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“It is understood the Taoiseach reminded Mr Obama that he had been in Denver on the night of his nomination as a US presidential candidate for the Democratic Party in 2008.”

Taoiseach Holds Phone Call With Obama (RTE)

(AP) (Photocall)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD16OiDVw8w&feature=channel_video_title

Oireachtas Films (oh yes) has put together a montage of footage from the first day of the 31st Dail.

Sweet.

But what 1980s MT USA Fender-screeching lunacy is playing the background?

Nat reckons its REO Speedwagon. Not Pancho has chosen Foreigner. Susie thinks it might be a solo in the middle of Pat Benatar’s ‘Love Is A Battlefield’.

Chompsky, meanwhile, reckons its Toto.

But that’s what he always says.

Bethany House in Rathgar, Dublin 6, was a bible thumping hellhole, a ‘mother and child’ home, a place of institutionalised abuse and, possibly murder.

It was Protestant-run, not formally linked to the Church of Ireland, and was therefore not included on the government’s redress scheme for victims of institutionalised abuse.

History Ireland magazine last year revealed a total of 219 unmarked graves linked to Bethany (for the period 1922-49) at Mount Jerome Cemetery.

Niall Meehan, of Griffith College establised from records that 54 of the children had died from convulsions, 41 from heart failure and 26 from marasmus, a form of malnutrition.

As many as 86 deaths, or well over one-third of Bethany’s 219 child deaths in the 28 years between 1922-1949, occurred in one five-year period, during 1935-39.

Almost two-thirds (132) died in the 10-year period, 1935-44.

The worst year was 1936 when there were 29 deaths, with six babies buried the day they died. Eight more babies are buried in Mount Jerome (29) than were reported internally (21) to Bethany’s managing committee.

Mary Coughlan (and how we miss her) was the last Fianna Fail minister to deny the few, elderly survivors any recompense. The survivors believe their requests have been denied because they are a “minority grouping”.

They have now written to the new minister and await a change of heart.

Bethany Survivors Renew Redress Appeal (RTE)

Bethany Survivors letter here (Indy media)

Bethany Group Seek Redress (Irish Times, September 2010)

RTE captured this interesting vignette today as Dame Edna strolled into his second day on the job.

Yes, he probably got a lift to the bottom of Merrion Street, but it’s a start.

Better still is the chit-chat he shares with the photographers. It’s a little weird. It’s a little provincial. But after 14 years of shitheads waving as their limos swept into Leinster House, there’s a little bit of charm about it too.

Also someone has told him to lose the whole ‘thumbs aloft’ thing. Which is a mistake, we feel.

Watch Here