Tag: Ireland

We would never do that

Ireland would never vote for Donald Trump. We would never vote for someone who wanted to restrict citizenship on the basis of skin colour. We’d never vote for someone who wanted to restrict women’s reproductive choices, who would forcibly imprison a pregnant women and carry out a caesarian section by force, or keep a pregnant… Continue reading We would never do that

Easter Risings

The disconnect between Official Ireland and the rest of the population has rarely been highlighted as effectively as during the past ten days. The early Easter, barely a week after St Patrick’s Day, marks the contrast between the 1916 anniversary parade in Dublin this morning and the multiple parades around the country on 17 March.… Continue reading Easter Risings

Should I work for free?

Image © Faduda

I’ve had his discussion more than once over the years, usually with students/recent graduates starting out who are unsure how to find their feet in freelancing, and who have absorbed the idea that giving away images/copy for free will improve their “exposure”. I usually begin by quoting a friend who pointed out once that people… Continue reading Should I work for free?

Let’s pretend

Leinster House. Image © Faduda

Let’s pretend our constitution doesn’t guarantee a woman’s right to find out about abortion services in Great Britain. Let’s pretend our constitution doesn’t explicitly promise that woman that she won’t be arrested as she boards the jet to fly to Britain for that abortion. Let’s pretend instead that Ireland is a sacred place where no… Continue reading Let’s pretend

New media

Pickings are thin for freelance journalists in Ireland at the moment. Titles have closed, and freelance budgets are squeezed. Yet in my view, there’s never been a greater need for journalism. A few days ago, I posted here a question I has earlier asked on Twitter, about what readers would like to see in a… Continue reading New media

So I asked a question…

Imagine a new magazine. What does it take to hold your interest? For a while now, I’ve been playing with the idea of a new magazine covering Irish current affairs. One decent investigative piece every issue, half a dozen or so strong analysis pieces, perhaps an extended interview, and a few other pieces to lighten… Continue reading So I asked a question…

Jobbridgers used to clear citizenship backlog

Jobbridge: Does exactly what it says on the tin

Yesterday, I received a Freedom of Information file containing (part of) the Jobbridge database. Showing it to a friend, I ran a trivial search: Who sought the greatest number of jobbridgers? Three organisations requested 30 “interns”. For now, I can only tell you one of them. Step forward, Citizenship Division, Department of Justice and Equality.… Continue reading Jobbridgers used to clear citizenship backlog

Controversial religion questions on student teacher exam

I sent in this article to several newspapers last week, but none published it. So I’m publishing it here for the record. A sample examination test for trainee primary teachers taking religion as a subject includes questions which require the student to agree that ‘atheist humanism produced the worst horrors history has ever witnessed.’ Another… Continue reading Controversial religion questions on student teacher exam