Sir, – While some have focused on the negatives, this election was a remarkably positive outcome for democracy. Not only did we subvert expectations with turnout up almost 2 per cent since 2018, but Catherine Connolly secured the highest first-preference vote in Irish presidential history, surpassing Éamon de Valera’s 56.3 per cent in 1959 by more than seven percentage points.
Yes, there were almost 13 per cent of spoiled ballots but even if those ballots were added to Heather Humphreys’s and Jim Gavin’s totals, Ms Connolly would still have won comfortably.
I’d much rather see people turning up and participating – even if that means spoiling their vote – than staying at home. As Franklin D Roosevelt once said: “The greatest threat to democracy is indifference.” – Yours, etc,
PETER ELST,
READ MORE
Donabate,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – I wish to congratulate Catherine Connolly on her win on Saturday. It was a remarkable result and was the climax of the “gluaiseacht” or grassroots movement behind her campaign.
I didn’t vote for her, however. I’m proud to say I was one of the large number of people who spoiled their vote.
I spoiled my vote primarily because of a lack of choice and that I felt neither of the two remaining candidates represented me. I also felt disillusioned with the system in that fine candidates such as Gareth Sheridan and Maria Steen failed to get nominated.
It is ironic that a grassroots movement, 213,738 of us, who spoiled our votes has restored my faith in democracy. – Yours, etc,
TOMMY RODDY,
Ballybane,
Co Galway.
Sir, – Almost all coverage of Catherine Connolly’s outstanding election victory is being qualified by reference to low turnout, spoiled votes, mainstream parties out of touch, etc.
The begrudging media narrative appears to suggest that Ms Connolly’s election is some kind of democratic accident or misstep. There will be plenty of time for the political scientists and historians to analyse the campaign and pore over the fine details of the results. What is called for at this juncture is that we recognise and celebrate our next president, who won a comprehensive majority as a result of her redoubtable qualities and accomplished campaign. – Yours, etc,
CON LYNCH,
Schull,
West Cork.
Sir, – How lucky were those people who had the privilege of spoiling their vote in the presidential election? Those of us in the North denied a vote, despite being Irish citizens with the passports to prove it, would have loved such an opportunity. – Yours, etc,
DANNY BOYD,
Belfast.
Sir, – I reject Fintan O’Toole’s Shakespearean “hollow crown” reference (“Catherine Connolly deserves her landslide victory, but it’s a hollow crown”, Opinion, October 25th). It insinuates that the power and authority that come with Ms Connolly’s “hollow crown” is filled with pomp but empty of real substance.
On the contrary, her campaign was grounded on key articles of our Constitution, which she also evokes as a roadmap.
However, he may be right if he is drawing on the moral of the “hollow crown”, which warned that leaders acquire power legitimately when a ruler is weak! – Yours, etc,
Dr EVELYN MAHON,
School of Social Work and Social Policy,
Trinity College,
Dublin.
Sir – I perceive a strong parallel between the presidential campaigns of Kamala Harris and Heather Humphreys. Both were decent candidates, parachuted into an election at the 11th hour when the intended candidates of their respective parties dropped out. Both were not well prepared for the fray. Both were defeated.
I congratulate Catherine Connolly on her victory but Ms Humphreys is to be commended for heroic service to her party and her country. – Yours, etc,
FELIX M LARKIN,
Cabinteely,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – There is much talk about the left in Ireland who successfully united in the presidential race to get their candidate elected.
However, Michael D Higgins, our President of the past 14 years is a former Labour Party TD – surely a victory for the left all of 14 years ago and seven years ago!
Let’s get real, the outcome of this election is a continuation of where the public decided to go all those years ago. – Yours, etc,
TIM MORRISSEY,
Enniscorthy,
Co Wexford.
Sir, – The electorate has spoken. It is time for the Government parties to practise catchy-uppies. – Yours, etc,
RITA O’BRIEN,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.
Collison’s vision for Ireland
Sir, – The most worrying thing about John Collison’s piece is how sensible and obvious it is (“Ireland is going backwards. Here’s how to get it moving”, Opinion, September 25th).
A Leaving Cert civics student could have written it – in fact, their older sibling probably did, sometime around 2020.
That’s the point. We’ve all known this for years – that Ireland’s decision-making has ossified into a tangle of agencies, regulators and veto-holders.
The result? Apathy so deep that half the electorate stays home, and frustration so fierce that some now hurl rocks at underpaid gardaí who’ll then drive 90 minutes home after their shift.
Politicians built this bureaucratic monster to give themselves cover. It has grown powerful enough to devour its creators. It’s time politics took back control. – Yours, etc,
KEVIN McPARTLAN,
Ranelagh,
Dublin.
Sir, – Donald Trump, Elon Musk and now our own John Collison; the billionaire ego knows no bounds.
The only positive thing we can take from the carnage in Trump’s US is that it has exposed the fallacy that being a billionaire gives a person any special talent for running a country for the benefit of the people.
Collison resorts to the tired trope about “agencies and officials” running the country. He yearns for powerful politicians who put their trust in big business and light-touch regulation ... what could go wrong? – Yours, etc,
DONAGH McINERNEY,
Celbridge,
Kildare.
Sir, – I agree with many of the points raised in the comment piece by John Collison at the weekend. We keep getting stuck in a jam when it comes to implementing major infrastructure projects. We should revert to the 1920s and 1930s thinking that enabled some of our major capital projects – for the better good. – Yours, etc,
JOHN SHEERAN,
Stameen,
Drogheda.
Walkers and cyclists
Sir, – Walking home on Saturday evening in Dublin, I came across a sign by the side of the road that read, “sorry for the inconvenience”, referring to road closures due to the Dublin Marathon that took place on Sunday, October 26th.
For one of the few days of the year, cars, and the people in them, were not prioritised.
That Sunday, drivers were inconvenienced for a short while. People walking and cycling in Dublin experience inconvenience every day (with few exceptions), along with the risks that come from a lack of basic, safe active travel infrastructure.
So yes, sorry for the inconvenience, but I hope it will serve as a reminder of what our city could feel like if we made more room for people, not just cars. – Yours, etc,
OLA LØKKEN NORDRUM,
Beggars Bush,
Dublin 4.
Freeloading on defence?
Sir, – One of the most important functions of the State is to protect its citizens from criminality at home and from the threat of attack from abroad.
Supporting neutrality may have some substance to it, but only if the country has sufficiently good defences to have a chance of warding off any attack on its own. Ireland is not nearly at that point, having let military expenditures decline to abysmal levels in recent decades.
It must then be the assumption that Ireland will never be attacked, or that other countries will come to our aid if attacked, particularly the US and/or the UK. The former is delusional in the current context, and the latter an example of classic “freeloading” off other countries.
Who does not want peace for their fellow citizens? The only way this can be assured is having a sufficient deterrent in place to fend off any potential attack. It would be best, of course, if all countries reduced their military expenditures by agreement, thereby allowing more funding of, for example, social services, but this cannot be done unilaterally.
A related issue is that there are huge economies and other benefits in pooling defence expenditures and co-operation with other countries. The issue, perhaps, is not that Ireland needs to greatly increase expenditures on defences, but with whom to co-operate in so doing, be it Nato or some EU member states?
Ireland cannot continue to freeload off others in relation to defence and the international community is becoming increasingly vocal about this. At the very minimum we should refrain from criticising other governments, especially those in the EU, who do take seriously their responsibility to protect their citizens from external attack. – Yours, etc,
JOHN O’HAGAN,
Department of Economics,
Trinity College Dublin,
Ireland.
Proof reader available
Sir, – With regard to Miriam Lord’s excellent column (“Expensive-looking typo appears outside Government department”, Oireachtas, October 23rd) on the expensive unveiling of the new Department of Public Expenditure, Infastructure (sic), Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, would it be an idea to add a proof reader to the long list of Government advisers? I am willing to offer my services. – Yours, etc,
MARY LEE,
Newbridge,
Co Kildare.
Poor timing for rail works
Sir, – It is becoming increasingly frustrating that Iarnród Éireann seem to schedule major maintenance works on the rail lines almost every bank holiday weekend.
Time and again, when people want to travel, explore the city or attend large public events such as the Dublin Marathon, we find ourselves without rail services.
Bank holidays should be a time when public transport is at its most reliable, not its least. It begs the question: who determines such poorly timed scheduling? – Yours, etc,
HANNAH FLYNN,
Malahide,
Co Dublin.
Distracting progress bar
Sir, – Reading The Irish Times online has been particularly unpleasant in the last few days. This is not because of the bad news, which I feel as a responsible citizen I should be broadly informed about.
It is because of your recent change to online material having a new horizontal blue progress bar. It is ugly and distracting.
It is not unreasonable to have a progress bar for long articles but it should only ever be vertical, and ideally dark, if at all.
“Reading times” are also fairly daft. – Yours, etc,
DARA BREATHNACH,
Dublin.
Changing the clocks
Sir, – It’s not just social media, smartphones have ruined our lives in other, less obvious, ways.
Gone is the simple pleasure of waking up on a Sunday in late October and realising the clocks have gone back, rolling over and blissfully getting another hour’s shuteye.
Instead, our phones update automatically and we miss out on that moment of pure joy! – Yours, etc,
BRIAN KELLY,
Orwell Road,
Dublin 14.
Cheering on the runners
Sir, – It is a long time since I took to the streets to support the participants of the Dublin Marathon. As my son was taking part, we took to our bikes and did our own little marathon around the city to cheer him on.
I would like to congratulate all those who took part yesterday: the people who pushed loved ones along the route were truly inspirational; the firefighters in full regalia carrying oxygen tanks were fantastic; those dressed in costumes supporting their wonderful causes; and the thousands of ordinary people who had set themselves a challenge.
It was a great day out, despite the weather.
There was a real buzz and atmosphere along the route. It opened my eyes to just how important it is to get out and cheer these amazing people on. – Yours, etc,
DEE DELANY,
Raheny,
Dublin 5.
Frozen with the cold
Sir, – I read with interest Frank McNally’s hyperboles list (“A History of Ireland in a Hundred Hyperboles”, An Irishman’s Diary, October 20th). Two more come to mind:
I am dying from the heat.
I am frozen with the cold. – Yours, etc,
MARY DALY,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin.
Above ground
Sir, – During driving wind and rain last Thursday I opened a pedestrian gate here in Dalkey to a woman about to enter a complex I was exiting. When she thanked me, I said: “That’s a horrible day.”
With a smile she responded, “any day above ground is a bonus!” – Yours, etc,
NICK CRAWFORD,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.
