EDITOR – Season’s Greetings to all from the North Pole!
Letters are pouring in from all around the world so I would like to remind all the boys and girls in Ireland to write and post their letters to me as soon as possible.
This is what the boys and girls need should do: Write their own letter to me.
Put it in an envelope, seal it and address it to ‘Santa Claus, The North Pole’.
Write their own name and full postal address (in clear handwriting) on the top left-hand corner on the front of the envelope.
Stick a €1.40 stamp on the top right-hand corner and post it in a green An Post postbox – that’s important! My friends in An Post are helping me to reply to as many children’s letters as possible again this year – I’m expecting more than 130,000!
Wishing everyone a very happy and peaceful Christmas.
Santa Claus,
The North Pole.
PS Rudolph is busy training for the long journey on Christmas Eve so he is looking forward to some nice treats!
The big man himself, at his desk in the North Pole this week, has been busy writing to local papers encouraging everyone to get their letters for the North Pole in the post as quickly as possible. (Photo: Shutterstock)Why not reduce stamp price at Christmas?
EDITOR – Many countries, including Ireland, charge a lot for posting letters and cards nationally and internationally.
Postage stamps have become so expensive, it has been killing – at a faster rate – the tradition of posting Christmas cards to relatives, friends and to anyone, near and far.
It would be a good gesture if An Post would consider reducing the price of postage stamps by at least 40 cents a stamp for the first two weeks in December.
It would encourage people to send extra cards and maintain a lovely Christmas tradition, and with advertisements of this reduction, An Post would not lose much money on it.
Card printing companies and charities depend on hugely on the sales of Christmas cards at this time of the year.
Mary Sullivan,
Cork.
Pushing the positivity in West Cork for 2025
EDITOR – As there is much to celebrate in our town of Skibbereen, I felt that we should all share in the congratulations.
Firstly, congratulations to our three TDs for Cork South West and I ask them to please keep supporting and helping us in Skibbereen.
Congratulations to the wonderful O’Donovan Rossa ladies football team, who were unparalleled in their success over the last two years, and every success in their new venture into a senior ladies club.
I want to also congratulate Skibbereen Tidy Towns and other tidy towns committees in West Cork for their successes. We need our towns to look well, for both the residents and visitors.
And then, of course, I have to say that the Skibbereen Chamber of Commerce and the businesses in the town have done a fantastic job with shop lighting and encouraging the festive spirit. We are particularly delighted with the new tree on the Square.
We are inclined to knock our towns, and not see the good that happens. Skibbereen has been blessed this year, with new businesses, new footpaths, improved road surfaces, new planting at roundabouts, and great work at the Rock.
In Skibbereen we still have issues – derelict houses, poor street lighting, no heating in Skibbereen Town Hall, underdeveloped playground, and neglect of the famine soup kitchen building, to name but a few. But as we go into the New Year, can we all look on our town with more positivity and try and get involved in the many organisations to make 2025 a great time to be in West Cork. Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year to all.
Kay Quinn,
Poundlick,
Skibbereen.
Shame so many county players are opting out
EDITOR – Hard to believe that a number of very good Cork footballers have opted out of the Cork senior panel, for different reasons.
It’s a great shame as they were only four points behind Kerry in the Munster championship and drew with All-Ireland champions Armagh in a very close league game earlier in the year. They are not far away from major honours and losing good players like them makes John Cleary’s task more difficult, especially good forwards.
All our clubs small and big should encourage all their most gifted and talented players to strive for and play inter county football as it helps to lift the standards of football in our county.
Senior inter-county football is the showcase of our football standards and all these players involved should be given every help and assistance by their clubs and the county board management.
John Cleary and his selectors should take a good look at the smaller junior and intermediate clubs around the county and city to search out new talent for their team.
Many years ago and down through the years we had hard fought games in packed stadiums in Cork and Killarney against great Kerry teams.
We had some good wins on occasion, but Kerry took the lion’s share of titles.
Our players gave it all in the red jersey and there was always a great sense of pride in local players playing for the Rebel County.
Jeremiah McCarthy,
Tawnies Grove,
Clonakilty.
