MUCH is being made of the reported low percentage of through passengers on the Shannon-Heathrow route. Some claim that as few as 30% use Heathrow as a connection point.

It is curious that this information is available so readily. Nowadays many people book sequential flights on separate tickets and it is not immediately obvious how such travellers can be accurately counted. It could hardly be that those citing the low connection figures are merely ignoring such passengers in an effort to bolster their arguments?

Professor Kevin Ryan, Castletroy Heights, Limerick.

Deasun agus Lucy Bhreatnach From the Breatnach family Fuair an gniomhaioch cearta daonna agus ealaiontoir, Lucy Bhreatnach, bas ar an 1 Deireadh Fomhair, agus i 82 bliain d'aois. Dha la ina dhiaidh sin, fuair a ceile ionuin, Deasun Breatnach, MLitt, iriseoir, file, udar agus gniomhaioch polaitiochta, cearta daonna agus teanga, bas, agus e 85 bliain d'aois.

I ndiaidh bhas ar mbeirt tuismitheoiri laistigh den aon seachtain amhain, ta na ceadta litreacha, glaonna, teacsanna agus riomhphost tagtha chugainn le tacu linn agus le meas orthu beirt a chur in iul. O iriseoiri, scribhneoiri, ealaiontoiri, ceoltoiri, fili, scannanoiri, acadulaithe, ionadaithe polaitiochta, gniomhaigh chearta daonna, ceardchumannaithe, Gluaiseacht na Gaeilge, comhgleacaithe, comharsana, cairde, dochtuiri, agus o altrai a thainig na teachtaireachtai sin, agus o dhaoine in Eirinn agus ar an gcoigrioch nach bhfuil aon aithne againn orthu.

Is mian linn buiochas o chroi a ghabhail leis na daoine ar fad a thacaigh linn tar eis bhas na beirte acu.

Is mian linn, go hairithe, ar mbuiochas a ghabhail as ucht na tacaiochta leanunai a fuaireamar onar gcuid paisti, neachtanna agus nianna, a bhi ag fulaingt iad fein de bharr bas beirt da gcuid seantuismitheoiri san aon seachtain amhain (i gcasanna airithe, ni raibh seantuimitheoiri eile da gcuid beo), agus as ucht na tacaiochta a fuaireamar onar bpairtithe (agus i gcasanna airithe, onar niarphairtithe).

Is mian linn, freisin, ar mbuiochas a ghabhail leo seo a leanas: foireann (o ghlantoiri go comhairligh) Chlinic na Carraige Duibhe, An Beacon, Ospideal Naomh Uinseann, Ospideal Thamhlachta, Ospideal Naomh Lucas, Ospideal Naomh Micheal, foireann curaim mhaolaithigh Ospis na Carraige Duibhe, Altrai Ceantair an HSE (ta comhbha againn leo sna deacrachtai ata acu de dheasca an choisc ata ann faoi lathair ar earcu), Cogaslann Bradley, agus leis an Dochtuir Ginearalta Karl Kavanagh agus a chleachtas; leis na Curamoiri, agus Private Home Care, agus le foireann tacaiochta na ndreamanna sin thuas; thug siad ar fad curam leighis agus/no curam pearsanta go gairmiuil, croiuil, solubtha do dhuine dar dtuismitheoiri no don bheirt acu. Buiochas freisin do Sheipeal Naomh Micheal, Dun Laoire, agus Seipeal Bhantiarna na mBua, an Naigin.

Ta buiochas ar leith ag dul do John brophy, (NUJ na hEireann), do 'NUJ Extra' (Sasana) agus do Charthanas na nIriseoiri (Sasana).

Is eol duinn go raibh cuid mhor daoine eile ann ar mhaith leo a bheith i lathair le mairgneach a dheanamh, agus le ceiliuradh a dheanamh ar shaol ar dtuismitheoiri, ach nar eirigh leo de bharr curaimi a bheith orthu no de bharr nar eirigh linne dul i dteagmhail leo in am;

bhi socruithe na sochraidi le deanamh go tapa, go hairithe i gcas ar n-athar, mar go raibh socru deanta aigesean go mbronnfai a chorp ar Cholaiste na Trionoide ar mhaithe le taighde miochaine; d'fhag sin go raibh orainn a chorp a thabhairt ar laimh doibh laistigh de 48 uair an chloig.

Beidh an Cuimhneachan Miosa ar siul ar an Aoine, 16 Samhain 2007 i Seipeal Bhantiarna na mBua, Gleann na gCaorach/an Naigin, ag 18.30pm.

Beidh roinnt ocaidi cuimhneachain ann amach anseo, agus fogrofar iad sin go maith roimh re.

Taimid buioch diobh sin a thug blathanna sochraide duinn.

Duine ar bith a raibh fonn air no uirthi blathanna a thabhairt, tig leo sintius a thabhairt do na carthanais seo a leanas:

Amnesty Idirnaisiunta, Cumann Ghalar Nearoin Luadraigh na hEireann no Cumann Ailse na hEireann.

Diarmuid, Osgur, Caoilte, Oisin, Lucilita & Cormac Breatnach.

Government stance on Tara is disgraceful
From David Marlborough

MINISTER for the Environment John Gormley's stance, which he's continually adopted since entering government, is that he can do little regarding the Tara/M3 disgrace, as all the damage was done before he came on board, his hands are now tied by existing decisions, ministerial orders and legislation, and he's powerless to act.

This isn't true, and the fact that Rip van Gormley has suddenly woken up and has now elected to use his powers under the flawed National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004 to make a temporary preservation order for a fort within the Tara archaeological complex adjacent to the M3 construction gives lie to this assertion.

Gormley could also show a positive, pro-active approach to his ministry by amending this act, which the European Commission has pointed out categorically for months now is repugnant to EU law. Later this month, the EU will make a decision as to whether to proceed against the government in this matter for its failure to heed EU directives. Wouldn't it be nice if Gormley had decided to head off this situation by making the correct, respectful and EU-compliant amendments to the National Monuments Act to reverse the 2004 amendments, instead of bringing this situation down to the wire?

Recent weeks have seen many further protests against the Tara/M3 situation and, of course, the government carrying on blithely regardless. The rerouting of the road was resolutely rejected by the government in coalition talks with the Green Party back in May. The condemnation of this road project has been global, with the US-based World Monuments Fund placing Tara on their 100 most at risk sites worldwide. The majority of Irish people favour the road being rerouted away from this area. The government's implacable attitude in the face of such huge opposition merely indicates how much must be at stake for them in doing a u-turn.

No effort has been made to address concerns raised by the EU and I expect the government will continue to brazen it out on this issue and if brought to defend their position in the European Court of Justice will pay the heavy penalties incurred, all courtesy of the Irish taxpayer, thereby adding further insult to injury.

David Marlborough.

Kenilworth Park, Dublin 6W.

People living here need to adapt
From Micheal O Bearra

WITH reference to the constant stream of publicity recently regarding the 'problems' that the Six Counties' English colonists have with our flag and our national anthem, I do wish that we here would start to act like a sovereign nation.

Foreigners here (the Six Counties' English colonists, Danes in Dublin, Germans in Galway, Liberians in Limerick) who do not like it (Gaeilge, 'Amhran na bhFiann', the national flag, etc) should leave.

Otherwise the state should deport them. Do we all remember Algeria some 40 years ago?

In the same vein, there are Irishmen and women all over our country, from a place in west Cork called An Gleann Garbh, to a place in north Antrim called An Gleann Garbh, who are Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs etc.

Lastly, there are 191 member states in the UN, with people from 166 countries living peacefully in Ireland, making a positive contribution to Ireland, by bothering nobody, while one group, the White English Colonial Settlers, normally called the Unionists, has a problem; 166 out of 167 or 99.4% cannot be wrong. Are we expected to believe that the mere mortals living in Ireland from 166 countries throughout the world must adapt to Ireland, but "God's Own Englishmen", as John Milton of Paradise Lost fame is once supposed to have said, do not?

Micheal O Bearra.

An Spideal, Gaillimh.