Terry Maguire

The UK Covid19 inquiry What is its purpose?

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The UK Covid19 Inquiry, promised by the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the early days of the pandemic, is meeting and pouring over what happened with a view of learning lessons for next time. And yes, there will be …

Ian Clarke

The destructive use of dismissive language in politics…

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Two things coincided this week that led to this piece. The first was Thursday’s violence in Dublin. The second is the fact I’m about two thirds through Graham Linehan’s autobiography in which he details his fall from grace and into …

Frank Schnittger

United Rugby Championship Round 6 Review…

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Last week I had the good fortune to see my prediction of a clean sweep for all the provinces come true but warned that tougher weekends lie ahead. This week my predictions (for the Irish Rugby Fan Forum) were altogether …

Arnold Carton

It is Different for Working-Class Communities…

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In the 1970’s there was a catchy Joe Jackson single with the lyric “Don’t you know that it’s different for girls?”. People back then already knew that females had a different experience of sex and relationships and the song surprises …

Brian O’Neill

Open Sunday – discuss what you like…

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The idea for Open Sunday is to let you discuss what you like. Just two rules. Keep it civil and no man/woman playing.

Brian O’Neill

Open sunday – politics free zone…

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In addition to our normal open Sunday, we have a politics-free post to give you all a break. So discuss what you like here, but no politics.

Soapbox

The Dublin Riots, #IrelandBelongsToTheIrish, and Hypocrisy…

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Katy Haskins is a PhD Researcher from County Down. She is interested in Irish identity, politics, and experiences of life. You can find her on LinkedIn or X (@katyrhaskins). Today, like every other day, I navigated the windy streets of …

Mick Fealty

Horrific assault and the riots that followed indicate huge problems Irish politics cannot continue to ignore

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Some additional thoughts to Brian’s round up last night on the first widespread rioting in Dublin since the reaction to the Love Ulster Parade that took place roughly the same quarter back in 2005. In a hastily written oped in …

Brian O’Neill

Rioting in Dublin following stabbing incident…

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Wow, quite the scenes on social media. Shops were looted, cars on fire, buses and Luas set on fire, Gardaí attacked etc. The Patriots’ are now inside Arnotts, that well known bastion of Left wing politics. pic.twitter.com/kVRXXMG6dt — John O’Brennan …

Brian O’Neill

With the ballot box in one hand and libel laws in the other…

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Over in the Guardian, Rory Carroll writes about Sinn Féin’s legal actions against several media outlets and individual journalists. From the article: In Ireland, Mary Lou McDonald, the leader of Sinn Féin, is suing the national broadcaster RTÉ for defamation, …