Yearly Archives: 2013

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Everyone will be there.

Again.

The Global irish Economic Forum 2013, Dublin Castle and elsewhere.

It’s a veritable who’s who of Irish business at home and abroad who are cool with the whole “Denis thing”.

They’re our ‘betters’ and they’re going to make things better.

  • Kingsley AIKINS
    CEO, Diaspora Matters (based in Ireland)
  • Lionel ALEXANDER
    Vice President, Hewlett Packard (Manufacturing) Limited (based in Ireland)
  • Tom ARNOLD
    Chairperson, Convention for the Irish Constitution (based in Ireland)
  • Elizabeth Frawley BAGLEY
    Senior Advisor for Special Initiatives, Office of the Secretary of State (based in United States)
  • Donal BALFE
    Vice President, Manufacturing Respiratory & Monitoring Solutions, Covidien (based in Ireland)
  • Brian BARRY
    Chairman, Pinpoint GPS Solutions (based in Canada)
  • Don BARRY
    President, University of Limerick (based in Ireland)
  • Gerard J. BARRY
    Former CEO & Founder President, Fintrax Group Holdings Ltd (based in Ireland)
  • Camilla BEGLAN
    Global Director – Learning & Development, Bombardier Transportation (based in Germany)
  • Clive BELLOWS
    Managing Director Ireland, Northern Trust Management Services (Ireland) Limited (based in Ireland)
  • Arun BHAN
    Founder Director, Wellness Economic Initiative (based in Ireland)
  • Rosaleen BLAIR
    Founder and CEO, Alexander Mann Solutions (based in United Kingdom)
  • Aidan BRADY
    Chief Executive, Citibank Europe (based in Ireland)
  • Angela BRADY
    Director , Brady Mallalieu Architects (based in United Kingdom)
  • Bob BRANNOCK
    President International, Genworth Financial (based in Britain)
  • David BREEN
    Managing Director, Magnum International (based in Ireland)
  • Peter BRENNAN
    Finance Director, Fantastic Holdings Limited (based in Australia)
  • Loretta BRENNAN GLUCKSMAN
    Chairman, The American Ireland Fund (based in United States)
  • James BROWNE
    President, NUI Galway (based in Ireland)
  • Sinéad BROWNE
    Chief Operating Officer, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty – Germany (based in Germany)
  • Arthur BRUCE
    National Strategic Manager (Rail), Downer Australia (based in Australia)
  • Brian BUCKLEY
    Independent Oil & Gas Executive, (based in Ireland)
  • Eugénie BUCKLEY
    Principal, Suiko Consulting (based in Australia)
  • Conrad BURKE
    Head of Global Marketing – Solar Materials, DuPont (based in United States)
  • Pat BUTLER
    Operating Partner, Resolution Financial Markets LLP (based in Britain)
  • Dan BYRNE
    Co-Founder & Chairman, Lincor Solutions Ltd (based in Ireland)
  • Séamus BYRNE
    Owner/Managing Director, Byrne Group (based in United Arab Emirates)
  • Kevin CAHILL
    President-General, American Irish Historical Society (based in United States)
  • Gordon CAMPBELL
    Chief Executive Officer, Spar International (based in Netherlands)
  • Michael CAREY
    Chairman, Bord Bia (based in Ireland)
  • Desmond P. CARR
    Retired Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, ExxonMobil Saudi Arabia Inc. (based in United Kingdom)
  • Caroline CASEY
    Founder, Kanchi (based in Ireland)
  • Liam CASEY
    Chief Executive Officer, PCH International (based in China)
  • Norah CASEY
    Chief Executive Officer, Harmonia (based in Ireland)
  • Peter CASEY
    Executive Chairman, Claddagh Resources (based in United States)
  • Terry CLUNE
    Chief Executive Officer, Taxback.com (based in Ireland)
  • Michael COLGAN
    Director, Gate Theatre (based in Ireland)
  • Michael COLLINS
    Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Medical School (based in United States)
  • Fred COMBE
    Entrepreneur & Business Consultant, Natus Pte Ltd (based in Singapore)
  • Kevin CONBOY
    President & Law Professor, Irish Chamber of Atlanta (based in United States)
  • Aidan CONNOLLY
    Vice President Corporate Accounts, Alltech (based in United States)
  • Matthew CONNOLLY
    Founder & Managing Director, EIRE Systems (based in Japan)
  • Niamh CONNOLLY
    Expert President’s Office, Nanyang Technological University (based in Singapore)
  • Avril CONROY
    Director of Regional Sales, Rosneft Russia (based in Russian Federation)
  • John CONROY
    Chief Executive, Merrion Capital Group Ltd (based in Ireland)
  • Richard COOKE
    Chief Executive Officer, Lincor Solutions (based in United States)
  • Thomas (Tom) CORCORAN
    Senior Advisor, The Carlyle Group (based in United States)
  • Paddy COSGRAVE
    CEO, Web Summit (based in Ireland)
  • Gerard CREANER
    President, GetReskilled Inc (based in Singapore)
  • Edel CREELY
    Managing Director, Trilogy Technologies (based in Ireland)
  • Eamonn CUNNINGHAM
    Chief Risk Officer, Westfield Group (based in Australia)
  • Noel CURRAN
    Director General, RTÉ (based in Ireland)Continue reading →

devittTransparency International Ireland’s John Devitt addressed the European Parliament’s civil liberties, justice and home affairs (LIBE) committee on Monday.

Mr Devitt was invited to speak to the committee as it is investigating how states conduct surveillance on their citizens and how abuses by intelligence agencies might be prevented and exposed in the wake of the Edward Snowden NSA revelations.

From his address:

“We assume rightly that intelligence agencies are responsible for protecting us from attack and upholding democratic principles. But I believe that the anti-corruption community has largely underestimated the potential for abuse by members of the intelligence and security services.”

“This may be because we have seen comparatively few well-publicised cases involving whistleblowers from the intelligence community in the EU. You are no doubt familiar with the case of Frank Grevil (who blew the whistle on Denmark’s fabricated case for the invasion of Iraq); as well as Annie Machon and David Shayler’s cases in the UK. In Ireland, we have not had a public controversy surrounding intelligence services in more than 40 years – not since allegations of support for the IRA by Irish military intelligence surfaced in 1970.”

“That said, we have seen patterns of behaviour elsewhere in the public service that might be familiar to intelligence community whistleblowers.”

“In 2010, officials of the Irish Department of Social Welfare were found to be passing on personal data of Irish citizens to insurance companies and private investigators. Earlier this year, two police whistleblowers reported that Irish police were unlawfully manipulating and cancelling police traffic records for family members of police officers and other police officers.”

“We have noted how those same police whistleblowers have fallen victim to reprisal by their colleagues and management. We have also recently seen how a journalist, Gemma O’Doherty, was recently fired after she investigated reports that the Irish Chief of Police had his own traffic offence cancelled.”

“The message this sends to whistleblowers and journalists is that the reporting of abuse is worse than the abuse itself.”

Read Mr Devitt’s full address

Previously: Not Seeing Your Points

The Chilling Effect

Blessed Are The Whistleblowers

Boy

 

Right so

Boy, 2, ‘gives birth’ to his own twin (Breakingnews.ie)

flame

An intriguing installation created in 2006 by artist Jeppe Hein featuring a fountain of water with a ball of flame somehow burning at the top.

Viewers are invited to guess how the anomaly is achieved.

‘Witchcraft’ is an acceptable answer.

mymodernmet/freeparking

mistaken-for-strangers-film-posteronetwoThe Lighthouse cinema, Smithfield, Dublin has sold out all FOUR screens (600 seats) to rock doc Mistaken For Strangers (2013) tomorrow night as part of the OneTwoOneTwo Music Film Festival.

Mistaken for Strangers, about a year in the life of a struggling young rock band The National, has been described by Pitchfork as the funniest music-themed film since This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

The Lighthouse has ONE pair of tickets left to give away in a simple-to enter competition.Plus they will throw in tickets to two more festival films of the winner’s choice.

To enter, just complete this sentence.

I want these tickets because I was in a band called_________________that didn’t make it because_________________

Lines close at midnight.

OneToOne Music Documentary festival (Lighthouse)

Thanks Tom Lowe

debateThe current issue of Metro Eireann.

Rachel Mathews McKay, of Democracy Matters, writes:

Looks like we were waiting for the debate in the wrong direction. ‘Metro Éireann’ Ireland’s Multicultural Newspaper accepted an article from me and said nothing about the opposing article/debater. To my surprise I have discovered it’s no less than An Taoiseach himself. Worth the €1.90 if you can find a shop that sells it.

Metro Eireann

9031608990316107Everyday is Arthur’s day.

Inverness Cape-draped Guinness descendent Garech a Brún with a statue by Jarlath Daly of ‘controversial’ brewer Arthur Guinness unveiled today by Minister for Arts, Jimmy Deenihan in Arthur’s hometown of Celbridge, Co Kildare. Where they still love him.

(Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland)

Capture

From July 2012 to July 2013, the Immigrant Council of Ireland responded to 120 racist incidents, working out at around 10 a month.

Want to report an incident?

hunt
https://vimeo.com/75432576

An eerie short directed by Spike Morris and Oscar Hudson, originally broadcast as part of Channel 4′s Random Acts.

An ominous fox hunting party slowly disintegrates before our eyes as they give chase to an unlikely victim. What remains of ‘the hunt’ after all its defining symbols have fallen away?

Previously: Don’t Fear Death

curiousbrain