Yearly Archives: 2016

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An entry in the Belfast High School yearbook

If you decide to take a look
At a Belfast High School yearbook
Be careful, the sight
Of some very far right
Opinions may leave you quite shook.

John Moynes

Pic: Belfast Telegraph

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Crevice – improv electronic/ambient from Cork

What you may need to know…

01. Irene Buckley, Elaine Howley and Roslyn Steer are Crevice, a collective of electronic improv performers.

02. Each with a background in Irish independent & avant-garde music, the outfit specialises an atmospheric ambience. In their relatively short time together, they’ve come in for critical acclaim, winning the IndieCork Music Award in 2015.

03. Streaming above is Sludge Gore, a live take that forms part of their limited publicly-available output to date.

04. Performing next at Cork County Hall this Friday night for Culture Night, with Rory Francis O’Brien in support. Kickoff 8.30. Roslyn Steer also has a solo performance as part of TEDx CorkSalon’s #Cork Loves Music event, Wednesday night at Coughlan’s.

Verdict: By their nature difficult to discuss beyond vague descriptors and moods, Crevice are a compelling proposition, but must be experienced live to be fully understood.

Crevice

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Marie O’Connor with members of Survivors Of Symphysiotomy outside the Department of the Taoiseach in 2014

Yesterday.

In the Sunday Business Post.

In a report on the €34million symphysiotomy compensation scheme that the State set up in 2014 for women who had the procedure…

Michael Brennan reported:

The maximum award under the scheme was €150,000 and the legal fees payable on top of this were capped at €6,000.

But the Sunday Business Post has learned that survivors have received letters from a solicitors’ firm seeking addition legal costs out of their awards.

So far, over 200 women have been awarded €50,000 each, another 160 have received €160,000 and 13 have received €150,000.

The firm seeking additional legal costs from these awards is MacGeehin Toale.

It has taken a number of test cases in the courts on behalf of survivors of symphysiotomy, with a view to taking more if they were successful.

A letter previously sent by Colm MacGeehin to a survivor explained that doctors would have to be paid €2,000 to produce a medical report on their injuries. “The cost of these reports can be seen as an investment in cases that, should they succeed, are likely to lead to significant awards,” he wrote.

But so far, around 386 women have decided to accept payments instead from the State’s Symphysiotomy Payments Scheme, which accounts for the majority of those affected.

This means that their legal proceedings are automatically dropped because they had to agree not to take any legal action against the state or the hospitals which performed the operations.

But MacGeehin Toale has been contacting women it represented for further legal costs for work which has not been covered by the state scheme.

Colm MacGeehin has acted as the legal adviser to the Survivors of Symphysiotomy (SoS) campaign group. He is the former husband of the chair of the group, Marie O’Connor.

Their son, barrister Ruadhán Mac Aodháin, has been described by SoS as “the main junior counsel” working on the cases, He also works as a legal adviser to the SoS group.

…She could not be contacted for comment. MacGeehin could also not be contacted for comment.

Anyone?

Law firm billing symphysiotomy victims for fees beyond state cap (Sunday Business Post)

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The Devil’s Woods.

Written and directed by Anthony White.

Available on DVD and Video on Demand (VOD) in Ireland and the UK from today.

Mariela Masuyama writes:

A group of friends trying to repair their strained relationships decide to go on a road trip. En route they stop off at a small town in the middle of rural Ireland. However, this seemingly idyllic country town is darkened by a history of strange events. Can a town that is inherently evil literally tear them apart? Can they survive…. The Devil’s Woods stars Stephen Cromwell (Love/Hate, From The Dark, Red Rock) and featuring Danielle Keaney, Daniel Mahony, Caoimhe Cassidy, Eoin Quinn and Aoife King.

Those interested can purchase the DVD here or buy the movie, via VOD, here.

The Devil’s Woods (Facebook)

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Irish wrestler Becky Lynch

More scenes of Irish success from the world of sports-entertainment last night.

Dubliner Rebecca Quin, formerly of independent promotions NWA Ireland, One Pro Wrestling, Queens of Chaos and more, was of one European wrestling’s brightest prospects before a head injury sustained during a match in Germany necessitated a long hiatus, including missing major independent shows in the US.

Returning to the States in 2011, as an on-screen manager for Shimmer Women’s Wrestling, Quin signed with industry leaders WWE in 2013, becoming Becky Lynch in the process.

After a questionably Oirish on-screen debut for their NXT brand, Lynch settled into the brand’s nascent women’s division, becoming one of its mainstays and embracing her own sci-fi/fantasy fandom in the process.

Heading to the WWE’s main roster in 2015, Lynch has been a massive part of the company’s Ronda Rousey-inspired push for women’s pro wrestling and, in the wake of WWE’s on-screen roster split, has settled into the top women’s role on the SmackDown brand.

Last night, at WWE’s Backlash event in Richmond, Virginia, Lynch won a six-woman elimination-rules match to become the SmackDown roster’s inaugural women’s kingpin.

Chants of “you deserve it!” greeted Lynch’s in-ring celebrations from the thousands in attendance.

Meanwhile, later that evening…

Fight!

Mmf.

Becky Lynch

Previously: Irish Wrestling on Broadsheet