Leinster House. Photo: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo Dear Editor, this is a letter to Maria Steen. Firstly I am deeply disappointed that you are not on the list of candidates for President of Ireland. To have missed a nomination by a mere two signatures makes it heartbreaking for you as it was for those of us who had pinned our hopes on seeing your name on the ballot paper. You have been gifted with what it takes to be Ireland’s First Citizen.
Secondly, I hope that you will not give up for the sake of all of us and for our country. There will be another time and, hopefully, a fairer system of nominations than the existing one. Your courageous step in seeking nomination has not been in vain. People who had never heard of you have been awakened to your outstanding gifts and potential and the values you exemplify. Nothing can take from the fact that you represent a large section of Irish society and that you have huge support.
Thank you for standing up for what is good and worthy. In this Year of Hope, you are a star!
Yours etc,
Mary T. Brien
Castletroy, Co. Limeric
A heritage asset to be treasured not thrown to the dogs
Dear Editor, The Irish Hare’s presence on this island may date back to around 60,000 years, well before the last Ice Age. Conservationists point to its unique genetic characteristics not shared by any hare species outside Ireland.
Though not an endangered species yet, it has been in decline for the past half century, due to habitat loss caused by multiple factors, but especially urbanisation and the downside of modern agriculture that strip away swathes of the verdant countryside that it calls home.
How sad, and utterly scandalous, it is then that successive governments allow people to set dogs on thousands of these “protected” mammals each year…for fun.
The new coursing season kicks off in October. At venues nationwide over the next five months, hares snatched from their already threatened habitats will have to run for their lives. Coursing officials will release hares from little boxes to run from one end of a wire-enclosed field or park to another, with greyhounds in pursuit.
Apart from injuries that may result from hares being forcibly struck or mauled, or tossed skyward by the dogs, the animals also suffer from high stress levels arising from a condition called capture myopathy that may cause death hours or days after the coursing event.
Coursing serves no useful purpose whatsoever. It’s not a form of pest control or part of any scientific enterprise. Its sole purpose is to provide a cheap thrill and a chance to bet on the dogs.
Whatever excuse we might make for people in the time of Henry VIII, or further back in the reign of Emperor Nero, who was also a coursing fan, there is no place for it in a country whose government claims (outrageously) to have the most progressive animal welfare laws in Europe.
Yours etc,
John Fitzgerald
Callan, Co. Kilkenny
Thanks to Breda, Maria and David
Dear Editor, I write to thank Breda O’Brien and David Quinn for sharing their experience of persecution because of their public stance on behalf of Catholic and Christian beliefs. I have read their contribution with gladness and sadness – yes with both feelings! Gladness that they are counted among the blessed as it says in Matthew 5:10 – “Blessed are those who are persecuted for my sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” It continues to add when you “suffer on my account, rejoice and be glad”.
It is easy for me to quote that scripture when I am not the target of this persecution, but I do feel sad that these two good people and also Maria Steen, who had the courage to put her name forward for President, should be the subject of all kinds of evil – both written and spoken. I congratulate all three and I thank God for the gifts He has given them and I thank them for offering these gifts for the common good.
I faithfully read The Irish Catholic because of people like these. Their articles are both informative and inspiring. I am encouraging so many to buy that paper and learn from the many good, well-written, well-researched and well-informed contributions. So I say congratulations to the Iona Institute for their much needed and very good work. I am happy to read that each of these three good people have no intention of allowing evil to silence them. I know Ireland needs their words of knowledge and wisdom for according to the results of the synodal process we are lacking in knowledge and understanding of our faith. People like Breda, David and Maria are to be thanked for their efforts to pass on the faith.
Yours etc,
Sr Susan Evangelist
Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal
SPHE curriculum undermines family values and beliefs
Dear Editor, I am a primary school teacher with almost ten years’ experience. I truly love my job, the responsibilities and the privilege of teaching young people. However, I can’t help but feel anxious and concerned about aspects of the proposed 2026 SPHE (Social Personal and Health Education) curriculum.
I strongly believe in the importance of fostering respectful and inclusive learning environments. However, I am troubled by aspects of the new curriculum which appear to undermine parents as the primary educators of their children. For example, in areas related to human relationships, identity and sexuality. These are profoundly personal topics that touch on deeply held beliefs, family values and faith traditions. I do not feel it is my place as a teacher to explore concepts that may conflict with what a child is being taught at home and that conflict with my own values.
I cannot share my name for complete fear of professional repercussions. I hope this letter encourages our bishops, Catholic Education leaders, principals, and trustees to speak out on behalf of teachers and parents who may share these views. The voice of Catholic education must not be silent when our values are at stake.
Yours etc,
Concerned primary school teacher
Name and address with editor
This week last year
‘Do not blame asylum seekers’ – Sr Stan and Fr McVerry: Plenty of room for all homeless
With pressure on Ireland’s homeless services growing and hostility towards asylum seekers leading into anti-immigration sentiment, Fr Peter McVerry spoke to The Irish Catholic to urge people to focus their blame and frustration on the Irish government rather than asylum seekers. Sr Stan Kennedy, Founder of the Immigrant Council of Ireland and Focus Ireland, agreed with Fr McVerry. “We should have room for both people seeking protection and our own people that are homeless, it is possible to do both if we are serious about it,” said Sr Stan.
Both Sr Stan and Fr McVerry criticised the current resources available for homeless people, such as emergency accommodations, citing how dangerous they can be. “If you want to blame anyone, you should blame the Government for not anticipating and providing for the increased number of asylum seekers,” said Fr McVerry. The emergency accommodations are known to be environments that encourage drug use, making it difficult for those recovering from drug addiction to stay there, Sr Stan pointed out.
Parents and Church leaders should stand up against inappropriate curriculum, says priest
Fr Patrick Moore spoke to The Irish Catholic about the Government’s SPHE curriculum, which teacher Mary Creedon revealed to be exposing sexually explicit content to schoolchildren. Fr Moore expressed that he believes the Church has lacked a “strong voice” on this issue, and thus urged parents to voice their opinions on the matter. Speaking about the SPHE curriculum, Fr Moore said, “there are no safeguards and not a word about moral or gospel principles – it’s just pure mechanics. We’re training children for promiscuity rather than self-control and respect.”
He offered an alternative to the curriculum: “None of this stuff should be imposed on them [children] from the outside. If their parents saw a need when questions arose, they could very delicately deal with it. That’s the healthiest and most sane way of going about.”
‘Our Lady was also a migrant’, says priest
After celebrating the 110th World Day of Migrants and Refugees in late September, clergy around Ireland echoed Pope Francis’ prayer “for all those who have had to leave their land in search of dignified living conditions.” Chaplain for the Brazilian Community in Dublin, Fr Severino Pinheiro da Silva Neto, said Our Lady “was also a migrant”, as she went to Egypt and “lived the distress of the one who leaves their place, the one who goes towards the unknown but is certain God does not abandon us.”
Bishop Denis Nulty emphasised the connection between migrants and God, sharing in a homily that “for migrants, God is always a travelling companion.” Additionally, Bishop Michael Duignan, Chair of the Council for Immigrants of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, expressed hope that Catholic Social Teaching could act as a strategy for welcoming and integrating migrants, and urged others to think the same.
Dioceses could look at outdoor weddings in response to decline in church marriages
With the popularity of Catholic wedding ceremonies declining, Breda O’Brien offers a potential solution: outdoor ceremonies, in certain circumstances. Outdoor weddings have become increasingly popular in the US, with even Catholic couples opting to have their ceremony outside, albeit with “major commitment to marriage preparation and to being involved in your parish afterwards,” said Ms O’Brien. “Maybe that’s something the Church could look at but it certainly wouldn’t be the panacea.”
While in 1994, 91.4% of wedding ceremonies in Ireland were Catholic, in 2023, only 34.3% are. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Ms O’Brien explained that she suspects an underlying reason for the decline might be the sheer amount of choice couples have when planning their wedding ceremony, as well as a rise in individualism. “I’ve been to weddings where there are readings from extraordinary places and so on, ” she said.