Sir, – Each year when I read the list of British people who have received New Year honours, I am relieved that there isn’t a similar system here. To give honours to some people and not others would be extremely divisive in our relatively small community. An Irish awards system would never be regarded as fair and equitable. For example, how did four members of the English “Lionesses” soccer team get honours while the other members of the squad didn’t? Why did Brian May receive an honour when the other members of Queen didn’t? And although I’m not a particular fan of David Beckham, why has he not received a knighthood? I understand from the tabloids that David is quite dismayed that he’s not Sir David yet.
An honours system wouldn’t suit the Irish psyche and would lead to levels of lobbying, bribery, resentment and begrudgery never imagined heretofore.
Our current system is much better – we don’t give awards for service to the nation while people are still alive but we praise them to the heights when they are dead. – Yours, etc,
AOIFE LORD,
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Tankardstown,
Co Meath.