Leviathan played to a full house last night. Sounds like it was a great night. If missed it and want to hear what happened, you can catch it on the official podcast. Haven’t listened yet, but word is that Michael Copeland and Colm O Mongain both gave great value! The point in question: should we celebrate 1916? Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media …
Staying with the Republic, the Irish Times has an extraordinary picture of the Taoiseach sticking his tongue out at the launch the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network’s programme for equality for gay, lesbian and bisexual people in Dublin yesterday. As Miriam Lord notes in her column in the Independent, it was another masterly stroke from a leader with an unerring instinct for timing: …it’s difficult, particularly in this day and age, to believe that, yesterday, Bertie Ahern became the first …
One of the things about demography that makes it endlessly fascinating is that for an art which is supposed to help predict future needs, it is incredibly unpredictable. Former Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald reviews some of the massive changes in Irish demography in the last forty five years. “…within little more than a decade after 1960 we had moved from being the European country with the highest net emigration rate to being a country with, for a decade, net immigration. And, …
After picking up this story about investigators from the NI Police Ombudsman’s Office going to Letterkenny to investigate a car crime, I came across this little gem from Gay Byrne, who has already cracked a few eggs within days of taking up his new post as Chair of the Road Safety Authority, when he explained that Donegal drivers are lunatics. He’s been a regular visitor for 35 years. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on …
INteresting piece from Colum Kenny in which he considers the possible reasons for the late arrival of the Republic’s overdue legislation on the media. He hints at an internal struggle within the cabinet over the degree of media control that might reside with a future statutary body: with McDowell looking for less and his colleagues apparently looking for more. One reader wrote in response to the Slugger debate started here that, the Minister’s focus on improving the quality of public …
As Chris noted last night, there has been some interesting ‘churn’ in the polling figures published in yesterday’s Sunday Business Post. Richard Colwell MD of RedC who conducted the poll, notes the success of the Greens, who at 12% in Dublin and a 2% increase in their national average could hold the key to an new rainbow coalition government. However, there remain some significant gaps between themselves and their most obvious potential partners of Labour and Fine Gael.
Robin Livingstone kicks off with a spot of amatuer pyschology on the Minister of Justice, and while he notes that “that people seem these days to have lost all sense of perspective, to say nothing of their sense of humour” finds him a flawed character. Eilis O’Hanlon in the Sunday Independent (anyone got a link – I couldn’t find it – grrr), when she called into question both the thin skin of politicians and the pointlessness of making apologies over …
There can be few figures in Irish politics north and south who’ve attracted the opprobrium that the Republic’s Justice Minister, Michael McDowell routinely endures from both his political rivals and the media in general. This week he has mostly been taking flak over his Nazi propaganda remarks about Fine Gael’s Richard Bruton. Earlier he was picked out and accused by Phil Flynn of blackening Flynn’s name. His tough line on immigration and his very public ruck with Frank Connolly have …
Brian Feeney talks us through the significance of the non events of the last three weeks, and reckons it’s 1-0 to Nationalists courtesy of the “no show” of government proposals, courtesy of a veto from the Republic’s government. The significance he argues is long term rather than short term and demonstrates the degree to which southern involvment in Northern Ireland’s affairs is now accepted across the political board. North Southery is now a game for all of Northern Ireland’s querulous …
Historian Irene Whelan considers the scale of an island wide reconciliation never mind unification the longer term context of an historical narrative that pitched Catholic and Protestant on course for mutually assured disruption (subs needed) – if not destruction. Paraphrasing Orwell she notes, “reconciliation in the present and future will most certainly be contingent upon reconciliation of the past”. Fallout from clerical scandals and the exposure of abuse in Catholic-run institutions has shattered, if not destroyed, the almost organic connection …
It seems the powers that be in the Dublin Diocese of the Church of Ireland are commemorating some of the main Protestant figures from the “national movement”, including playwright Sean O’Casey. If you’re in the vincinity of Christ Church Cathedral over the next few weeks, it looks like it might throw up some interesting perspectives. Thanks for the heads up Nathan! Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics …
Those of you with even a passing interest in the Irish language might like to take a look at Focal.ie, an on-line database of nearly 140,000 terms in Irish. It is being developed by some of my colleagues in the School of Fiontar in DCU in partnership with the University of Wales, Lampeter (hence the Welsh language dictionary). It is not a dictionary, so you will not find the Irish for many simple everyday English words, but you will get …
A few eyebrows have been raised by Michael McDowell’s introduction of the second stage of the 2005 Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Bill in the Seanad as Gaeilge last Thursday. Firstly concerns have been expressed about the powers granted under the legislation which will “allow EU states to tap phones and monitor text and email messages in Ireland, without first seeking permission from the Irish authorities”, see Carol Coulter in the Irish Times (subs. req.), Potatriotque and Tuppenceworth. A second issue …
The Irish Supreme Court has ruled by a 4 to 1 majority to overturn a 2003 High Court ruling, clearing the way for the trial of Provisional IRA member Brendan McFarlane for the kidnapping of Don Tidey in 1983, only a couple of months after McFarlane had escaped from the Maze prison – he was originally charged in connection with the kidnapping in 1998. As this earlier report on the decision notes – “A trainee garda and a member of …
Despite some online scepticism about the real reasons for Amazon’s strategic shift from Slough to Cork, it has caused some in the mainstream British press to pause for thought, given Amazon’s stated reason being a failure to attract a highly enough educated workforce. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. …
It looks like the Republic’s economic underbelly lies in the serious shortfall in its telecommunications infrastructure. According to Seán Murphy (subs needed), director of Chambers Ireland, “the 2005 IMD World Competitiveness Book, which tracks the performance of 60 countries, ranked Ireland 56th for its communications technology capabilities and 46th for its broadband subscriptions. While chambers have issues with how this survey defines broadband, the fact that internationally respected institutions can actually rate us at such a low point in the …
Thanks to Maria at Crooked Timber, who hopefully will find time to take a detailed look at the report, I can note the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Economic Survey of Ireland, released yesterday., which, among other points, makes recommendations on the fiscal framework, the housing market, removing obstacles to employment for women, closing the infrastructure gap, encouraging research and development, reforming all levels of education, increasing competition, and, most importantly, the key challenges for the economy in the …
Lindy McDowell: “Welcome aboard, Chas. How does it feel to be a Hun?” Despite some heavy personal media targeting of some of the more colourful members of the march, she points out this was
The question of Saturday’s riots took up a large chunk of Monday night’s Question and Answers on RTE. Definately worth watching again (video file) – if only for the tone of the contributions from the Unionist participants in the debate. Not least Jeffrey Donaldson, who signs off with a caution to people not to get too hung on simple stories from the past. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet …
Susan McKay explores some interesting parallels between some of the chants and verbal abuse hurled by Republican protesters and those hurled at the PSNI by loyalists in Northern Ireland – and wonders whether either is really interested in the reality of a pluralist future. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and …
