Sir, – If marriage is arbitrarily exclusive in its current form, as Fintan O’Toole suggests (Opinion, April 16th), and merely an official recognition of a “personal relationship,” I would go further and say “to hell with it” as an institution. However, such a premise is patently false. It is an impoverished view of its purpose and dignity and ignores its value in human history. – Is mise,
Dr DAMIAN Ó MAONAIGH,
An Ghallbhuaile Leifear,
Tír Chonaill.
Sir, – It’s a funny old world. When I was a youngster, the popular catchphrase was that “Marriage is meaningless. Marriage is just a bit of paper. What difference does it make?” I grew up and thankfully ignored the prevailing “wisdom”. Instead I met, and married, the world’s most wonderful woman. Now it seems that the “popular voice” has decided marriage is no longer “just a meaningless bit of paper”. In fact, marriage has become so important, the popular voice is now saying it’s a human right and everyone simply must have it. The same voice can’t be right on both counts, so it must either have been wrong back then or it must be wrong now. It doesn’t inspire much confidence in the popular voice. But like I said, it’s a funny old world. – Yours, etc,
NICK FOLLEY,
Ardcarrig
Carrigaline
Co Cork.