As co ordinator I would like to take this opportunity to thank all participants, volunteers and the many organisations who kindly supported the fun cycle, special thanks to Supervalu Dungarvan and Musgrave’s Cash and Carry in Waterford City, Pat Curran Frozen Foods, Claudia Lane Catering, Seafield School staff and Management, a particular thank you to Sean and his staff in Mother McHugh’s Pub in Fenor for the excellent shelter, comfort and at a late call hot beverages as served to all. To the organising and attending Ladies at the marquee they made our stop as refreshing and reviving as could be possible, thank you for your efforts they really are appreciated.

A special thank you to all stewards and volunteers, especially motorbike out riders and leaders John Curran & Tom Moroney road and junction control by Sinead Power Comeragh CC, and Billy Fitzgerald, the Dungarvan Gardai who escorted the cycle out of Dungarvan. On a personal note a huge debt of thanks is due to Brendan Power who accompanied me and managed all road prep, signage and marking, a mammoth task to cover all the roads on local routes for both the 50 K. and 110 K. We also had the help and support of local journalists James Lynch, Dungarvan Observer and John O’ Connor, Munster Express.

We are glad to report a great day was had by all, we surely do appreciate the efforts of all cyclists, friends and colleagues who turned up attended and supported us on the day, we are grateful too for the support of Emma Walsh and the big turnout from Dungarvan Cycling club.

A final thanks for the efforts of all cyclists who participated, especially the local Kilmacthomas cycling club members, to Rory Wyley and Hugh Mulhearne of Cycling Ireland and to Peter Kirwan Team Physio who took time out of their busy schedules to help and support in promotions and on the day. Thank to you to the Ciaran Fallon photographer who organised the group and did an impressive job on our advertising poster and as official volunteer photographer on the day too, and to Ann Concannon and her crew for the reception and refreshments at the finish in the Dungarvan Youth Centre”.

Kindest Regards

John Troy

I notice a Government website lauds the signing into law by Minister Jimmy Deenihan of an EU Directive that aims to protect certain birds and wildlife habitats.

The new law will also, according to the press release, address the problem posed by invasive species that threaten to destroy the habitats of native flora and fauna.

While any initiative to enhance protection of our wildlife heritage must be welcomed, I cannot but be struck by the fact that this is same minister who has authorised the commencement (on October 1st ) of another season of enclosed live hare coursing.

It seems the humble hare must continue to serve as a political football, a plaything as much of vote-conscious politicians in certain rural districts as of the hyped-up dogs unleashed to chase and terrorize this iconic for so-called ‘sport’.

With the ease that someone can sell unwanted gold to the various Cash for Gold shops I’m wondering if this has led to an increase in break-ins to houses around the city and county.

These shops advertise that they will buy gold items in any condition, broken chains, necklaces or fully intact items. The ease which gold can be sold to these shops must provide a lucrative avenue for criminals to get quick cash for their booty.

As I understand it there is no proof of ownership asked for or required when selling gold to these shops so therefore anyone can effectively sell any gold they want to these shops. The question has to be asked ‘what about security and proof of ownership’.

I’m also concerned about people being ‘ripped off’ when they bring in their own legitimately owned jewellery. How do they know they are getting full value for their money? I’d strongly advise people to get their gold valued by a reputable jeweller before going to one of these Cash for Gold shops.

I’m aware of a recent robbery in the Congress Place area where a large amount of jewellery along with cash was stolen from a house.

If it is so easy to go to one of these Cash for Gold shops anywhere in the country and sell ‘your gold’ for cash surely this must encourage criminals to steal gold items as they have a readymade outlet for their ill-gotten gains with no questions asked.

One must also ask how the Gardaí is dealing with this issue. Are they monitoring the situation closely?

I’m not against this type of business but I am calling for more regulation in this area to protect all concerned.

Joe Kelly

1 Hawthorn Grove

Hillview

Suicide statistics are back in the news. It’s a subject that is never far from our minds.

There’s scarcely a person in the country that hasn’t been affected by it, whether by losing a close friend or family member to the tragedy, or just by hearing about someone we know who has chosen to end his or her life.

I think we need to be far more open about this issue. We have had enough of taboos in this country. There needs to be more frank discussion among people of all age groups.

We need to look out for people we know and offer support in times of crisis or if we feel that the person is suffering in silence.

While we should always honour the memories of loved ones who go by suicide, we owe it to ourselves and our fellow human beings; and indeed to the person whose loss we grieve, to make a genuine effort to prevent further such tragedies.

A decision to end one’s life has implications not just for oneself but for many people close to us that we definitely wouldn’t wish to hurt, and yet it is an inescapable fact that their lives will be devastated as a direct consequence of our own personal decision.

Researchers into Near Death Experiences (NDEs), where people declared clinically dead are revived, report that patients who survive attempted suicide invariably say they are glad they failed in the attempt.

Without getting into the debate as to whether NDEs provide proof of life after death, I think it is significant that these fortunate people, after being pulled back from the brink, say that suicide wasn’t a good idea!

The slogan that ‘help is only a phone call away’ is literally true. No situation is beyond repair and there really are people ready to help

Life is precious, not just our own, but that of every person who will suffer if we end our life prematurely.

So let’s remember all the people who died by suicide, while at the same time knowing and acknowledging the most important fact about suicide – that it’s never worth it.

Yours Sincerely,

John Fitzgerald,

Lower Coyne Street,

Callan,

Co Kilkenny.

Around the world, the Irish are known for many things. Of late we’re known for the dire state of our economy, something we never wished to be associated with. Everywhere you look, the effect of the current recession is imminent.

On September 7th 2011 our home town and the lives of many we all know were devastated once again by the surprising announcement of the closure of Talk Talk and the loss of 575 jobs within the month.

Those who have dedicated their lives and what was supposed to be their futures to the company have been shocked by the news, along with their friends and families across the county.

The Celtic Tiger era was idealistic, almost blissful for Ireland as a nation. We were happy. We were careless. With the adoption of American capitalist ideals Ireland, just depended on the market, on buying and selling.

And that’s what we did, we bought and sold and in a time of rapid economic growth, money wasn’t an issue.

A rough definition of capitalism describes it as an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit.

In simple terms this means Ireland was run as business, a business that inevitably went bust. But here’s the problem a country can’t go bust, we can’t be treated as employees when we are citizens, with so many of us now unemployed.

As citizens we do our part. We work hard when we can get work, we’re highly educated, and we pay our taxes.

In Waterford, since the recession has begun, at least 3,000 people have lost their jobs and I’m sure that number is still sure to rise.

Listening to the distress of those previously employed by TalkTalk and what also appears to be the general consensus of young Waterfordians our only option for sanity, for employment and for survival is to emigrate.

Why it is that other countries can offer employment and we can’t? Why is it that four years after the recession has begun, our futures remain so bleak here?

These questions have been asked over and over again in recent years and yet it is expected that between 2010 and 2012, over 100,000 Irish citizens will make their way to Dublin Airport and board a plane leaving their family, friends and what once was their livelihood behind. I’ll soon be one of them, on my way to the United States.

Around the world the Irish are known for many things. Of late we’ve again become synonymous with emigration, something we never wished to be associated with.

Emer O’Neill (aged 21)

Waterford City.

I must admit to my abhorrence at the recent charging of members of Waterford Gardaí when carrying out their lawful duties in tackling a man who urinated in public, a person who demonstrated his total contempt for the city’s law-abiding citizens.

Such a practice is filthy and is utterly repellent to the average citizen. The excuse of being drunk gave the man in question no right whatsoever to respond in an aggressive fashion to the Gardaí.

It seems to have eluded many peoples’ attention that the Garda’s primary role is to deal with ruffians who opt by their own volition to flout the law.

An Garda Síochána is not a wimpish grouping employed by the State to act as counsellors to those who choose to break the law.

The average officer is, as the demands of the job would suggest, of the Alpha variety, one who has to respond quickly and effectively to curb criminal intent.

Of course, how each officer responds can differ, but no one can dispute that there are times, incidents and individual actions which demand that a Garda conduct his/her duties with robust intent.

My advice to anyone dealing with an officer is as follows: Be polite – do that and you’ll have no problem with the Gardaí. Step over the line with them and you’ll face the consequences of that decision. You will reap what you sow.

For example, the non-aggressive stance taken by London police in the initial stages of those recent appalling riots did nothing for public confidence in their force on the other side of the Irish Sea.

It is my view that a silent majority of people extending well beyond Waterford were seething following the recent court decision. These silent masses have been muted by the oppression of the politically correct brigade that is at the heart of our national decision making process.

For me, the Gardaí are all that stand between us and the criminals, thugs and ruffians – but somewhere along the way, some ‘pillars of society’ appear to have lost sight of that.

(Name and address

with Editor)

The rehab unit of St Patrick’s Hospital has been without a speech therapist since early April, when the hospital’s speech therapist left. She has yet to be replaced.

As it stands, a patient at St Patrick’s hospital requiring speech therapy (E.g. a stroke victim) does not have a speech therapist on hand.

While technically, there are two speech therapists at Waterford Regional Hospital available to St Patrick’s Hospital both of them have enormous caseloads and so patients cannot freely avail of speech therapy in St Patrick’s as they are considered an outpatient at WRH.

Speech therapy is an integral part of the recovery process after a stroke and not having a speech therapist on site at St Patrick’s is seriously impeding the work of the wonderful staff at the hospital, not to mention the disastrous effect it could have on patients who urgently need this service to give them hope of making a recovery.

While I understand that the HSE are finalising the appointment of a Senior Speech and Language Therapist for St Patrick’s Hospital it is vital that this process is fast tracked as any further delay with the appointment is seriously impeding the recovery of patients.

Is mise le meas

Cllr Seán Reinhardt

Cllr Sean Reinhardt is a member of Waterford City Council representing the Ward 3 area.

I was pleased to read in The Munster Express that along with the prospect of local authorities merging that there is also talk of Waterford City assimilating Tramore and Dunmore East from a boundary perspective.

This type of move would be normal in the UK or US and Galway’s expansion to Salthill is a perfect example of a similarly successful re-alignment move here.

Waterford’s City Council and City Manager have demonstrated remarkably well in recent years how a progressive and pro-active public sector can and must operate even in these challenging times.

Every resident of the county should be proud of the success of the Tall Ships Festival and the other major tourism projects and improvements that have transformed Waterford City into a vibrant place to work and visit once again.

If Waterford City was expanded to include places like Tramore and Dunmore East, this would propel Waterford City to compete with other major cities nationally and internationally by vastly increasing its diversity, amenities and overall attractiveness.

Waterford City could boast in its offering a regional airport, additional business parks, a racecourse, Blue Flag beaches, seaside resorts, fishing villages, a working marina, unique protected natural areas, heritage attractions such as the Metal Man in Tramore, Woodstown Viking site, superb golf courses, many more tourist attractions and amenities, outdoor and adventure activities, and an additional stock of accommodations, restaurants and pubs.

There are several shovel ready tourism projects such as heritage trails, coastal and scenic walks, the Copper Coast and the Dolmen Drive, Gardens, the Suir Valley Railway, and Mount Congreve Estate which could be further developed and linked to the larger city.

The truth is that to keep visitors in Waterford City or County for longer durations we need to work together to develop and promote the area as a whole with a fantastic city and rural offering combined.

The marketing of Waterford City would never be easier and it would strengthen the links between the City and the surrounding areas. The population increase might even warrant more national representation and regional investment as well.

Most residents of Tramore and Dunmore East already have a strong connection and link to the City in that most families who live in the outlying areas were originally from the city and most still work and socialize there.

I believe that a Waterford City expansion would be embraced by the people and businesses on both sides of the current boundaries and make it a more diverse and appealing destination and place to live and work in the years to come.

Waterford City should stop looking across the river for growth and development, and instead focus on the available land stock, villages and towns to its south for residential and commercial planning and tourism infrastructure.

The new motorways, bridge and outer ring road around Waterford City provide excellent access for long term development to allow the city and urban areas to grow and thrive beyond their current limits.

This expansion of the city would ultimately create a better tourist product, increase investment in the area and attract more business development in this region because of the greater amenities and quality of life of this rural and urban gem in Ireland’s south east.

Yours Faithfully,

Avery Coryell,

Chairman,

Tramore Tourism.

It was recently my great privilege and honour to conduct a performance of Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” in the Good Shepherd Church (WIT). This was a joint venture between my own choir, the Oldham Choral Society, (based near Manchester), and the  Wexford Sinfonia. The following morning we were very kindly allowed the opportunity by Canon Slattery to sing a wide variety of sacred music with the City of Waterford Brass at the noon Mass in your magnificent 18th century RC Cathedral. This was a very moving experience indeed, and one that we will remember fondly for many years to come.

Planning for this extended Bank Holiday weekend music tour had been ongoing for the best part of a year, and much of the success of the venture must be attributed to Mr Richard Miller and his wife Ruth of the Wexford Sinfonia, Declan Power, the Chairperson of City of Waterford Brass and Julie Quinlan, Musical Director. There were well over 100 of us in our travelling party, and the friendliness of the local people was much commented on as we reflected on what was a truly memorable tour.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the communities of Waterford and Wexford for the very warm welcome we received, and notably to our hosts the Wexford Sinfonia and City of Waterford Brass for their kind invitations to make music with them.

Following on from the recent visit of Queen Elizabeth, joint ventures of this type can only further underline the most cordial relations that now happily exist between our two countries. Long may this continue.

Yours faithfully

Nigel P Wilkinson

Music Director of the Oldham Choral Society,

Lancashire, England

I have put off writing this letter to you a thousand times, trying to forget about the entire issue. It won’t work. My conscience keeps prodding and tormenting me into making some effort, no matter how small.

I watched the expression on your face when you made the dramatic announcement that, in co-operation with NATO, you had agreed to the implementation of a No Fly Zone throughout Libya. Your expression was not of a composed man who had given a lot of thought to what you had decided on doing.

You were so sincerely concerned about protecting the citizens of Libya, who had rebelled against the ruling authority of Colonel Gaddafi, you agreed to invade the country. Your agreement was then expanded for your aircraft to drop bombs of depleted uranium on selected targets that included the home and compound of Colonel Gaddafi. Their accuracy was such the compound and home of Gaddafi was hit and destroyed. His son of 29 years, who apparently had no interest in politics or in ruling the country, was killed together with three children.

President Obama assured all that the bombing would continue and, as I write, twenty people were killed last night and one hundred wounded.

In my opinion, this behaviour was a blatant assassination attempt on Colonel Gaddafi. This would not have happened without your participation and your agreement, not only to a No Fly Zone, but to actually drop bombs on the homes of people whose only crime was to be living near the ruler.

The soldiers are obeying orders, just as all the fine young members of the British Army are doing in the fighting in Afghanistan. No civilised person in any part of the world would wish this dreadful death on any human being.

To me, you are an inexperienced fresh-man more interested in pleasing and gaining the approval and good favour of Barack Obama than a person who is genuinely concerned about the safety of ordinary citizens.

The whole world is looking on. People are not fooled into believing that your concern over Libya amounts to nothing more than a crude concoction of counterfeit concern.

Tony Blair convinced himself that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and, as a result, he marched shoulder to shoulder with George Bush into a disastrous, unjustified and un-necessary war that resulted in the death of thousands of people. What an awful legacy to leave, and to have on one’s conscience?

I believe that you rushed into taking sides in the Libya conflict without taking enough time to consider what the future holds for that nation.

It is now obvious that the USA is totally committed to ending Gaddafi Rule in Libya. It is a well established fact that, since 1971, Gaddafi has always maintained an anti Israel foreign policy. If Libya is reduced to rubble it will eliminate a strongly armed country from the Middle East.

I earnestly plead with you, Mr Cameron, to stop following the American politics of the gun. For God’s sake, please go back to politics of the tongue. Libya’s problems can be solved by a patient experienced and brilliant negotiator, without pre-conditions. Resorting to the gun is no solution. Northern Ireland has proved this. I ask you now to act as if you were Bill Clinton and lead the Mediterranean into peace, not into unending conflict and misery. Anyone can declare war but it takes a special man to make peace and an even greater one to keep it.

Yours sincerely,

Vincent O’Toole (84)

Maryland House

The Mall

Waterford

Retired deep sea Master Mariner, Hotelier, Housing Estate Builder, successful Racehorse Breeder and Lover of Peace and Law and Order.