Galway Advertiser 2003/2003_11_20/GA_2011_E1_026.pdf 

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LETTERS

November 20 2003

No Russian ballet this year
Dear Editor Numerous enquiries have prompted me through the medium of your paper to inform Galway audiences that the Perm Ballet will not be performing in Galway this year. An administrative decision taken by Perm City Council has resulted in the cancellation of the Irish tour. As evidenced by the sell out performances of the last six years, Perm State Ballet was a highly popular and much anticipated theatrical event. It is my intention, in association with the theatre, to make every effort to restore future tours. Sponsorship would help hugely! Yours Sincerely Regina Rogers.

Airport should be more open
Dear Editor, I think Galway Airport provides an excellent service, with regular flights to and from the major centres of population. I hope the Glasgow service will be a splendid addition to it all, giving west of Ireland travellers a great range of options for quick access to several British cities. However, what the crisis there last week has highlighted is the complete lack of knowledge people have about the airport. I had never heard of some of the people involved, but I presume they are all well experienced in aviation matters as running an airport is a serious matter, particularly one that serves to reduce our peripherality here in the west. Perhaps the airport should be more open so that the public would know more about it. I would like to know who owns Galway Airport; what are its plans for expansion; who runs the catering and bar concessions there; who operates the fire brigades there. Padraic O Ceidigh of Aer Arann said on Galway Bay fm that he pays the wages of most people there. Is that the case? How many work there in total? So many questions, I am sorry, but maybe the airport management might answer these to enlighten an individual like me. Yours Maire Ni Riain, Galway

Reader couldn't get information from airport
Dear Editor, With regard to your story about confusion at Galway Airport in last week's Galway Advertiser, I would like to make the point that they could do with improving their service to the public. Often I have gone out there and it was as if I was in a graveyard. However what aches me the most is that on four occasions in the past few weeks, I have had occasion to ring the airport to find out information about incoming flights. Like many, I do not have access to the internet or email to provide me with such information. My daughter was returning from Canada and was taking a flight from Dublin. However, when I rang the airport, on three of the four occasions, the phone rang out and the other time, I somehow got redirected to an answering machine telling me where I could get bedroom wardrobes. If we cannot even have the phone answered then how on earth can we manage to get planes off the ground. Yours, Frustrated customer Bushypark (Name and full addess with editor)

What's holding up Carnmore lights?
Dear Editor, How long does it take to erect a set of traffic lights. As a regular user of the Carnmore cross at rush hour, I am amused by how long it is taking Galway County Council to erect traffic lights at this junction. Work must have started more than one month ago and all that seems to have been done so far is another few hundred bollards have been added. Are we any nearer to a green light or a red light on this or we stuck on amber? Yours, G O'Malley, Claregalway.

Iraq saga had Roman precedent Harney's embryo logic is disturbing
Dear Editor, In 116AD the world's greatest superpower decided to finally invade and conquer the homelands of its mortal adversaries known as the Parthians. Led by Trajan, the greatest of all warrior emperors, the Roman Empire was at the zenith of its power. The Empire had never lost a war. The highly professional and technologically advanced Roman army easily defeated its rival in a short lightning campaign fought in Mesopotamia-Assyria (modern Iraq). The enemy's capital Ctesiphon (near present day Baghdad) was captured within months. This brilliant victory was portrayed as vindication of the superiority of Roman-Western values and military might over a morally bankrupt and inferior barbarian East. The Romans put in place their own governors aided by compliant native administrators. However within weeks, the newly conquered lands were in popular revolt and the Roman legions were soon constantly harassed by a native guerrilla force that it could not defeat. Worn down by the enemies `hit and run' tactics, unable to gain the support of the indigenous population who regarded the Romans as a hostile alien presence, and crippled by the rising costs of the occupation, the demoralised army was humiliatingly withdrawn by the newly installed Emperor Hadrian. The days of conquering the world were finally over. Hadrian sanctioned the construction of a series of permanent fortifications along the entire length of its international borders (including Hadrian's Wall in Britain) to keep out the barbarian hordes. Yet the enmity between the two adversaries was so great that it sustained over 500 years of further warfare before both mortally wounded powers were overrun by nomadic tribes preaching a new religious faith known as Islam. Any lessons to be learned by today's protagonists in Iraq? Yours, Brendan Smith Sandyvale Lawn Galway.

Will council u-turn see my fine returned?
Dear Editor, I am writing in response to your editorial `Clamping changes are common-sense" placed in the Galway Advertiser of November 13. I too have been an unfortunate victim of the city clampers, when my car was clamped in the Dyke Road car park a few weeks ago. I had to pay an 80 fine for not having a ticket before 9pm. I stupidly assumed that parking in that area in the hours after 6.30pm was free of charge, which now seems to be the case. After ringing the clampers number several times unsuccessfully, I had to seek the assistance of the gardai to make contact with someone to come and release my car. Luckily I was not alone at that time, as it was very dark and empty in the car park at that time of night. When the clampers arrived, I asked why I had been clamped and was shown a small sign at the top of a lamp post some distance away with the disc operation times on it. Personally, I am very glad the council has reconsidered its policy regarding the Dyke Road car park, I wouldn't wish anyone to be stuck in the same situation alone at night. But I am annoyed that I had to pay a fine of 80 for parking my car in a legal area, not obstructing any traffic or pedestrians. Am I going to be refunded my 80 now that the council has admitted it is wrong? Yours, Jenny Tammadge, (Full address with editor)

Dear Editor, It is profoundly disturbing to hear Minister Mary Harney's justification for embryo research, that as many of the embryos may die, they might as well be experimented on. Firstly this argument could just as easily apply to people with terminal illnesses and persons with disabilities who may have a shorter life expectancy. Further, her proposal that embryonic stem cells may provide cures for certain diseases or illnesses has little or no foundation. Research on embryonic stem cells has in many cases now been abandoned in favour of research on the more successful adult stem cells. It also should be noted that since the passing of the British Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, which permitted experimentation on human embryos in Britain, there have been no cures or benefits for people with disabilities or diseases. This is so despite using between 300,000 and 500,000 embryos for experimentation. If Minister Harney wishes to create a market for human embryos then she should admit this, rather than cynically seeking to play on the hopes and fears of those with illnesses and disabilities. Yours faithfully, Mairtin O Maolruaidh Polkeen, Tuam Road.

Has council lost its heart?

Dear Editor This morning a window was smashed in a neighbour's house in an attempted break in . As a member of Castle Park residents committee, I asked Galway City Council would they replace the window as the man lives alone, is unemployed and ill, and the weather is bad. They said it was no longer their policy to replace broken windows in the houses of rent-paying tenants. I would ask what manner of selfish uncaring individual would come to a decision like that. Yours, Gerry Carty, Castle Park, Ballybane.

Punchestown decision boosts barbaric hunting
Dear Editor, The Irish Council Against Blood Sports is outraged that the Kildare Foxhunt is the beneficiary of a massive multi-million euro grant given by the Government to the Punchestown Centre. This is tantamount to an endorsement by the Government of the Kildare Hunt and thereby its barbaric activities. ICABS is also concerned that the Kildare Hunt will direct profits earned from this facility (paid for by our taxes) towards their cruel activities - the hounding down and killing of foxes for fun. We ask the general public to bear this in mind when considering attending events at the Punchestown Centre. Yours Aideen Yourell Spokesperson Irish Council Against Blood Sports PO Box 88, Mullingar, Co Westmeath

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
The Galway Advertiser wishes to advise that it is not responsible for the content which appears in the letters pages and accepts no liability arising from publication of material on these pages. 41-42 Eyre Square, Galway. Tel: 091 - 530900. Fax (General) 091 567079 Fax: (Advertising) 091 - 567150 Fax: (Newsdesk) 091 - 565627 / Internet Address: http://www.galwayadvertiser.ie / news@galwayadvertiser.ie