Cuireann An Phoblacht fáilte roimh litreacha ónár léitheoirí. Scríobh i nGaeilge nó i mBéarla, 200 focal ar a méid. Déantar giorrú ar litreachta más gá. Cuir do litir chuig [email protected]
An Phoblacht welcomes readers’ letters. Write in Irish or English, 200 words maximum. Letters may be edited for brevity. Send your letters to [email protected]. No attachments please

Crowley’s diplomatic bags

IN Saturday’s Irish Times, I see the headline MEP IN DIPLOMATIC ROW ON CZECH VISIT. Fianna Fáil MEP Brian Crowley, leader of the Fianna Fáil MEPs, was in Prague on Friday and he, effectively, told the lukewarm-to-Lisbon Czech president to keep his nose out of Irish affairs and the Lisbon Treaty referendum.
“We don’t want interference from outside about how we conduct our electoral business,” the feisty Munster MEP fumes.
Hang on, what was the lead headline on the front page of that very same Irish Times? Let’s flick back to Page 1: EU LEADERS PRESS COWEN FOR A RE-RUN OF LISBON REFERENDUM.
What was that about “outside interference”, Brian?
ROY THORNTON,
Kilbarrack,
Dublin 5

Celtic and the poppy

WELL done on your article (An Phoblacht, 27 November) in relation to the Celtic players having to wear embroidered poppies on their Celtic jerseys.
For many Irish Celtic fans, and Celtic fans in general, we realise that Celtic is deeply rooted in Irishness and to see the Tricolour over Parkhead brings an immense sense of pride and joy. I strongly object to poppies on the Celtic jersey because these poppies are a symbol of the Britishness and most Celtic fans, I am sure, would have found this in very bad taste. Imagine the uproar if Celtic came out wearing an Easter Lily on their jerseys! Or look what happens when Arthur Boruc blesses himself at lbrox!
Celtic as a club seems at times to be ashamed of our Irish roots and sometimes there seems to be a wish to banish our history and remove all Irishness from the fans, but while this may succeed inside Parkhead, visit any of the pubs around the Gallowgate before kick-off and hear what the fans are singing and listening to.
All Celtic fans I know are deeply proud of our Irish roots, our Irish history and on a political level would want to see a united, 32-county Ireland. Also they are fully aware what the Brits have done in the in the North.
While I agree that the memories of the dead of the World Wars needed to be remembered by their families, Celtic football club shouldn’t have allowed poppies to be placed on the sacred hoops. As a club, while I agree sectarian chanting, etc, has no place in football there has to be a line in the sand and the way political correctness is going soon we will be able to sing no songs at all.
The Celtic board needs to always remember how many Irish are in Parkhead every weekend and mid-week following the Hoops when making future decisions.
TIM,
County Kerry

X Factor parity

RE the X Factor programme: parity of esteem, how are you? Not alone were the Quigg family prevented from wearing shirts from their local GAA club, named after the hunger striker Kevin Lynch (whose name means nothing to most British people, incidentally), but the contestants were dragooned into singing a song to raise funds for the British Army.
If they had to make a recording for charity, why couldn’t they have chosen something non-controversial like cancer research?
To cap it all, on 8 November we were treated to the grotesque sight of the misfortunate Eoghan Quigg and the unctuous Louis Walsh wearing poppies. My teenage daughter, who is not very political, was so disgusted she switched to another channel and has not watched the show since.
JUDY PEDDLE,
Contae Corcaigh