A chara, - Comhgairdeachas to RTE on its transmission of the winter solstice from Newgrange. A brave and probably expensive decision, reminding us (several times) of our heritage, culture and history, how important it is to embrace it, learn from it, to pass it on to our children, for it is from our past that stems our identity.
Obviously our language is not in this category as far as our national broadcasters are concerned, as there wasn't a single word of Gaeilge spoken during the one-hour transmission, save one sentence from a contributor. Not a syllable was to be had from the presenters, our Taoiseach or the artists performing.
It seems to me ironic that with the unpredictability of the weather, which came up trumps on the day - sunrise of sunrises - the letdown came from those who had all the time in the world to script and prepare such an event.
Perhaps RTE might have been well advised to buy its writers and presenters copies of Buntus Cainte for Christmas. Sariarracht, lads, ach mo naire sibh! - Is mise, Ronan Fox,
Shandon Drive, Phibsboro, Dublin 7.