Curb drink promotion

Sir -

THE same stringent health regulations and warnings that apply to the promotion of cigarettes must be extended to cover the sale of alcohol.
The availability and use of alcohol must be regulated in the same way as cigarettes.
Alcohol is also a serious threat to the health of the Irish people yet it is not as stringently controlled as smoking.
Smoking is regarded as a serious health hazard and there are regulations in place to point out these dangers, yet alcohol poses an equally serious threat to health, but there seems to be a more liberal and lax attitude to its promotion.
There are no “alcohol kills” warnings on beer or spirits. Instead international drink companies are free to sponsor major sporting events where young people are involved.
Recently I came across a minor game where the winners were rewarded with two pints of drink.
This type of alcohol promotion must be curbed if we are to tackle the abuse of drink in Irish society.

Des Long,
52 Shannon Banks,
Corbally,
Limerick.


Unfair on fun fair

Sir -
 
I NOTE the negative article published in The Clare People dated April 29 in which you allowed one individual free rein in distorting the truth about McCormack Brothers Fun Fair which has gained a proud tradition in providing community entertainment in Kilrush for almost 70 years.
McCormack Brothers Fun Fair has been coming to Kilrush for close on three generations. We have always been made very welcome by the kind people of Kilrush who have generously supported us over all those years.
As you are aware, McCormack Brothers Fun Fair is bonded and insured to provide community entertainment in any part of Ireland. When we moved onto the ground at Kilrush on Tuesday, April 22, we were confronted by this one individual who voiced concerns about our fun fair activities. McCormack Brothers listened to this individual and reached an agreement with him alone. He expressed satisfaction with the outcome of our discussions.
In fact, he shook hands on our mutual agreement, the main thrust of which was to close down our operations at 9.30pm nightly instead of the permissible 11.30pm.
We stayed in Kilrush for five nights and welcomed members of this individual’s family, neighbours and friends to our fun fair.
For better measure, we employed some local youths from the surrounding area during our welcome stay in that beautiful town. To us, this is what community partnership is all about.
At the outset, I expressed disappintment that The Clare People failed to give balanced coverage in your article headed ‘Kilrush locals say fair wasn’t fun’. The most blatant distortion of the facts occurred when your photographer gave the impression that the fun fair was located beside a quarry and that there was a 20-foot drop to nearby gardens.
In truth, your article demeaned our fun fair activity and its core objective of providing clean, decent and safe community entertainment on a very tight financial budget.
I write in the hope that you will amend that negative focus. We thank the many people of Kilrush who contacted us and expressed sincere regret at the tenor of The Clare People article and who wished to disassociate themselves from the unkind remarks attributed to this one individual.
The demeaning article that appeared in The Clare People will not deter us from returning to Kilrush during the summer season. McCormack Brothers Fun Fair is proud of its family connections in Kilrush.
The west Clare town is a beautiful place to live, work and play and we thank the good and kind people of Kilrush for making us feel so welcome every time we visit there.
McCormack Brothers is already looking forward to returning to that grand old town on the lordly Shannon in dear old County Clare.

Mark McCormack,
McCormack Brothers Fun Fair.