are only turned on if needed. Showers are kept short and where there were plastic bottles of shampoos and conditioners and hand soap, there are now bars of soap.
Our water tap has been fitted with a filter so there’s no need to buy plastic bottles of water.
Food shopping is done using a list and there’s no straying towards bargain buys, meaning there is no food waste. As for fast fashion, I have not bought clothes or shoes or handbags in years. Anyone with a home in rural Ireland is capable of reducing their carbon footprint. Farmers have yards packed with sheds which can be utilised to collect rainwater and made available as a drinking source for animals. On a larger scale, farmyards have the capacity to house PV panels and generate green electricity to power milking parlours, lights, etc. It’s easy to allow someone say you can’t make a difference. It’s even easier to believe them.
Marie Hanna Curran
Cloonkeenkerrill, Colmanstown, Co Galway
Source: Read Full Article