No End to Suffering in Ireland

Whenever I have been in Ireland I tune into RTE radio as I drive through Kerry to Dingle and listen to the chat shows where Irish people share their thoughts, opinions and memories about the birds of the field, the trad musician in the local pub, or writers at the Listowel Writers Conference reading their work. But here in New York I tune in at 5 a.m. on my computer to listen to great interviewers Pat Kenny or Marian Finucane. For the past few months, it's been so much news of suffering. In mid November, a week of lashing rain caused "the worst floods in memory" turning fields into lakes and Cork City into Venice. The elderly and disabled were stranded in their homes. Then on December 9, came the long-awaited budget announcement by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan detailing deep cuts into social welfare payments and public sector salaries. The chat shows were full of talk of young jobless Irish thinking again of emigration. And just in time for Christmas and the New Year, came bitter cold and snow with roads and roundabouts turned into skating rinks. One can only hope there will be better news for the Irish as the year gets going. Slan go foill.