Madam, – As a Irishman living in Canada, I would like to compliment you on your excellent website, www.irishtimes.com, which allows me to keep up to date with my one true love, Irish sport.
Lately, however, I have been shocked at the reports appearing on your website regarding both the Cork hurling dispute and the ongoing refusal of Stephen Ireland to represent his country’s national soccer team.
It strikes me that the behaviour of these highly talented players is symptomatic of the attitudes of Irish people over the past decade which has forced the economy into such turmoil: a complete loss of reality, forgetting who we are and where we came from.
We are going to have to repair the mistakes of the past 15 years and get our sense of reality back. I urge the aforementioned sportsmen to do the same and get out on the pitch and do what they do best: entertaining the thousands of loyal followers who support them.
God knows we fans could do with something to cheer for right now. – Yours, etc,
ERIC RYAN,
Vancouver,
Canada.