Sir, – Does Gay Byrne not worry that if he got elected to the presidency there would be “mad people” here running the country also? – Yours, etc,
MARIE BREEN,
Lissadel Drive,
Drimnagh, Dublin 12.
Sir, – Did I actually read that Fianna Fáil will support the nomination of Gay Byrne and that Harry Crosbie “the property developer” would arrange to fund his campaign? Are the Irish people so astoundingly stupid that they would vote for a Fianna Fáil candidate whose campaign is funded by property developers?
Going on how much the Irish prefer denial to facing reality, the answer is probably a depressing Yes. – Yours, etc,
DESMOND FitzGERALD,
Canary Wharf,
London, England.
Sir, – Now that Gay Byrne has cast doubt on the sanity of the leaders of our fellow members of the EU, perhaps he might also give us his views on the mental balance of the leadership of his potential sponsors, the Fianna Fáil party and its contribution to the mess we’re in. Micheál Martin, who is a committed European, might explain what effect he thinks the election of a confirmed euro-sceptic to the presidency might have on the standing of our country within the European Union. – Yours, etc,
JOE AHERN,
Hermitage Close,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – Is Gay Byrne sufficiently naiveso as to allow himself to be manipulated by Fianna Fáil for its own purposes, even to the extent of bypassing its own man? I would question whether Mr Byrne, while a pleasant person, would bring the same depth to the presidency as Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese have done.
I note and agree with John A Water’s suggestion (August 11th) that Dr Edward Walsh would be an excellent candidate. – Yours etc,
JOHN SHEEDY,
Pine Valley Park,
Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
Sir, – Gay Senator, Gay Mitchell, Gay Byrne . . . Mary Byrne anyone? Yours. etc.
PETER CONNAUGHTON,
Murrintown,
Co Wexford.
Sir, – Promoting Gay Byrne as a presidential candidate is Micheál Martin’s revenge on the Irish electorate for kicking Fianna Fáil out of office at the last election. – Yours, etc,
MALACHY DONAGHY,
Linden Avenue,
Beaumont, Cork.
Sir, – Gay Byrne was one of the more prominent victims of the recent banking crisis, losing a considerable amount money that he had invested in Anglo Irish Bank shares. He is now contemplating running for the presidency of this Republic.
The irony of this is that should he decide to run he will end up being nominated with the assistance of the organisation, Fianna Fáil, whose management and regulation of the banking sector was in part responsible for his losses. Further, should he succeed in being elected president, he will be providing that organisation with a degree of electoral success. – Yours, etc,
ROBERT HALLIGAN,
The Friary,
Castledermot, Co Kildare.
Sir, – The past two Irish presidents had the advantages of disciplined, legal minds, along with their other wonderful attributes. The country does not need a “President Byrne” emoting on his soap-box in the Park. – Yours, etc,
SHEELAGH MORRIS,
Eaton Wood Avenue,
Shankill,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – It amazes me that some political commentators still persist with the lie that Gay Byrne’s lack of political experience would rule him out as a serious contender for the presidency.
But who could be more qualified to represent this country on any stage, home or away? Mr Byrne skilfully out-thought and out-manoeuvred high-flying politicos and churchmen (who thought they were in for an easy ride) in more face-to-face interviews than I care to remember.
None of the other candidates, including the current front-runners, could match his ability to put all-comers at ease. Single-handed, he enlightened the masses and taught people how to think for themselves, employing consummate political know-how to great effect.
It should also be remembered that he often had to overcome bureaucratic red tape simply to keep his show on the road.
Mr Byrne recently demonstrated that he has lost none of his zest for job assignments (NRA and his new slot on RTÉ). He could sleep-walk both jobs where others would struggle.
I sincerely believe that the ageist ribbing he has had to endure from some party-affiliated types in the press will encourage him to go all the way to the Áras. Without doubt he will have the blessing and goodwill of the vast majority of the Irish people to spur him on.
Why spend millions on a pointless race when the people’s favourite is eminently qualified for the job? – Yours, etc,
NIALL GINTY,
The Demesne,
Killester,
Dublin 5.
Sir,– I note that Gay Byrne believes Ireland is currently being run by “mad people” in Brussels and comments that our current economic predicament “is a culmination of all of (his) concerns about it (the EU) down through the years” (Mary Minihan, Front page, August 11th).
I must say that this is quite a revelation to me.
I had no idea that Ireland’s membership of the EU, the Lisbon Treaty, Ireland’s entry to the EU single currency, etc, were responsible for the global economic meltdown, international greed, domestic greed, incompetence in government, irresponsible lending and, more importantly, irresponsible borrowing by business as well as the private individual.
According to Mr Byrne, it’s all down to the EU apparently.
Either Mr Byrne genuinely believes this to be the case or is attempting to appeal to the masses with a populist commentary on Ireland’s current economic problems by pointing his finger as the great faceless EU in Brussels. His comments are either flawed and ill- informed or a transparent attempt to garner support.
If Mr Byrne is now deemed to be a serious candidate for a presidential appointment, our Head of State, we have sunk further than I thought was possible.
In my opinion, only “mad people” would be deluded enough to vote for Mr Byrne for president of this country.
As far as a viable plausible option for the presidency is concerned, I have two suggestions.
Either beg Mary Robinson to come back, or outsource the position to one of Europe’s royal families, eg Albert II, King of the Belgians. – Yours, etc,
ALLAN SWEENEY,
Knocklyon Heights,
Templeogue,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – One person I would like to be considered for president of Ireland is Senator Martin McAleese. He has done trojan work behind the scenes for this country for the past 14 years, He knows how the presidency works and I am sure he has been the backing strength to his wife for all that time. Just think what he would do in carrying on the great work his wife has done. – Yours, etc,
FRANK HICKEY,
College Road,
Cork.
Sir, – Further to the large number of potential candidates proposed for the Park, I would like to add my suggestion of Gerry Adams. He is tall, he has a beard and he wears glasses. What more do you need for a male contender? – Yours, etc,
NICK O’CONNOR,
Ballycrane,
Castlebridge,
Wexford.
Sir, – As the most significant broadcaster in Irish media history Gay Byrne spent a great deal of the time telling us (rightly) that we were “banjaxed” as a country. Let’s hope that his much discussed nomination for the presidency is not based on support from the party of banjaxing par excellence – ie Fianna Fáil. – Yours, etc,
Dr EOIN DEVEREUX,
Department of Sociology,
University of Limerick.
Sir, – Gay Byrne has surely demonstrated his suitability to represent the Irish people by his most recent statement. By seeking to blame our mad rulers from Brussels for the current economic mess he follows in that great Irish tradition of blaming the foreigner and avoiding our own responsibility.
Before undertaking any campaign he might consider reflecting maturely on a few facts.
Our current difficulties have as their primary cause actions and failures by Irish institutions. Irish banks lent recklessly to Irish developers in the first instance. Successive Fianna Fáil-led governments and Irish regulatory authorities failed to control them. On the contrary, government gambled on this behaviour continuing an expanded public expenditure unsustainably. Second, without any reference to the mad men in Brussels, the last government exacerbated the situation by guaranteeing the borrowings of these same Irish banks, without ascertaining the real nature and extent of the difficulties the banks found themselves in. The latter were not very forthcoming in enlightening the authorities in this regard.
No one of any credibility disputes these facts. No doubt there were and are failings at European level, but the primary responsibility lies in Ireland. We need to accept this, move on, and play our part in solving our problems. A president who can, within the constraints of the office, give some leadership in this would be a tremendous asset.
Mr Byrne is an outstanding communicator. In order to be a viable Independent candidate for the presidency he needs to consider somewhat more carefully the message he wishes to communicate. On the other hand, blaming Brussels rather than Dublin seems a smart ploy for a Fianna Fáil nominated candidate. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL O’DWYER,
Clogheen,
Blarney Road,
Cork.
Sir, – Jack Lewis (August 11th) states that, due to her track record, Mary Robinson is the most obvious candidate for the Presidency. I agree, but with one major concern. What would happen if she got a better job offer while in the Áras? After all, she did abdicate the first time round. – Yours, etc,
OLIVER DUFFY,
Fremont Drive,
Melbourn Estate,
Bishopstown, Cork.
Sir, – In response to Jack Lewis, (August 11th), according to article 12.4.4 of Bunreacht na hÉireann, “Former or retiring Presidents may become candidates on their own nomination.” Mary Robinson doesn’t need anyone’s nomination and would be an excellent choice, but I suspect her other commitments would preclude her. – Yours, etc,
RICHARD E JOYCE,
Cathles Road,
London, England.
Sir, – This year marks the centenary of the birth of Hilda Tweedy. Among her many successful political activities Hilda established the Irish Housewives Association in 1942 in response to the food and fuel shortage during the Emergency. Shortly before her death, she looked back on her many years of activism wondering, “Who would have thought in 1942 that women could move from the kitchen to Áras an Uachtaráin?” Indeed, who would have believed that the work of two vibrant women could have reshaped and reinvigorated the presidency of Ireland? It would be such a tragedy if now we were to regress to the cushy role created by Éamon de Valera for a retired male politician or in today’s environment, a retired male television presenter.
Surely there is room for yet another vibrant female president of Ireland? – Yours, etc,
SONJA TIERNAN,
Secretary of the Women’s
History Association of Ireland,
Corrig Avenue, Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – May I be first to propose a new programme idea for RTÉ which would be the drama for the new season? It would be called “Celebrity Uachtaráin”. Gay,Miriam, Pat, Joe, etc, could fight it out at the Áras with past presidents being the judges. Just think how entertaining the silly season would be. – Yours, etc,
LIAM McGOWAN,
Woodlands,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.