Sir, - In an effort to make ends meet, I have recently become a newspaper competition enthusiast. The Irish Times usually dishes up a few tasty offerings - prizes of Caribbean cruises and gold necklaces are certainly attractive.
However, having glanced at the question which will get me into the hat, my excitement is checked when I notice the dreaded "tie-breaker". I, for one, am totally perplexed when it comes to stringing 10 or 12 words together in praise of mascarpone cheese or some facial wipe.
Even worse, having agonised for several days and dismissed some dreadful pun-laden efforts, I eventually settle for one of those recently dismissed attempts and send it on its unhappy way.
The winner is announced some days later but we never get to read what words of breathless prose so impressed the judges. These venerable judges remind us how final their decision is and we stragglers are left to contemplate our misfortune, never knowing how our entry rated.
Please, just once, a competition with no tie-breaker. A question along the lines of: "What day is it?" or "What is the price of an ink-cartridge?" will do fine. - Yours, etc.
T. O'GORMAN,
Luttrellstown,
Dublin 15.