Monthly Archives: August 2012

 

STATE INVESTMENT of about €200 million along with matching funds from private telecom companies will be required as part of a national broadband plan to be launched today.

The plan will be focused on smaller urban centres and rural areas. More than 40 per cent of Irish homes already have access to very fast broadband – but they are centred in the major urban areas.

State aid clearance by the European Commission will almost certainly be required, in order to guarantee that public funds are not substituting for potential private sector investment.

Quick! Spend it before they tell us we can’t afford it.

State investment of €200m required for broadband plan (Deaglán de Bréadún, Irish Times)

(Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)

 

8.45pm: Stephen Hawking sits at the bottom of a huge metal tower with a moon on the top, which descends to create a massive big bang. Hundreds of people in macs and carrying white unbrellas move around the stadium, which erupts into fireworks. It looks like a lot of antibodies swirling around a giant cell … or is that just me? And then Rihanna’s Umbrella booms out. This is brilliant already…”

Paralympics Opening Ceremony Blog (Guardian)

The TG4 schedule for Autumn/Winter is out.

Ta capall bas ag flogini.

From RTE Ten:

New show Jockey Eile was announced and it looks set to be horseracing’s answer to the X Factor – if you can imagine that. Seán Bán Breathnach (above) will present the reality show and mentor the budding race jockeys, who are competing for a chance to race at Naas. Breathnach described himself to RTÉ TEN as a bit of a Simon Cowell, whereas he said his sidekick, GAA legend Joe Connolly, was definitely the calmer judge of the pair.

He said: “As the shows progress you will see that I become the Simon Cowell of the show. I am the bad boy. I have to make the final decision and I tell you there was hard words spoken up to my face and behind my back by the participants.”

Íosa.

Críost.

TG4 Launches New Schedule (RTETen)