Galway Advertiser 2000/2000_02_24/GA_24022000_E1_027.pdf 

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Letters

Dear Editor, Those residents were, and still are, denied Dear Sir, this civil right. Recently, due to back problems, I was unfortunate enough Please allow me space to reply to a lady Some months ago a new trend was estab to have to spend time in Merlin Park Hospital. The medical who called to my home at 9:30pm February lished in some areas of Woodquay. Non-resi attention 1 received from the surgeon, doctors, and nurses 15 in a very angry state. dents were allowed to park on double yellow was second to none. However, the hospital environment lines all day, every day, without penalty. The itself left a lot to be desired. Due to the shock of what I She wished to know why the residents of writer demanded the same right from city experienced there I feel obligated to write this letter. St Anthony's Place wanted the same rights as hall for all residents. Suddenly the new trend I am your average Irish male, married with two teenage non-residents, ie, to park all day, every day, stopped. The traffic wardens were told to children, house mortgage, and pay into VHI private health on double yellow lines without penalty. resume duty as usual. I suspect the lady, a care. When I awoke after surgery I found myself in the non-resident, is against equal rights for all. Intensive Care Unit, and what I can remember was fine. A I was unable to reply to the question as the One man, one vote, discrimination, equal day or so later I was moved into my so-called 'private' room. lady ran away towards Francis St. rights, civil rights. This was when the disbelief struck home. Here I was lying To answer the lady's question. When resi Let us never forget, all the lives that were in hospital in the 21st century and all around me were scenes dent disc parking was introduced in lost so tragically for those causes. from the 40s and 50s. It was like being transported back in Woodquay, all residents were given the right Yours, in anticipation of equal rights for time. The paint was peeling from the walls, there was an to purchase permits allowing them to park on all antiquated TV that required me to keep feeding it money (rip their respective streets. The exceptions being Sheila Gordon off), and as a private room it had no bathroom facilities. The St Anthony's Place and St Vincent's Avenue. Woodquay. existing toilets in the corridors were smelly and disgusting. For someone recovering from back surgery I found the iron bed was atrocious. A number of days later I was allowed home, and as I shuffled down one of the corridors, I discov ered that the roof was actually leaking and the water being collected in rusty buckets. Dear Editor, if this facility cannot be Your paper and columnist The Soroptimists achieved in Galway now Carmel Vesey in the It is my belief that as a citizen of this country the Government's first duty is to provide quality 'education' and International of Galway was when the economy is boom Connacht Tribune have start 'health care' to its entire people. Because of the atrocious greatly heartened to read ing, then we have little ed this ball rolling again. We conditions of Merlin hospital, I am sure that many people your column last week, chance when leaner times are now calling on the peo ple of Galway to pick it up upon leaving the hospital equate the medical care provided which called for the estab arrive. Galway City VEC has 250 and run straight to their in the same light as that of the appalling conditions they lishment of a school of found themselves in. This is doing the surgeons, the doctors, music in Galway. We are students attending classes in elected representatives ask and the nurses a great disservice. Surely in this day and age very aware of this great need its music scheme in GTI. ing them to do something. of the Celtic Tiger, it is not too much to expect that 'health in our city, county, and The more recently estab Let the Exchequer share lished Traditional Music some of its arts* money with care' be provided in a modern and comfortable environment. province. It is because of this aware School now employs 16 Galway and give us our God knows we pay enough. ness that we started our cam teachers and has a growing school of music which will Yours faithfully, paign for this school by number of students. The serve Galway city, county Enda Connolly, marching in the 1999 St business of teaching music is and Connacht. 26, Westbrook, Soroptimists International Patrick's Day parade under a rapid growth industry. Why Barna Road. the banner 'Galway needs its then, do we not have a State of Galway sponsored school of music in own school of music'. We strongly contend that Galway?

M e r l i n P a r k Hospital in time w a r p

Parking in Woodquay

The Sunday Pack
Dear Editor, The issue of these harrier packs operating in the country side is an ongoing concern to my organisation. Described as Sunday packs, they consist of an assortment of hounds and terriers and a membership drawn from the area of the hunt. Some packs operate with only one or two followers. There is no legal requirement for the owner of a pack of hunting hounds to register with a national hunting organisation and indeed such registration does not confer any legal or moral standing on the pack. It matters little to the fox if the pack hunting is registered or unregistered, the hunt always ends the same - a dead fox is a good day's sport for those answering a call from the cave. Sad to say so long as a hunting pack has permission to be on land then they are breaking no legal laws. Given the clandestine nature of Sunday packs it can be difficult to establish if the hunt has permission to hunt over private property. Even to find out the details of the hunt involved can be impossible to establish should problems arise during the course of the hunt. Given the thuggish nature of Sunday packs it is not advisable for a person to approach hunt per sonnel with their concerns. With registered and unregistered packs operating in the countryside along with terrier / lurcher hunting gangs, the level of animal abuse and death defies belief. I would appeal to people who have information on the operation and con duct of Sunday packs to contact me in order to get a country wide view of the destructive nature of these hunts. Every time a fox is hunted down and killed a piece of our heritage is lost forever. Our wildlife deserve so much better than to die at the hand of those who pollute the countryside with their callous and cruelly addicted presence. Yours truly, John Tiemey, Wildlife Research Officer, Irish Council Against Blood Sports, 30, Austin Friars Street, Mullingar, Co Westmeath.

Galway School of Music

St P a t r i c k ' s D a y research

Dear Editor I am involved in a project which is aiming to produce a history of St Patrick's Day celebrations across the English speaking world. While we have undertaken much research, we are missing an understanding of people's own recollec tions of, and involvement in, St Patrick's Day. I would be grateful if any of your readers, no matter what age, could contact me, so they can share their stories of March 17. In return, I will send them a straightforward questionnaire that they can complete. While your readers' memories can help contribute to an important history project, their retelling should also provide them with an enjoyable and worthwhile experience. If any of your readers are interested in taking part in this project, and wish to receive a questionnaire, please write t o : Dr Mike Cronin Department of History De Montfort University The Gateway Leicester LE 19BH UK ore-mail mjcronin@dmu.ac.uk

Suicide is not an option
Dear Sir, I want to draw the attention of your read ers to an issue which seems profoundly important to me - the way which the act of suicide is dealt with in our society. When someone commits suicide those left behind - including those who could be at risk then or in the future - are given a message saying the deceased is now in a place of per fect peace and freedom (free from pain, sick ness, addiction, depression, and responsibili ty for themselves and others). This scenario can be very attractive to troubled people. There is no reason to believe that someone who takes his or her own life is now at rest. Bereaved people need to hear their family member of friend is at peace. But it is extremely important that the fol lowing message is carried clearly: Suicide need never be an option, and it must never be painted in an attractive light. There are an enormous amount of resources available to help people - even those in despair - back to a manageable and fulfilling life. Examples include friends (if they are told the truth), GP / psychiatrists, health centres. The Samaritans, counsellors of varyious types. Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers' Anonymous, and The Rape Crisis Centre. I am singularly well placed to make this point, both through personal experience and through access to many people who might well have chosen the route of suicide, and are now very glad that they did not. Yours, Jem Kavanagh, 4, Duncairn Terrace, Bray,

Planting forest park
Dear Editor, May I remind your readers that the initial planting of the new Terryland Forest Park will be taking place on Sunday March 12 from Ham to 5:30pm. Planting will begin on the site at Dyke Road, to the rear of the Black Box, on that date. The organising committee comprises individuals, groups and associations from the community, under the direction of the Executive Parks Superintendent Stephen Walsh. All vol unteers will be welcome on the day, from individuals and families to clubs, groups and schools, who would like to be actively involved. We invite you to "plant your own tree". Light refreshments will be available. Please wear your wellies and, if possible bring your own spade. The ground will already be prepared. Free parking will be available at the Black Box. Any interested groups may contact Stephen Walsh, at City Hall, lei 536400 to arrange a time schedule. Yours sincerely, Bemadette Guinnanc Terryland Forest Park Committee

T h e o r i g i n o f city street names
Dear Editor, I am a degree student at GMIT who is required to do a thesis on the origins of street names in Galway from the 1651 pictorial map of the city to the present day. I am also hi the process of researching some streets / roads / avenues which are named after people. I want to find out more about peole like Seamus Quirke, Sean Mulvoy, Liam Mellowes, Lord Eglinton, Charles Blake Forster, etc. If any reader can help me it would be hugely appreciated. Thank you, Ron an Fox, 25 Lakeshore Drive, Renmore, Galway.

Blot out the word non-national
Dear Editor, I am a citizen of one of the EEC countries, living in Ireland for the last 20 years. I can vouch from personal experi ence thai Ireland is indeed the land of the 1,000 welcomes and its people are very warm, friendly, and excep tionally charitable. This is, maybe, because they recognise the fact that, because of their tragic history, they are, from England to Germany, to Australia to America and indeed every country in the world, the most numerous 'nonnationals' of any nationality residing in that country. Thus I refuse to believe that it is anything other than a very small minority that uses the expression 'non-national' to describe a foreign er, how much more a refugee. This term smacks too much of racism to be used by an Irishman / Irishwoman that has any brain left in their heads. Surely, who can forget that last year you could not go into a super market, or church, or anywhere else for thai matter, without seeing people collecting for Kosovan people? Likewise, you could not turn on the television or the radio without hear ing multiple expressions of deep sympathy and concern for these vic tims of war. And not only last year but also every year the Irish have championed causes, from apartheid to any kind of torment, poverty, per secutions, etc, the Irish are the first to help to fight against such un christian and opressive behaviour. Today, the Irish people have the opportunity to prove that they meant their past words and actions of sym pathy towards refuge*! It would be hypocritical and very tragic indeed lo care for people that live thousands of miles away and to disregard their plight and indeed lo add to their misery by insulting them with racist - factft words like nonnational when they are living next to you in your own country. Mise lemeas, Basilis NikoUkos,

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