I know I am a week late but I need to get this off my chest. I agree with George Hook: it is “St Patrick’s Day”, not “Paddy’s Day”. Why do we have to dumb everything down? Even the TV ads and radio DJs talked about Paddy’s Day. So cheap. So annoying. Anyway, rant over, for another 12 months at least.

Here though is where I completely contradict myself. Because when we weren’t listening to ads and references to Paddy’s Day, we were getting regular reminders last week about Seachtain na Gaeilge encouraging us to practise our national language. In keeping with the spirit of it, I threw in a cúpla focail on air last Saturday week. Hands up though, I double-checked with one of my guests, vet Peadar Ó Scanaill, who is fluent in our native tongue.

I wouldn’t dare utter a word unless I knew it was grammatically correct. It goes back to my teenage years when I walked into a siopa in a Gaelteacht area and tried to buy milseáin by conversing as Gaeilge with the siopadóir. Never again. I was made feel like an imbecile. He wasn’t impressed with my pigeon Irish. It was like getting a bite off a madra as a buachaill and being afraid of dogs ever since.

Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh has a wonderful way of adding Irish words to his stories. He tells scéalta bilingually, introducing a few Irish words anseo agus ansiúd. And I would argue that if we want people to speak more Irish, we should not be afraid to speak “Englirish” without fear of offending. I never went to the Gaelteacht but I used to hear stories about how you would be punished if you spoke a word of English. Traditionalists abhor “Englirish” where the two languages are mixed or where English words are inserted into conversation. But now it should be encouraged if we want people to speak more Irish gach la.

Just as long as people don’t start talking about lá fhéile Paddy!

Searching for answers and peace of mind

Would you believe almost 10,000 people were reported to the gardaí as missing in 2016? Twenty-four remain on the missing persons list. There are many reasons why people go missing. You could guess them yourself.

Sadly there have been many high-profile cases of missing persons in this country over the past 30 or 40 years. And it is devastating to hear of family members left bereft of any idea as to how, what or why. One can only imagine what it must be like and I get a lump in my throat to this day every time I hear that lovely man Michael Deeley appealing for information about the vanishing of his son Trevor in 2000. What on earth happened that poor man?

Thankfully over 99% of people who go missing turn up pretty soon, safe and well – and even before their disappearance is made public. However, not a week goes without an appeal appearing online to trace a loved one. It is always a relief to hear later that they have been found safe and well.

But I have heard it suggested that there are some young people who go missing for the notoriety that it might bring as photos and an appeal are shared online. I am sure it’s not common but where it is the case, it is most cruel on family and friends, not to mention a waste of Garda time.

Considering the horrors which families are going through not knowing where a family member has genuinely disappeared to for years on end, going missing just to get back at someone or to make headlines isn’t clever.