Latest news with #LarryDunne
Irish Times
05-07-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Eye on Nature: ‘Nesting blue tits have comandeered my letterbox again'
Blue tits built their nest in my outdoor metal letter box in late April. It took three days' hard work. Four of the subsequent six chicks survived and left the nest on June 4th. This is the fourth time my letter box has been commandeered by these little birds. Frank Russell, Co Clare Now that the nest is no longer in use and contains neither eggs nor young, it is okay to photograph it. Blue tits can nest in a variety of habitats, from woodlands to gardens, in a suitable crevice or hollow in trees or walls. They regularly use nest boxes and obviously your letterbox fits the bill for your local birds. While their average lifespan is three years, the oldest known individual was nine years old, so maybe it's the same pair back each year. Navelwort. Photograph supplied by Larry Dunne These growths are common on stone walls near Our Lady's Island in south Co Wexford. What are they called? Larry Dunne, Wexford This is navelwort (Umbilicus rupestris) , which grows on stone walls and non-calcareous rocks. It is a native perennial and common except in the centre of Ireland. In his book Ireland's Generous Nature, Pater Wyse Jackson says navelwort was formerly used medicinally for a variety of ailments, though in Co Clare it was reputed to only cure Protestants. READ MORE Marsh fritillary butterfly. Photograph supplied by P Kelly I recently saw this butterfly on geranium in my garden. Could it possibly be a marsh fritillary? P Kelly, Dunmore, Co Kilkenny It could indeed. Marsh fritillaries cannot be confused with any other Irish butterfly. Our Irish population is genetically unique within Europe. While adults will fly widely over an area, breeding is confined to grassland areas where the foodplant of the caterpillars (the devils-bit scabious) makes up at least a 25 per cent density of plants. Adults fly from mid-May onwards and will visit nectar-rich flowers for sustenance to give them strength and energy for the breeding process. They overwinter as caterpillars. It is listed for protection under the EU Habitats Directive 1992. A mermaid's purse - a dogfish egg case. Photograph supplied by Aoife Somerset What species is this mermaid's purse? It was found on Five Fingers beach near Malin Head in Co Donegal. Aoife Somerset (6) Mermaid's purse is the name given to the egg cases of skates and ground sharks, which contain the developing young. Those of the dogfish – which technically are described as ground sharks – have long curly tendrils at the four corners for wrapping around seaweed when they are laid. When ready, the young fish slips out through a slit in the side and the empty egg case is then washed up on the shore after stormy weather disentangles it from the seaweed. Those of the lesser-spotted dogfish are 5cm-7cm long; those of the large-spotted Dogfish are 8cm-10cm long. A measurement of the egg case would be needed to definitely know which one it is, but the lesser-spotted one is the more common. Pipistrelle bat. Photograph supplied by Ken Myler This bat recently wandered into my bedroom. It fitted comfortably into an 8cm diameter glass and scared the wits out of my wife. Is it a pipistrelle? Ken Myler I'd say it did, if she went to drink out of the glass and found the wandering bat comfortably ensconced inside. We have three species of pipistrelle bat, all of which have short, broad ears and a combined body and tail length of less than 8cm. It is impossible to identify from your picture taken from the back but if it has its summer maternity quarters in your house, it is most likely a pipistrelle. The common pipistrelle likes buildings of stone construction, while the soprano pipistrelle prefers buildings of brick construction. Please submit your nature query, observation, or photo, with a location, via or by email to weekend@
Irish Independent
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Letters: We got housing right in the mid-20th century, long before ideology took over
Much of the media and political debate seems to revolve around emotion and ideology. Housing and homeless charities and opposition members speak about 'investors', 'vulture funds' and 'land hoarding developers' as the root cause. The construction sector speaks about our complex and snail-like planning system and the need to make profit on home construction; it denies land hoarding and mentions the shortage of skilled labour. The provision of homes should never be the subject of politics or ideology. As a state, we got it right in the middle decades of the 20th century, right up to the early 1990s. I do not recall, as a young clerical officer in a housing authority in the early 1970s, much ideology. The public housing programme was hugely successful. State loans were available to buy homes in 'private' estates. Local authority tenants were offered an option to acquire the title to their homes after about 10 years. Part V of the 2000 Planning and Development Act provided for the concept of a statutory 'social housing' quota in developments above a certain size. The direct provision of public housing was largely shifted from housing authorities to this social housing quota. Doubtless, too many units were built in the boom era. However, the planning system itself is causing huge delays and huge uncertainty among potential developers and those who lend to them. Individuals have an unqualified right to object to any development in any part of this jurisdiction. Individuals have the right to appeal any decision by a planning authority. An Bord Pleanála takes ages to determine appeals. ADVERTISEMENT And then, if parties are unhappy with the appeal outcome, the judicial review option is available. There was a time when the superior courts shied away from making calls on planning decisions. The much-heralded 2024 Planning and Development Act will, I fear, do absolutely nothing to improve the provision of affordable new homes. I'm wondering, as parents ourselves, do we even care if our own kids find a place to call home? Why is this crisis being tolerated? Larry Dunne, Rosslare Harbour, Co Wexford Pat Stacey may call it guff, but the GAA mythology got warring men to bond Pat Stacey's weariness with the 'cod-mystical guff' in Hell for Leather ('Hell for Leather brings history of GAA to life but it's marred by bombastic nonsense', Irish Independent, June 10) is understandable, but mistaking myth-making for bombast is a curiously joyless take on a national story. That soccer, not Gaelic football, dominated his Dublin childhood is noted with the weary pride of someone who believes personal nostalgia to be national history. But the GAA never needed the approval of Dublin 8. It was too busy binding the country together with railways that carried teams, parishes that bred them and matches that made temporary peace between men still at war. Yes, the docu-series leans into the lyrical, but Gaelic football has never been content to be just a game. It has been defiance in boots, identity in motion and occasionally, admittedly, a free-for-all with a referee. Stacey might call that overstatement. Most of us would call it context. Enda Cullen, Tullysaran Road, Armagh Absence of 24/7 Air Corps service highlights how poorly we are governed We are informed ('Tánaiste Simon Harris to seek cabinet approval to return Irish Air Corps to 24/7 service', Irish Independent, June 10) that Mr Harris wants the Air Corps to be available around the clock. How could the Government allow a situation where the Irish Air Corps was unable to provide a 24/7 service? Another example of 'questionable' government action/lack of action. Michael Moriarty, Rochestown, Cork State of the world has shown that we now need to go all in on our military There is no greater symbol of how to serve the nation than to be a member of the Defence Forces. In 2020, I questioned, in a letter published at the start of January of that year, the need for armed forces in this country. Now, with the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the unstable situation created by Donald Trump, I believe we either go all in on spending with the Defence Forces or we leave our military to rot. Liam Doran, Clondalkin, Dublin Extraordinary that Fianna Fáil has had little input into recent presidencies Senan Molony informs us Fianna Fáil may name its candidate for the presidency by the end of the month ('Fianna Fáil to choose 'definitive position' on Irish presidential election by the end of the month', Irish Independent, June 10). It is hard to believe this is the first time this century that the party will field a runner when you think how it had dominated the office since the foundation of the State . It is notable there will not be an agreed candidate for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. It would be ironic if the two parties in government were the only ones to put forward credible candidates. Thomas Garvey, Claremorris, Co Mayo Greta Thunberg's action puts mealy mouths of the Western leaders to shame Greta Thunberg and her colleagues offer a glimmer of hope and stand head and shoulders above the cowards of the Western world who speak out of both sides of their mouths. Noel Mannion, Clonbur, Co Galway Deafening silence from the new Pope as Gaza is bulldozed into the earth The silence is frightening. The Pope seems to have disappeared. As for Irish Catholic leaders, not a word. No flotilla to challenge genocide. No church-gate collections like Ukraine. And the Catholic Church wonders why the pews are empty and vocations declining. Jesus was a Palestinian before and after colonial powers left an appalling vacuum in 1948. Bishops and cardinals lecture us on scripture, but is it not time to get off their high horses and take action? We all abhor what Hamas did, but 54,000 dead as a response? Try to justify that.
Irish Independent
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Letters: As more public money is thrown away, keeping faith in RTÉ is a big ask
Media Minister Patrick O'Donovan was on RTÉ granting absolution. 'We need a functioning public service broadcaster,' he said, and expressed confidence in the current management. Where is this need? And for whom? A total of €725m of our money has already been committed to RTÉ over three years. Then add in licence fee and advertising revenue. This is all despite the established financial mismanagement of the recent past and the utter avoidance by the then RTÉ management to be held accountable. And remember that the so-called top talents are still paid enormous contracts/salaries that are mostly funded by the public purse. I have to wonder how any reasonable person can have faith in RTÉ's self-assigned public service remit of 'holding power to account'. Larry Dunne, Rosslare Harbour, Co Wexford World leaders must wake up and demand an end to Israel's siege of Palestine It has now been two long, harrowing months since Israel reinstated a total siege on Gaza, blocking the entry of life-saving humanitarian aid and commercial goods into a region already devastated by war. Desperation has reached unspeakable levels. Mothers are boiling grass to feed their families. Children are suffering unbearable hunger, trauma, violence and abandonment. ADVERTISEMENT Gaza's hospitals, already crippled, are close to collapse, unable to function without essential medicines, vaccines and equipment. Women, girls and other vulnerable groups face escalating risks of gender-based violence. Stocks in aid warehouses are nearly gone. Palestinian organisations continue to seek to supply desperate communities through local markets, but they are facing eye-watering prices. Yet it seems world leaders are distracted while the ethnic cleansing and likely genocide of Palestinians rages on. As the UN secretary general put it, Gaza is a killing field and its civilians are trapped in an endless death loop. The weaponisation of aid, including withholding food, water, healthcare and shelter, has led to a surge in preventable deaths and threatens the dignity and survival of Palestinians in Gaza. This is a preventable atrocity, and it does nothing to address the horror of the remaining hostages and their families. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have intensified military operations in the occupied West Bank, severely disrupting humanitarian aid delivery there. World leaders must demand an immediate end to the blockade. Karol Balfe, CEO ActionAid Ireland, Dublin Clear double standards in the media when it comes to reporting on Gaza war A recent attack by Russia on the city of Sumy in Ukraine in which 34 people were killed was described in the western media as a massacre. The greater numbers murdered in Gaza are described as killed or, worse still, reported as killed. Israelis held in Gaza are referred to as hostages while thousands of Palestinians are called prisoners. Why? The Israeli army is called a defence force. The media reports that Israel is blocking aid to Gaza, instead of saying it is starving the captive population. Israelis who evict Palestinians from their properties in the West Bank and beat and kill them are called settlers. Is this the best description of them? Every article appears to mention that 'the war started on October 7'. There is never a mention of the thousands of Palestinians killed before that date, including many children. Is it really a war when only one side has planes, tanks and cruise missiles? Michael Jordan, Dundalk, Co Louth If you thought Trump's first 100 days were bad, you ain't seen nothing yet The world has survived Donald Trump's first 100 days, but it has been nothing short of a car crash. His tariffs policy has been rife with threats and bluffs, culminating in pauses, deferment and capitulation to trading partners – or rather, the bond markets. His 'end wars strategy' by the 'art of the steal' isn't playing out as well as he thought in Gaza and Ukraine. America is joined at the hip with the world economy, and going on solo runs doesn't work when you're so dependent on non-American resources. What's in store for the rest of his term? Death by a thousand cuts on the shifting sands of Trumpism, or will his money friends desert him when those MAGA promises cost too much? It might be worth the watch. Aidan Roddy, Cabinteely, Dublin 18 We should all celebrate Protestant influence on Irish society and culture I am at one with Chris Fitzpatrick on the positive relationship between Presbyterianism and the Irish language ('Heartening to see the Presbyterian celebration of forgotten Irish links' – Letters, April 30). Apart from the Irish language, there are many academic achievements by members of Ireland's Protestant community in Irish literature, music and wider culture, which is a reminder of the considerable influence the community in Ireland has had on Irish culture. Dr Douglas Hyde, the first president of Ireland, was one of the founders of the Gaelic League; painter Sarah Purser established An Túr Gloine; WB Yeats and Lady Gregory formed the Irish Literary Theatre in 1899, which then became the Abbey Players in 1904. George Petrie and Edward Bunting are responsible for the wealth of ancient Irish music in our archives, while JM Synge, George Russell (AE) and Kathleen Lynn were all major contributors to the shaping of modern Ireland. Tom Cooper, Templeogue, Dublin 6 Tables have turned on the Dubs, but at least it gives hope to all their rivals The sports blurb on the cover of the Irish Independent on May 1 looked ominous for Dublin ('Dublin facing nightmare draw in group phase'). Gone are the days when a headline such as this would read '[insert any county outside the capital] facing nightmare draw against Dublin'. Ah, well.
Irish Independent
01-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Letters: New office aimed at boosting house-building needs additional primary legislation to achieve its aims
'This office will help secure the enabling infrastructure needed for public and private housing development and unblock infrastructure delays on the ground, maximising the number of homes delivered from the supply pipeline already in place,' he said in response to Dáil questions. The house construction target is 300,000 units from now to 2030. In 1975, just under 27,000 new homes were built; in that year we had a population of 3.19 million. The estimated 2024 population, based on the Census 2022 figure of 5.149 million, is 5.394 million. There were 30,330 new dwelling completions in the whole of 2024. Acknowledging the large number of completions in the 'housing boom' era, the historical fact remains that last year just over 6,000 more homes were completed than 1975, despite a population increase of over 2,200,000 (59pc) in that period. The SHAO faces enormous challenges: unblocking infrastructural delays; facilitating a climate whereby builders can access finance to engage in major developments; increasing the number of houses built directly by housing authorities; minimising the effects of the Nimby culture and judicial reviews; and somehow providing a proper supply of affordable homes for purchase, rather than renting. We are facing a tenure crisis that would have Michael Davitt spinning in his grave, with hundreds of thousands of citizens living in accommodation in which they have not a bathroom tile of equity. Unfortunately, as I cannot see how the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2024 address any of these issues, or the crippling complexity of our planning process, without empowering additional primary legislation I fear the SHAO mission is doomed. Larry Dunne, Rosslare Harbour, Co Wexford Why appoint a housing tsar when we already have somebody to do the job? It is the job of the Housing Minister to be the 'housing tsar'. Bill O'Rourke, Crumlin, Dublin 12 Hefty salary of €430,000 would be better spent on providing family homes The €430,000 salary flagged for the next housing tsar would be better spent on renting homes for up to 20 families currently living in emergency accommodation. ADVERTISEMENT Of course, it would also mean not introducing just another bureaucratic layer in attempts to actually solve the housing crisis. Peter Declan O'Halloran, Belturbet, Co Cavan Minister could easily field a couple of football teams with all those assistants Jim O'Sullivan ('Government should stop building empires and start building homes instead' Irish Independent, Letters, April 30) points out that the Housing Minister is supported by three junior ministers, a general secretary and nine assistant secretaries (I would assume several 'advisers' also). Does the appointment of a so-called housing tsar mean the Government does not have confidence in the minister to carry out his duties? Michael Moriarty, Rochestown, Cork Chasm growing between Roman Catholicism and Christianity this century Following the death of Pope Francis, public deliberation on the tenets and beliefs of his successor is widespread. Currently, a group from the US is lobbying cardinals in Rome to appoint a man they wish will undo the great Christian work of Francis. The chasm between Roman Catholicism and actual Christianity is sadly becoming larger in the 21st century. In Robert Harris's excellent fictional novel Conclave, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, disturbed after a dialogue with Cardinal Benitez, thought to himself (page 279): 'Was it really possible that he had spent the last 30 years worshipping the church rather than God?' This sentence, and ignorance of the tradition that cardinals appeal to the Holy Spirit for guidance in electing a pope, illustrates a clear refusal by some to trust God, while ignoring the importance of the Trinity, both as individuals and one God. That they opt to put labels on any who are not of their ilk is totally unchristian. Declan Foley, Melbourne, Australia Trump got dressing-down for dressing up – in a blue suit – at Francis's funeral Some sections of the media will stoop to any low to have a go at Donald Trump, probably resulting from a fit of childish pique, having got the US election result so disastrously wrong. The latest, almost farcical weapon of choice, is what one might call 'Blue Suit-Gate'. Apparently, some of these hard-bitten hacks have gone all sensitive over Mr Trump wearing a blue suit at Pope Francis's funeral. The facts undermine this bout of pseudo-fashion sensitivity. First, funeral etiquette dictates that it is perfectly acceptable to wear a blue suit at a funeral, particularly if one is not a chief mourner. I have to confess to the media fashion police that I have comm- itted this 'crime' myself. Guilty as charged. Second, and more importantly, if one looks at the rows of dignitaries seated behind Mr Trump, a substantial number were also wearing, you've guessed it, blue suits. One suspects that had Mr Trump worn a dark suit, it would have been judged as the wrong shade of dark. Eric Conway, Navan, Co Meath Policies have ruffled a few feathers, but president's pace of change impressive Much of what has been written about Donald Trump's first 100 days has been negative – and perhaps justifiably so ('In a mere 100 days, Trump has created a more volatile world', Editorial, April 30). His policies have strained international alliances, unsettled economies and divided public opinion at home and abroad. Yet one cannot ignore the sheer pace at which his administration has moved. In an era when political processes often crawl forward, his ability to implement change – for better or worse – is remarkable. There is an uncomfortable lesson here: energy and initiative, even when misguided, can leave more deliberate democracies wrong-footed. Those who value steadiness and principle must now match that urgency not with haste, but with conviction and a clarity of purpose that resonates across borders.
