Crib at the Mansion House

Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy needs to think again

Sir, – I for one warmly welcome Lord Mayor of Dublin Caroline Conroy’s plans to “ ... allow everyone to feel like they were part of a Christmas in 1715 ...”. (“No room at the inn for Mansion House crib”, News, October 28th).

I particularly look forward to the reduction of the city’s population to 60,000, the reintroduction of the Penal Laws, and the removal of that god-awful mass transit system from outside the Mansion House. I also think that the then Dean of Christchurch Cathedral would endorse her Modest Proposal! – Yours, etc,

DONAL MOORE,

Ferrybank, Co Waterford.

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Sir, – I always understood that the silly season used be in the political doldrums of August/September. However, Dublin’s Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy emerged from her one-year tenancy of the Mansion House to announce her Big Think about making Christmas more “inclusive” by consigning the much-loved live animal feature of the crib to the skip.

I had assumed that the donkey might be the only one sporting blinkers.

Roll on the day for direct elections of Lord Mayor in Dublin’s fair city. – Yours, etc,

PATRICK JUDGE,

Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.

Sir, – Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy wishes to replace the live crib at the Mansion House with a more “inclusive” Santa experience. Does she therefore believe that there is something sectarian or “exclusive” about the current practice?

It is difficult to imagine what individual or family of any religion or none who might be offended by a traditional representation of Christ’s nativity, enhanced by the endearing presence of a few farm animals. The Lord Mayor’s proposal, together with the more than tacit approval of the Minister of State Ossian Smyth for the gratuitous and irrelevant vandalisation of priceless artworks, has caused this long-term first-preference Green voter to lose all faith in that political party.

I look forward to the next opinion poll.

– Yours, etc,

MARY McHUGH,

Stoneybatter,

Dublin 7.