Galway Advertiser 2007/2007_09_20/GA_2009_E1_018.pdf 

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LETTERS

September 20 2007

Why did Galway City Council refuse to buy Macken house for writers' centre?
Dear Editor, Thank you for publishing my letter last week where I made my case defending my position as regards the sale of my house. Your readers might remember that one of the aims I had in selling the house was that Galway City Council might consider buying my house and making it into some kind of a memorial to my father, Walter Macken. Your readers might also remember that I would love to see the house being used as a house where writers could meet and perhaps even use it as a place where in the peace and serenity of Menlo, they could do some of their own writing inspired perhaps by the fact that my father sat at that same table and wrote short stories and a musical at that table with that typewriter. I was surprised therefore to receive a letter from Fred Johnston , founder of the Western Writers' Centre to say that he had proposed to the Galway City Council that they buy the house on their behalf and donate the house as the location for the Western Writers Centre. I think this is a great idea and I would love to see Galway City Council buy my house and then using it as the centre for writers in the west of Ireland. I understand from Mr. Johnston that the Galway City Council turned down his request, I would like to know why. While my primary aim is to sell my house so that I can move either to Galway city or Dublin city, my aim is not to make money but to make a good enough price that will allow me to buy a house in either location. I don't own my house outright, I own the house jointly with my brother, Fr Walter Macken and thus we hope that the price we get for our house will allow me to buy an alternative house. Regards, Ultan Macken Menlo village

Tourist thanks hospital for care
Dear Editor, All too often we put our pen to paper to express our complaints, and, so frequently we overlook the opportunity to express our compliments and gratitude. Just recently, during our holiday trip to Galway, my husband Tom suffered a heart attack. His condition necessitated him being admitted to the UCHG. From his initial entry to the A&E Dept. to his departure and discharge from the coronary care unit, we were so positively impressed. The sensitivity, support and assurance, displayed generously by your hospital employees, assisted us greatly in coping with our trauma. We were positively impressed, too, by the frequent detailed cleansing of each and every interior hospital surface. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to all UCHG participating doctors, nurses and staff for their excellent care and concern. A very special thank you to Dr Kieran Daly, who preformed the cardiac procedure on my husband. Dr. Daly readily displayed his professional support and concern. His expertise is, indeed, a valued asset to the hospital, the community and the entire medical profession. Keep up the good work! Yours, Thomas and Marguerite Holzer, Fresh Meadows, New York.

Get rid of in camera justice
Dear Editor, Mr Mark Kennedy's eloquent letter 'Judge should apologise for insulting comments' brought to attention a recent quote from the landmark judgement recently achieved in the high court on behalf of an unmarried father and his rights towards his children. Yes the Mr 'G' case. In camera has an awful lot to answer for. Words of wisdom from Justice McKechnie, and I quote as reported in a national daily, " The vast majority of people might readily agree that parenthood, by itself and no more, may give very few rights, if any, to a natural father. But what about a person who fathers a child within an established relationship, and who from the moment of birth, nurtures, protects and safeguards his child to a standard which all too frequently married fathers fail to live up to?" In one swipe a little flicker of wisdom and then back to its rightful place of existence, judicial oblivion. Dinosaurs and the dark ages comes to mind. I also wonder what places the honourable justice frequents to see the fathers he refers to? Yours, Sam Butt, Fathers for Justice and Equality, 6a Joyce House, Tuam Road Retail Centre, Tuam Road, Galway

Environment Department ignores hare suffering
Dear Editor, How ironic that a Government department entrusted to safeguard the welfare of the Irish hare species has given the go-ahead to yet another season of coursing. The licence issued by the Environment Department allows the forceful removal from the Irish countryside of thousands of hares. It's a cold-hearted netting assault that marks the beginning of a long ordeal for this most timid of our native creatures. "It is impossible to completely avoid stress in hares once you manhandle them and take them out of their natural environment,"a vet attached to the Irish Coursing Club is on record as admitting. "Stress can come in many shapes and forms and as long as you have the hare in captivity, he is prone to it, resulting in his disability and even death at times. I believe a lot of damage can be done to hares by rough handling and netting." The Department's licence not only steamrolls over this but also over the sickening evidence of hare suffering recorded by its own National Parks and Wildlife Service division. Wildlife rangers have been logging the horrors of coursing for years and copies of their reports, obtained by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, explicitly convey the cruelty. Among the numerous examples are a hare "squealing in distress" after being caught by a muzzled dog, a mauled hare suffering with "a badly broken hind leg", pregnant hares being forced to run for their lives and a hare in agony in a coursing enclosure with its leg "almost completely broken off". Other hares have died due to the stress of being snatched from the wild or after being severely mauled by the dogs. It is this succession of abuses that underlines why a majority want the Government to reconsider its facilitation of coursing. We ask them to continue calling on Minister John Gormley (minister@environ.ie) to spare the hare the cruelty of coursing and end this despicable blood sport. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Philip Kiernan Irish Council Against Blood Sports PO Box 88 Mullingar Co Westmeath.

PA wanted for Galway student
Dear Editor, My name is Sinead O'Donnell. I am a wheelchair user and have cerebral palsy. I am, pending my results, undertaking study at Kings Inns in early October. I've found myself in a desperate predicament. I cannot get accommodation anywhere and I cannot get an academic PA to take notes for me and type my essays, as I dictate. Can you please help by publishing these ads or highlighting this issue in your editorial? I have cerebral palsy and am a wheelchair user. From October 8 I'll be studying for the bar at the Honourable Society of Kings Inns in Dublin. For my studies I require an academic personal assistant. I require a personal assistant to take notes, type up essays (as I dictate), take out books etc and be present with me at lectures. The job is a unique opportunity to get a taste of Kings Inns if one hasn't been there before. If not it is a chance for students to work more closely with the Kings Inns staff. The job will entail week day hours. Personal Assistants will probably be employed and paid by the Irish Wheelchair Association. Applicants should, preferably, have some form of a legal background, or have a legal qualification, be it an LLB or legal science degree, or otherwise. Applicants with other academic backgrounds are also welcome to apply. I am also looking for accommodation in Dublin pending results from my Kings Inns entrance examination (the bar). I am currently based in Galway city but need to be moving up after September 25. I require, preferably accommodation near Kings Inns, which is located on Constitutional Hill/ Henrietta Street (Dublin 1), just off Bolton Street near the city centre. I'm running out of options and my situation is becoming urgent. I require, preferably, accommodation for myself, and possibly a PA, I need room for a hoist and my chair, a rolling shower and other equipment. I also need a system to wake my PAs (ie, a bell) so I can be turned over. Any help would be greatly appreciated as my situation is growing desperate. If you have an interest in applying for the PA job or helping with my accommodation situation please contact me at 087-214-6100 or alternatively e-mail me at odosinead@gmail.com." Yours, Sinead O'Donnell, Galway.

Chamber organised Ryan lecture
Dear Editor, The recent Paddy Ryan Memorial Lecture was instigated by Galway Chamber (and not, as was reported, by the Ryan family) to honour the memory of the late Paddy Ryan. It will be held each year rotating between NUI Galway and GMIT and the Padraic Reaney sculpted medallion presented to the speaker is sponsored by APC. Yours, Ms Maeve Joyce Public Relations Executive, Galway Chamber of Commerce

Breastcheck not involved in accreditation story
Dear Editor, I refer to a headline used inaccurately in a recent article and wish to seek correction. The reference to Breastcheck involved in this controversy is incorrect. BreastCheck, the National Breast Screening Programme is not involved. Firm plans are in place for the commencement of BreastCheck and the breast screening service, with the almost completion of a screening unit at University Hospital Galway. Recruitment is well underway and the unit will be opened in the coming months. We would not wish your readers to misunderstand such a headline. Yours, Sheila M Caulfield Communications Manager The National Cancer Screening Service

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

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