Monthly Archives: February 2012

He said 2013 will be the year of “the Gathering,” an attempt to pull together expats and their descendants and encourage them to visit with their money. In the last month, Bruton has met with representatives of the Israeli government to learn how they’ve coordinated investment with their own diaspora. Ireland, which spent the past two centuries scattering its children around the world, is assessing the value of their affection.

 

Ireland Goes Looking for Outside Help (Bloomberg)

Kinda.

The IRFU have accepted “some responsibility” for the debacle that led to the Ireland women’s rugby squad’s 17-hour odyssey to Pau for last Saturday’s Six Nations match against France.

On Friday the team flew to Paris only to miss the connection for the 800km TGV trip to Pau after being stranded in rush hour traffic. It meant an overnight train was boarded, with six women forced to share each berth. Despite three hours sleep in their hotel, on arrival in Pau at 7am, ahead of a 3.30pm kick-off, they bravely lost 8-7.

Scott Walker, the IRFU’s newly appointed director of rugby development and the club game, was part of the entourage. At the post-match reception, Walker apologised to the players on behalf of the union.

IRFU Take ‘Some Blame’ For Debacle (Gavin Cummiskey, Irish Times)

 

A ledger, discovered in Co Waterford, has come to light which contains the “Relief List” of the local destitute in 1847. The poignant document contains the names, addresses, ages and other personal details of people applying for daily food rations during the Famine. Claimants were categorised as being either “Helpless Poor” or “Able-Bodied Poor”.

Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton could have written the instructions designed “to deter dishonest persons who are in employment or earning a livelihood from registering themselves as destitute and from applying for relief”.

The Victorian pen pushers   insisted that starving claimants – who were dying in droves – “must apply in person daily” or else “send a medical certificate of illness”.

 

 

Welfare Claimants: Deserving And Undeserving Poor (Michael Parsons, Irish Times – scroll down)