Opinion

Ireland is sinister land where right is wrong and wrong is right

Traffic crossing the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland in the village of Bridgend, Co Donegal
Traffic crossing the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland in the village of Bridgend, Co Donegal Traffic crossing the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland in the village of Bridgend, Co Donegal

Ireland is no longer a country. It has no soul, no truth, no justice, no equality, no decorum, no morals, no code, no honour, no creed. It is a perverse, twisted and sinister land where right is wrong and wrong is right. The courts are packed to the rafters with criminal trials and civil law suits, while white-collar criminals walk free and the small debt defaulter gets a prison cell.

It is a wild land where rules go flying out the window at a moment’s notice. Elections mean nothing whether people want them or not and are nothing but a next-in-line party system irrespective of suitability. The old guard are there while the system rots and rots from bureaucracy, inertia and rhetoric.

Parties claiming they can do a better job in trying to oust the other, but only hiding behind prepared departmental rhetoric and defending what should be prosecuted when in government. A land where the terrorist, bomber, murderer, or recidivist gets early release and victims get kicked in the teeth for their trouble and forgotten about quickly. Laws are lax or unenforced and nothing but a book of politics and convenience to set the guilty free.

Our people have being enslaved by a sick and supine system of government and Church, under a corrupt waiting-list system, which has done more to divide people than unite them.

It is a disgraceful country where government abrogates its responsibilities and careerist politicians laugh at the electorate when they collect their enormous undeserved pensions and perks.

A society which does not give a damn and chronically indifferent and self-serving in the extreme. An abode where mé féiners will kick you when you are down and begrudge you when you are up. A culture of fear, repression, ignorance, jealousy and one-upmanship. 

It is a regime of incessant work for the connected, cronied and nepotised who ironically have no life and no disposable income who end up marooned under a mountain of debt for their life’s toil – while thousands are hidden on ineffective job initiatives.

An expensive country where money management is impossible and taxes are progressive.

This country is a load of trouble from beginning to its failed revolutionary end and will end up at the bottom of the bottomless pit.

There is nothing in Ireland for people only a load of trouble.

Who could blame the hermit?

MAURICE FITZGERALD


Shanbally, Co Cork

Demand on resources taking its toll on doctors

A new survey conducted among senior hospital doctors, GPs, trainees and charity supporters released recently alarmingly finds that two-thirds of respondents would not recommend medicine as a career to their children, despite the fact that traditionally it’s been a family career throughout generations.

The survey was released by The Royal Medical Benevolent Fund (RMBF), a charity which helps doctors, medical students and their families, as part of their new ‘Together for Doctors’ campaign. While the majority of doctors said that they would still study medicine given their time again, 92 per cent think that working conditions in UK hospitals have deteriorated in the past decade and 93 per centare concerned by the number of doctors choosing to leave the profession.

In spite of the ‘bravado’ culture that is seen to prevail in medicine – a culture which places value on the ability to work under pressure and cope with long hours – rising targets and demands on resources are taking their toll. Of the 1,800 individuals that took part in the survey, 93 per cent think that hospital doctors are forced into uncomfortable decisions due to current pressures in the NHS such as discharging patients early to free up beds. It is vital that we listen to those on the front line before it is too late.

Together for Doctors aims to raise awareness of the need to offer support to doctors throughout the UK who are working under increasing difficulty and scrutiny, as well as encouraging doctors themselves to come forward and seek help when they need it. 

We know that there are many more doctors who could benefit from the RMBF’s help. I hope that by talking openly about these issues we can encourage more people in need of support to come forward.

To find out more visit www.rmbf.org 

Prof DAME PARVEEN KUMAR DBE


President, Royal Medical Benevolent Fund, London

SF’s double standards

In his final address as president of Sinn Féin to the members at the recent Ard Fheis Gerry Adams spoke about Woman’s Rights. He said “on the basis of respect, tolerance and equality” that Sinn Féin would never support denial of these rights in Dublin or London and such an attitude would not be tolerated in Northern Ireland. Yet when the vote on abortion was taken the adoption of the motion put to the members was akin to ‘abortion on demand’. This did not reflect the view of some important members;  efforts to make voting for the motion a ‘conscience matter’ was defeated also. It has been noticeable and recorded that public cracks have recently appeared in Sinn Féin ranks over bullying allegations.

Gerry Adams declared publicly that he himself did not agree with all of Sinn Féin’s policies.

Surely all members who have regard for the sacredness of all human life and the freedom of conscience and expression must reflect on these matters and vote according to their conscience despite any dictate from any party.

Rev PATRICK MARRON


Fintona, Co Tyrone

We need devolution

I cannot comprehend why the people of Northern Ireland continue to vote for the extreme parties who do not seem to know the word ‘compromise’.

Life functions through compromise.


We are 10 months after an election and still no government. Civil servants are unable to take the decisions essential for health, education  and all the other matters that a devolved government ought to be doing. That is why we elected MLAs and continue to pay them. Under devolution there were cross-party committees  dealing with all aspects of government.


Looming over us all is Brexit and all the problems it will bring. If the assembly was in action, hopefully there would be a cross-party committee making sure that Northern Ireland had a voice and that our interests were protected. 

MARGARET MARSHALL


Belfast BT8

Who now defends the unborn child?

It’s now official. After years of ambiguity Gerry Adams and many of Sinn Féin’s members are pro-abortion. Shame on them all.

Bobby Sands said: “Let our revenge be the laughter of our children.”


There will be no laughing for the countless thousands of aborted babies. What now of the 1916 Proclamation to cherish all our children equally?

Never in their wildest nightmares could those who wrote the Proclamation have envisaged republican Ireland being hijacked by heathens. What a betrayal of everything Christian Ireland stood for.

And Michelle O’Neill intends taking us all for idiots by explaining it all to the general public in a way that aborting the innocent child in its mother’s womb cannot be construed as murder. 

Let’s trust that when the time comes the people of mid Ulster will give Michelle her answer.


There always has to be a pretext, on this occasion it’s the welfare and consideration for women. Who now defends the innocent, defenceless unborn child?

LAURENCE O'NEILL


Martinstown, Co Antrim