A chara, – A “democratic revolution”, a “new kind of politics”, whichever populist idiom they used, Fine Gael and Labour promised an end to the kind of stroke politics that blighted Irish politics in the past.
However, the appointment of John McNulty to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art (Imma) shows that this Government is mired in the sort of cronyism and “strokes” that have caused so many problems for this country in the past.
Fine Gael Ministers have claimed that Mr McNulty would bring valuable business experience to the board of Imma, yet now he has resigned. So how much experience is he going to bring to the Seanad from that short time?
That explanation simply does not stack up, and quite frankly those Ministers that have trotted out that line have damaged their own credibility.– Is mise,
SIMON O’CONNOR,
Lismore Road,
Crumlin, Dublin 12.
Sir, – Desmond FitzGerald (September 25th) takes issue with John McNulty's candidacy for a Seanad Éireann vacancy.
Mr FitzGerald should understand that the vacancy arises on the Seanad’s “Cultural and Educational Panel”. Mr McNulty is a longstanding volunteer manager of under-age and adult football teams in Kilcar and Donegal.
He thus represents the thousands of people who are the State’s most important cultural leaders and youth educators, week in and week out.
Perhaps Mr FitzGerald thinks that the vacancy arises on the “High Cultural Panel”. The GAA is our nation’s most important socio-cultural movement.
We need more people like John McNulty in our national parliament. – Yours, etc,
PAUL HICKEY,
Gamehill,
Castlecoote,
Co Roscommon.
Sir, – I visit galleries and exhibitions; I go to the theatre; I read books; I have attended numerous art classes. Apparently it is also important that I am a woman and live in north Clare. I don’t understand why I haven’t been called to join the board of Imma. But I haven’t run for any political party. That must be it. – Yours, etc,
GERALDINE BIRD,
Ballyreen,
Doolin,
Co Clare.
Sir, – I’m wondering if John McNulty’s appointment to the Imma board and nomination to the Seanad are actually part of an installation piece.
If so, I applaud Minister for the Arts Heather Humphreys for her bold creativity and let’s not forget her patron, Enda Kenny .
It certainly is a challenging piece to understand and unfortunately may be used by those afraid of modern art as an example of a total waste of taxpayers’ money. But I say bravo to all involved. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN F O’BYRNE,
Allin Street,
Culver City,
Los Angeles.