Dear Editor, It is annoying to see the current attack by politicians on the Junior Cert syllabus constantly being referred to as a “reform”. It is nothing of the sort. I hope the new Dáil will commit to suspend the brainless forcing through of coursework into the Junior Cert curriculum, whether marked by the classroom…

Dear Editor, In his address to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, 2014, President Michael D. Higgins, talking on the shortcomings of the economic theories of our times, had this to say:  “The notion that capitalist markets are systems set apart from human ethics, is even shared by many who reject capitalism. “The writings of…

Dear Editor, Regarding chaplaincy support services (IC 14/04/2016 ‘Mass attendance a crude measure of chaplaincy support services’), Texas A&M State University (Aggieland) is of interest. In 2011 Aggieland had 52,775 students. St Mary’s Catholic Centre housed the Catholic campus ministry. Daily Mass attendance averaged 175; Sunday Masses drew between 4,000 and 5,000 worshippers. There were…

Dear Editor, In reference to Isabella Corr’s letter of 21/04/2016, I second her proposal that the Letters Page warrants expansion, albeit at the expense of advertisements. Your short format is appropriate and your items present pleasant and interesting topics in contrast to the mainstream media ‘rubbish’. Yours etc., Elizabeth McCluskey, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh.

Dear Editor, Please let me add my congratulations to Presentation Secondary School in Kilkenny on their incredible performance on Britain’s Got Talent. I missed the original broadcast but after reading your news story (IC 28/04/2016) I looked up the clip on YouTube and was blown away, just as much as the judges and the audience,…

Dear Editor, Interesting that Mary Kenny (IC 21/04/2016) empathised with that Kentish priest’s ‘lesbian’ dilemma. I think it shouldn’t have embarrassed him to have to say, “The Lesbians…” However, lesbians (small ‘l’) are not confined to Lesbos (now Lesvos), as we all know.   Lesvos, apart from being the birthplace of the poet Sappho in the…

Dear Editor, In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, is it time for the Irish Church to revise its treatment of Bishop Eamon Casey? Yours etc., Pat Conneely,  Dublin 11.