17th August, 2000
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

DRAG HUNTING PICTURE

Dear Michael,

I refer to the drag hunting picture on the Douglas Weekly Volume 3 issue 31 of August 3rd. I wish to inform you that the names of the men in that picture are as follows:
Back row: (left to right) Joe Lynch, Finbarr 'Boxer' Carroll, Eddie Murray,Paddy Kenneally (Decd).
Middle row:(Left to Right),Denis Dilworth, Neilly O'Callaghan(Decd.), Noel Flaherty, Larry 0'Sullivan, Tommy' Desmond (Decd).
Front row: (Left to Right) Mick Flaherty and John O'Callaghan.

Mick Flaherty is holding Spindler, winner of the Kenmare Cup that year. John O'Callaghan is holding Bellar, winner of the Novice Cup.
Thank you for printing the letter.
Yours in sport
Larry O'Sullivan
Grange Park

CONGRATULATIONS

Michael,

Congratulations and Best Wishes on the coloured edition of the Douglas Weekly.
Regards,
Michael J O'Shaughnessy

ELLEN DOWNEY, b. 1865

Dear Editor,

My Great-Great Grandmother ELLEN DOWNEY, was born on Januaury 1, 1867 in the City of Cork. I believe she left family members behind and would be grateful if any descendants would write to me. My address is 2952 Grier Nursey Road, Forest Hill, MD, USA 21050. Thank-You
Sincerely
Jennifer Wellborn

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

had looked forward to the summer months and the simple joys of life, such as the fresh early mornings and the setting of the sun and of course the songbirds. Early in the summer it was a joy to hear the songbirds burst into a chorus of song in the early hours and in the evening before the sun went down. From my back garden I could see and hear the Blackbird and the Robin compete in a chorus of song and the Wren hopping along the wall and into the shelter of the Rosebushes. I had made a birdhouse and placed it in my back garden - I watered and fed the birds each day. Mostly the Sparrows competed for a place in this birdbox and the garden looked like an Avery. People who would visit me would marvel at the amount of birds in my back garden. My neighbours would never cut the hedges until the nesting season was completely over and one could enjoy seeing the young birds which had emerged from their nests and who were exploring flying from hedge to garden and being still fed by the birds that had taken such care to hatch them out so methodically. This was a joy to behold and the songbirds repaid us with a chorus of song in the mornings and late into the evenings. Those birds were like pets and would hop around freely in our neighbour's back gardens without hindrance.
All this was soon to be shattered with the introduction of a Falcon and a Hawk to the Kinsale Road dump site The Crows feeding from this dump scattered and invaded the South Douglas Road area - this has been mentioned and spoken about before. My concern now centre's on the bright idea of introducing a Falcon and a Hawk to this area. These are solely birds of prey and their instinct is to kill other birds. Now we are left with a situation that the introduction of these birds of prey have completely killed or scared away all our songbirds and we are now left with crows perched on ESB and telephone lines and on our homes.
The simple things if life are no longer free and the songbirds which we all loved and appreciated are now gone. I have witnessed a hawk killing birds in my back garden on three separate occasions. Who is at fault here? The residents in this area have been very patient and put up with smells etc, from the Kinsale Road Dumpsite for over thirty years. We are now told that this dump will close and an amenity area with a wild life sanctuary will be introduced. Who is kidding who? Lastly to quote part of a song which was made famous by our own Joe Lynch "The Cottage by the Lee".
"It's grand to stand outside that cottage doorway
And hear the blackbird greet the summer morn
And as his music echoes o'er the valley,
You'd smile and bless the day that you were born"
This is a song that should be played over and over again by the powers that be before considering their next move. My neighbours are furious that such an incident was allowed to happen. Over thirty years of smells etc. and now this. This is the new millennium, the Celtic Tiger is here, and things should be getting better not worse. We elect public representatives to look after our needs and our environment. Do something before it is too late.
Tony McDonald
Palaceanne, Residents Association

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