Sir, – As an expat for over 30 years, I came to the international edition of The Irish Times quite recently. My sister in Dublin introduced me to Crosaire a few years ago, and with the gradual passage of time I became addicted to the whole newspaper. It reconnected me with all that I love and loathe about Ireland. I buy it daily and marvel at the unpredictable outlets that stock it, from London supermarkets to random village shops, to a street kiosk in Barcelona. I like to see it taking pride of place among the international newspapers in Heathrow. Occasionally I bump into other local readers, not always Irish, with whom there is a special bond.
The UK edition has been a friend, and its purchase a daily ritual.
Anticipatory mourning is known to have therapeutic value and my hope is that I, and other international readers, will be well prepared to make the transition on September 17th, even if it hurts to say: “The paper edition is dead; long live the digital edition!” – Yours, etc,
Dr CHERRIE A COGHLAN,
Harrow,
Middlesex.