Sir, – Of all the cocked up translations of logainmneacha from Irish to English, Cork must surely be the worst. The southern capital is not Corky – it does not float. No, it’s Corcaigh – marshy. And it is a saucer. A 2.8 metre surge and Pana gets flooded.
So the consultants say a sea barrier at €300-400 million is too expensive (Home News, February 10th). Compared to what? And where is the imagination? Would a war footing not be more appropriate? Cork is too important to be let swing by the beancounters. Could the Government not waive VAT on the job? Throw in a big dose of Dúthracht and get the bill down to €250 million. Give the city back its municipal bond raising powers to issue long-term bonds paying 6 per cent to raise €300 million. Pension funds are screaming for yield. €18 million a year interest – couldn't Apple and the rest of the double Irish crowd throw in a few bob?
Get the sporting legends on board: JBM, Billy Morgan, ROG, Roy Keane. Doing this properly for Cork is way more important than that match in Saipan. – Yours, etc,
CATHAL RABBITTE,
Im Walder,
Zollikon,
Switzerland.