Madam, - Cllr Mary Mitchell O'Connor (March 8th) calls for the Government to mark International Women's Day appropriately, by making it a bank holiday. She says that Ireland already has holidays to honour saints and workers, from which I infer that women qualify as neither.
Yet I'm sure I know women who are both, and martyrs into the bargain.
Anyway, of all the saints in heaven, only St Patrick is commemorated (if not always honoured) by a public holiday in Ireland. Only one day in the International Christian Calendar, Christmas Day, is marked by a public holiday in Ireland.
Ireland is an exception among the nations. Although a majority of her people have long been Catholics, and large minorities belong to other Christian denominations, the Irish State has never felt constrained to adhere to European practice. Ascension Day, for instance, is a public holiday in some Lutheran countries, but doesn't even rate a special place in the ecclesiastical calendar in Ireland today, though the BBC always marks the day with an Anglican service from St Martin in the Fields in London.
Ireland today is so cash-rich and time-strapped that it might re-arrange its public holidays by showing less deference to the banks, and more consideration for the faiths of its citizens. Ireland would thus demonstrate her European and international credentials.
Ireland might also make International Women's Day an Irish national public holiday and seek to see other nations follow suit. - Yours, etc,
DONAL KENNEDY, London N13.
Madam, - Frank Byrne asks: when is International Men's Day? Why, it's the other 364 days in the year.
Give us our one day out a year, lads - without resentment. - Yours, etc,
MARY RYAN, Haven View, Malahide, Co Dublin.