Madam, - As a visitor to the land of my forefathers I am charmed and impressed by the beauty of Ireland, the grace, beauty and charm of Irish girls and the good grooming and dress sense of Irish men.
On the down side - and of course nothing is perfect - why do so many drink themselves into oblivion, vomiting and staggering around without shame for themselves or their families?
One more point: The drug addicted and criminal element should not be beyond control. Let's be compassionate about world poverty, but first let's help our own youth who have gone astray between the ages of 14 and 20 years. Rather than send them to prison, why not boot camp? We can then provide emotional counselling and training as carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers, etc. This is a productive alternative to jail, leaving space available for hardened criminals.
Perhaps Bob Geldof and Bono would be kind enough to lead the way by giving a little of their time to the above suggestions. - Yours, etc,
MARY ELLEN BERARDI, Sunrise, Florida, USA.