It’s been six months, more or less, since the political establishment took one on the jaw and lost the Lisbon treaty. Since then, we’ve had the pretence of an all-party Dáil committee considering where to go next, and a few surreal moments as some of the more eccentric opponents of the EU showed up to… Continue reading »
Nov
28
Nov
27
Your Call Is Important To Us
Imagine a single phone number for every government service. Apparently, the taoiseach was impressed with New York’s 311 service when he visited the city earlier this year, and thinks it’s an idea worth copying. ‘The Irish Government is planning to introduce the number in an effort to improve customer services,’ according to the Irish Independent… Continue reading »
Nov
26
Law & Order
Mattie McGrath walked out of court yesterday an innocent man. McGrath and five others, including his son Edmond were found not guilty of assaulting a teenager in south Tipperary two years ago. The jury returned a majority verdict of not guilty on three charges, including assault causing harm, violent disorder and using threatening, abusive or… Continue reading »
Nov
26
Gis A Job
Drip. Drip. Drip. Government ministers must have wondered what was coming next as they watched the slow drip of revelations about FÁS travel expenses. Rody Molloy, the director general of the State training agency, has been in the firing line for the past few days as details of spending on transatlantic trips emerged. The story… Continue reading »
Nov
25
Rush
Christmas is coming, and all too fast. Retailers, battered by cautious consumers who have already adjusted their spending habits to recessionary times, started advertising their Christmas sales even before Hallowe’en was out of the way. I even saw one report of a January Sale. Still, if you spot the perfect gift, it’s never too easy… Continue reading »
Nov
22
Knock Knock!
When the cops showed up to arrest Frank Dunlop, he wasn’t surprised. ‘We always knew this day was coming and I will not be contesting the charges,’ he told them. On 11 June 1992, Dunlop allegedly gave Sean Gilbride £1000 to buy his vote on a land rezoning motion. The following day, he allegedly gave… Continue reading »
Nov
20
Don’t Panic
Brian Cowen says he has a plan. It says a lot about perceptions of the current leadership that my first reaction to that headline, in today’s Irish Independent, was a shrug. It wasn’t even that enthusiastic a shrug. More of a half completed slouch, really. My second reaction was to ponder headline puns. Brian Cylon,… Continue reading »
Nov
18
The King Is Dead
Shortly after the smoking ban was introduced in Ireland, a local newspaper in Donegal reported a sighting of several footballers from a local amateur football team, standing outside a hotel enjoying their cigarettes together. The punchline: the footballers were in Edinburgh, where they’d travelled to take part in a soccer tournament. Several such urban legends… Continue reading »
Nov
18
Any Colour You Like
The Lisbon treaty is officially back in the news. An Irish Times poll today shows a change in ‘public attitudes since June with 43 per cent now saying they would vote Yes, 39 per cent No and 18 per cent having no opinion.’ But the pro-treaty side shouldn’t celebrate just quite yet. the Irish Times… Continue reading »