Yearly Archives: 2014

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You might recall our  Dundrum Town Centre [Dundrum, Co Dublin] giveaway to celebrate the ‘Shop For Good’ charity voucher initiative running at the mall until this Sunday?

Following overnight deliberations the judges have decided to split the €100 voucher in two – giving a €50 voucher to two entrants (below) that expressed differing reasons to spend their loot at the award-winning  Big Bang Comic Store in the centre.

“When I win I intend blowing the Dundrum Town Centre €100 voucher on stacks of comics in The Big Bang because it’s great to have an Eisner Award nominated shop in this country and I’d like to help support it any way I can (plus I already drop a few hundred a month here as it is so my wallet could do with a break). [Parp]

“When I win I intend blowing the Dundrum Town Centre €100 voucher on comics in The Big Bang because comics, duh. Na na na-na na na na-na COMICS, COMICS! (Don’t tell me you didn’t sing that in the batman theme song melody) Also I will become officially unemployed in one month so a Dundrum voucher would definitely come in handy in terms of feeding/entertaining myself come June..”[Rebecca McGrane].

Previously: Will YOU Shop For Good?

Shop For Good (Dundrum Town Centre)

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Los Intocables (The Untouchables): artworks by Argentina-based Cuban artist Erik Ravelo, featuring children crucified on the backs of child persecutors (of one stripe or another).

The images are part of the ‘provocative’ Benetton sponsored UNHATE campaign started in 2011.

Above: Japan, Priest, Thailand, Syria, Brazil, USA and McDonalds

(Thanks Stephen Schwartz)

Who Shot JHR

Jerry O’Sullivan writes:

“Political poster sabotage taken to a new level in Kerry – Healy Rae poster in Waterville South Kerry gets a shotgun blast. Not the only candidate poster to be damaged during the campaign but the first using a firearm…”

Previously: Johnny Calling…

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Aidan writes:

I saw this sign on my way in to work in Edinburgh this morning and couldn’t resist taking a snap, I thought it might be of interest to you. #downwiththatsortofthing!

Previously: Alloys Be Thy Game

City Hall
Cork City Hall

You may recall previous posts in relation to how planning inquiries in relation to seven local authorities – Dublin and Cork City Councils and Carlow, Galway, Cork, Meath and Donegal County Councils – had been organised to get under way by the former Environment Minister John Gormley but were terminated by Environment Minister Phil Hogan, following the 2011 general election.

An internal review by the Department of the Environment was published in June 2012 instead and it found there was no evidence of wrongdoing

This prompted Gerard Convie, who worked in Donegal County Council as a senior planner for 24 years before he resigned in 2007, to go to the High Court alleging that the review was inadequate, ‘deeply disturbing’ and failed to address his complaints in relation to Donegal County Council.

His action resulted in the High Court quashing the review’s section on Donegal County Council’s planning department; the Department of the Environment apologising to Mr Convie and him being awarded €25,000.

Mr Convie’s material in relation to Donegal was sent to the Attorney General Máire Whelan for direction and it’s understood she has now sent this on to the Environment Minister Phil Hogan, who is expected to release a review before the summer

Labour’s Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Jan O’Sullivan then announced that a review will take place into the other six authorities.

These reviews are being carried out by town planners and chartered surveyors company MacCabe Durney Barnes.

Further to this, in relation to Cork City Council, Mick Murphy – a local Green Party candidate – made a series of complaints in relation to planning matters in Cork City Council, with his original complaints going back to 2006.

Following Ms O’Sullivan’s announcement of a new review, Mr Murphy received a letter from MacCabe Durney Barnes, essentially asking him if his complaints still stand, if any have been resolved and he believes their draft statement of issues is accurate.

Mr Murphy said his complaints do still stand, they haven’t been resolved and said he does believe their draft statement of issues reflects his concerns.

From his reply:

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Previously: Spurious, You Say?

Why Did Phil Hogan Stop Six Separate Planning Inquiries?

Thanks Mick Murphy

Pic: Archiseek