Maternal Instinct

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Miriam O’Callaghan and Rhona Mahony through the years and on last night’s Prime Time (above)

Sisters, eh?

Belinda B writes:

Was it it appropriate that Miriam O’Callaghan was chosen to interview Rhona Mahony, the Master of Holles Street [on last night’s RTÉ Prime Time] when she has been involved in a fundraising project for the National Maternity Hospital Foundation, where Ms Mahony and Peter Boylan, whom Ms O’Callaghan also interviewed, are directors, and also, on pictorial evidence alone, Miriam and Rhona appear quite close?

Anyone?

Earlier: How Deal Leaves Doors Open For Church Control

Pics: RTÊ, Independent, Rollingnews

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75 thoughts on “Maternal Instinct

    1. On The Buses

      Dr. O’Mhoney is either insanely naive, playing dumb or so ambitious that she would disregard that the Catholic Church would want anything in return for it’s granting the use of extremely valuable land. After this morning appearance on RTE News, she should resign.

        1. Vote Rep #1

          Another option is that the current hospital is so unfit for its current needs that she is willing to make what she sees a small sacrifice to a fully functioning state of the art hospital to ensure that the mothers and children being born are given the best treatment they can be.

          1. Nigel

            As a thought exercise, can you imagine what a state Holles Street must really be in to make something like this an attractive option, where any thought of further delay in order to come up with a different, more acceptable scheme, intolerable? I can’t help but sympathise with someone who appears to be driven by an overwhelming need to just get a functional hospital up and running,

          2. Nigel

            Just a thought, that our ramshackle, crumbling health service might have ramshackle crumbling hospitals – doesn’t give politicians the right to reflexively give the nuns ownership of our new hospital or the nuns the right to hold it hostage, but there you go.

      1. Lord Snowflakee

        Her answers last evening were robotic, machine-like. Either well-drilled or a total fanatic. Run. Far away.

      2. MoyestWithExcitement

        Playing dumb would be my bet. Nobody that accomplished could possibly think nothing would be expected back. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the establishment in this country effectively see themselves as monarchy and the we, the great unwashed, are both stupid and total nuisance they have to deal with occasionally but from a distance.

      3. Sheik Yahbouti

        But, but there she is with “the Mother of the Nation” – are you not reassured?

  1. Joe Small

    That photo of the 3 women gives me the creeps – they’re all smiling but not really smiling at all. Must take a lot of practice.

    1. ReproBertie

      Speaking of, did anybody else notice that, in RTÉ’s news reports on the “mixed reaction” to the CA’s votes, over Cora Sherlock’s reaction they used footage of a pro-life march passing a BHS shop? Has there even been a BHS in the Republic since the last abortion referendum? For some reason they felt the need to show footage of an anti-abortion protest from outside the state to reinforce the pro-lfe side of the argument.

  2. bisted

    …that’ll be the new President up there…don’t know which one though…they both have that whiff of entitlement about them…

      1. bisted

        …nothing says entitlement in this country more than being a director of a charity or trust…in fairness, gender does not seem to be a factor…

        1. By Popular Demand, Frilly Keane

          ones a Television Institution
          the other is a OBGYN

          they’re hardly without credentials and abilities

          and you’re lumping them in with the Charitable Trust liggers?

          Like I said
          Spoken like a real man

          1. bisted

            …like I said…gender doesn’t seem to be an inhibitor when it comes to becoming a Charitable Trust ligger or President…just commenting on it…nice to see you too Frilly…

          2. Vote Rep #1

            Are yuo comparing being a “Charitable Trust ligger” with running a national hospital? I am confused what your point is. Which one is the “Charitable Trust ligger”?

  3. edalicious

    I do agree with you but your pictorial evidence is fairly tenuous, to be fair. All of the pictures above appear to be photos of them both working or at work-related events. They could hate each others’ guts and the photos would be the exact same.

  4. Vote Rep #1

    Can’t wait for bitter digs about the fact that she wears nice clothes, which some seem to think is some sort of an affront. She should be wearing an ill-fitting suit.

      1. Nigel

        ‘I’m a highly trained professional in charge of a National Maternity Hospital, but I’m secretly worried my clothes don’t flatter the real woman inside!’

      2. Vote Rep #1

        If I were running a maternity hospital, I would like to think it wouldn’t really matter what clothes I was wearing.

        1. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

          They’re not running EA Games, they’re doctors. Senior management has a dress code in this area. So be it. It’s as much of a uniform as cool trainers and designer gear is in a different industry.

  5. olllie

    Core values of St Vincents Healthcare:
    Human Dignity:
    Advocacy Speaking for the voiceless, acting with and for them to achieve a reasonable quality of care.

    Mission Statement:
    “To bring the healing love of Christ to all we serve”

    Nothing about using young girls as slaves, which probably funded the building of St Vincents Hospital in the first place.

    Sickening.

  6. Spaghetti Hoop

    I’m pretty sure RTE current affairs staff have interviewed their BFFs, neighbour, god-daughter, parish priest or second cousin twice-removed – small population! What is more important is the rigor and professionalism of the interviewer in his/her questions.

    1. Nigel

      I heard her on Morning Ireland. She didn’t particularly allay my concerns, but she was more than capable of forcefully making her case without any help from journo pals.

        1. Nigel

          Between this and the ‘terrifying and horrifying’ comments below, I think they’ve gone and made a terminator head of the Maternity Hospital. The Materminator.

    2. Lord Snowflakee

      Is it? Don’t know if you saw it.

      To the barely informed, the questions were ‘rigorous-looking’.

      However the stock answers came out thick and fast.

      Like a well-rehearsed pantomime act.

      Front and back legs of the same donkey.

    1. ReproBertie

      It’s a bit like when that conspiracy fella said pizza gate was garbage and the other conspiracy fellas turned on him.

  7. Kid Creole Jensen

    I was on a J1 with Rhona in Chicago many moons ago. Miriam is involved with so many charities and does so much pr work can she interview anybody without a conflict of interest. Yes the country is tiny. Even Rhona’s brother in law is her main adversary.

    1. newsjustin

      Yeah. I thought there was something to this post but you’re right ^^

      It’s funny. When Rhona O’Mahony was quoted on here in recent years talking about abortion she was seen as the only sane person in the country. She was practically beatified….or whatever the BS equivalent was. People were swooning over her…..that’s not an exaggeration.

      But now the BS massive say she’s naive, careerist and can’t be trusted apparently…..lol.

      1. MoyestWithExcitement

        Who said she’s naive and how is “careerist” the opposite of “sane”? Man, you *really* don’t like it when the establishment are questioned.

    2. nellyb

      Miriam so busy, who brought up 8 kids? No, I mean, seriously? In the 90s airwaves were filled with scorn and abuse towards women who had children in creche during working hours. Me and my female colleagues were scum of the earth for that. I assume she was a fellow-scum. Scummier even for the number of kids she had find a minder for.

  8. rotide

    This is ridiculous. This issue is stupid enough without sinking to these conspiratorial depths. The answer is blatantly obvious in that it’s a small country and there is no impropriety.

    1. MoyestWithExcitement

      “The answer is blatantly obvious”

      Lol! It’s actually impressive how a grown adult can be so naive with such conviction.

        1. nellyb

          if rotide was sarcastic it makes perfect sense. rotide would sure correct me if he wasn’t and i’d take it back then.

  9. DubLoony

    Listen on morning Ireland today, she sounded utterly frustrated at the current state of Holles street.
    Its from the 18th century, bursting at the seams and can’t fulfill all medical needs as it stands.
    Can completely understand the want for a modern purpose built hospital.

    But to overlook question of ownership in pursuit of that ignores the deep concerns of women who have made it clear they do not want any religious institution involved in their reproductive healthcare.

    1. mildred st. meadowlark

      It’s a fine line she’s attempting to walk. The country is crying out for a new maternity hosp and delays like this are frustrating to those who’ve worked towards this. And while a new facility, even one that is so desperately needed, is for the good of women in this country, the very valid concerns about the church’s involvement need to be listened to. We have a long and ugly history in this country of how well the church looked after the women and children of Ireland. They cannot just dismiss it.

      1. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

        Ah shut up and stop making trouble. You and your ilk. Know your place.
        No offence, dear. Leave this to the adults.

  10. Fgshill

    The interview on Prime Time last night was terrifying. So obviously rehearsed with Miriam performing big pop-eyed ‘hard questions’ and the pair of them with about two kilos of foundation on looking like they were squirming about inside their own skulls, electrified by the shared realisation that Here they both were, on national TV, serving a subtle political agenda.

    Then I watched Celebrity Juice

    1. Lord Snowflakee

      Yea that’s exactly what I thought as well. Really terrifying and horrifying at the same time. BIG IMPORTANT WOMEN MAKING DECISIONS AND TALKING ABOUT IMPORTANT STUFF _ YOU GUYS WOULDN’T UNDERSTAND.

      1. Nigel

        Bet they didn’t even talk about men all the time the way they’re s’posed to! DID THE INTERVIEW PASS THE BECHDEL TEST!? THAT PROVES THEY’RE FEMICRONIES! TERRIFYING AND HORRIFYING!

        This is ridiculous.

  11. spudnick

    And what, pray, would a different interviewer have asked? Would one of the more enlightened commentariat above somehow have managed to unmask this grand conspiracy of the Mahony/O’Callaghan combo doing their secret duty of ensuring the Church keeps its tentacles in?

    Or could it just possibly be that Mahony, in her understandable impatience to see progress in this area having worked with a crumbling infrastructure for years, is supporting the deal and hoping for the best? Ill-advised though it may yet turn out to be?

    1. MoyestWithExcitement

      ‘Is O’Mahony supporting a deal involving church ownership or is she just supporting a deal involving church ownership?’

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