Holly, by all means, but hold the ivy

Sir, – Your editorial “The Irish Times view on Ireland in midwinter” (December 22nd) speaks of “trees revealing their highly distinctive architecture . . . in ways never apparent when they are veiled in leaves”.

I agree a tree in winter is indeed a thing of beauty .

They are, however, few and far between with so many our deciduous trees overwhelmed with ivy , to be seen all over the landscape, in our farms, our private gardens, our roadsides and even in our public parks. – Yours, etc,

DAVID EARLE,

Kamala Harris is a descendant of an Irish slave owner in Jamaica

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I went to Center Parcs abroad. Was it any cheaper than Ireland?

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Ukraine’s street pianos play on a decade after debuting during Maidan revolution

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Fine-tuning the Galway team began at the back of a classroom 35 years ago

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Monkstown,

Co Dublin.