Yearly Archives: 2017

Carrickfergus, County Antrim

Ahead of the Eleventh Night.

A towering bonfire is being built across the road from a petrol station.

The Eleventh Night pyre is under construction on a grass verge in Carrickfergus.

Nearby, on the opposite site of the road, is a petrol station forecourt and retail units which have been built in recent years….

There have been increased concerns about bonfires built near businesses and homes after houses were gutted last year in west Belfast. Several terraced homes at Hopewell Square were damaged last July due to embers from the nearby Eleventh Night bonfire.

Towering loyalist bonfire built near petrol station (Irish News)

Thanks John Gallen

From top: Michael McDowell; Keara McGlone and Carmel McAuley arriving at the Disclosures Tribunal on Thursday

You may recall how allegations against Sgt McCabe were not made known to him for nine years.

Rian counsellor Laura Brophy sent the contaminated retrospective abuse report to Tusla – which is central to the Disclosures Tribunal – following two counselling sessions with Ms D in 2013, on August 9, 2013.

It contained an allegation of rape against another person, referred to as Ms Y – an allegation which had nothing to do with Sgt McCabe.

Ms Brophy said that if she had known that a referral to Tusla had previously been made in relation to Ms D’s 2006 allegation, she wouldn’t have sent the referral.

Earlier this week, at the Disclosures Tribunal, counsel for Sgt McCabe, Michael McDowell argued that as it was known that Ms D’s allegation of 2006 had gone to the DPP – who decided that no charges be brought and observed that it was doubtful the allegations should constitute a crime at all – and that gardai at the time would have been obliged to inform the HSE of all such incidents, this referral should never have been made.

Readers will also recall how earlier this week the tribunal heard that a “private and confidential” letter had been sent by social work team leader Keara McGlone to Superintendent Noel Cunningham on August 15, 2013.

The letter states:

“Dear Superintendent Cunningham, Health Service Executive Child and Family Services have recently received a referral from Rian, a therapeutic counselling service for adult survivors of child sexual abuse. The referral states that Ms. D, now aged 21, has discussed during counselling sessions that she was sexually abused during her childhood by an adult male, M. McC.”

“I note from the social work file that you conducted a criminal investigation into these allegations in 2007. However, it appears the alleged perpetrator was not met with by Health Service Executive at that time.”

“I would like to meet with you to discuss the case prior to making any contact with the alleged perpetrator.”

On Wednesday, Mr McDowell highlighted this letter to point out the inconsistency with Ms Brophy’s decision to send the referral – which turned out to be contaminated with an unrelated allegation.

He asked:

“I am just wondering, how could it be that you [Laura Brophy] were told that there was no evidence of a social work file on the 8th or 9th of August in the course of a phone conversation, when, a week later, people are examining its contents and relying on its contents to contact Superintendent Cunningham?”

Further to this.

This morning, at the tribunal…

Keara McGlone is giving evidence and is being asked about this letter.

She was asked if she received a response from Supt Cunningham to this letter.

She said no.

She was asked if she received a response from anyone on his behalf.

She said no.

She was asked if she made any further inquiries.

She said no. She said she was awaiting allocation for the case and she had no more involvement with it.

She was asked if she was not anxious about the fact that Sgt McCabe had not been met with someone from the HSE.

She said she was working on some 230 cases at that point and the matter wasn’t one of high priority.

Readers will recall how Sgt McCabe first learned of the circulated allegations made against him on December 29, 2015.

The tribunal continues.

Rollingnews

UPDATE:

This afternoon.

During the continuing questioning of social work team leader Keara McGlone.

Judge Charleton asked Mícheál O’Higgins SC, for the Garda Commissioner, why Supt Noel Cunningham didn’t respond to Ms McGlone’s letter.

Mr O’Higgins explained that, in his statement, Supt Cunningham said he was on leave until September, at which point he returned and opened the letter, and then his father died in October.

Mr Charleton said he couldn’t understand why the death of Supt Cunningham’s father would be relevant saying: “We all have dead relatives”.

Mr O’Higgins said that Supt Cunningham “divined from the letter correctly” that the subject of the letter related to the 2006 allegation and while “that doesn’t excuse the non-answering of the letter and he acknowledges that”, he married up the letter with the remainder of a file he had.

The tribunal continues.

False Imprisonment!

Yesterday.

Department of Agriculture, Kildare Street, Dublin 2

Members of the IFA Grain Committee seeking full details of the tillage scheme and an urgent meeting with Minister Michael Creed.

The IFA has been lobbying for a support package for tillage farmers who lost crops in the 2016 harvest due to dire weather conditions.

Any excuse

Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

Frilly Keane writes:

I suppose tis no secret that I’m no fan of Gender Quotas. In any walk of life. I’m one’ve those who believe that Equality as a statutory right should be enough. Mad right? But why should it. Be mad like?

Why should a governing policy or funding condition be implemented just to insist on my place on a Board or on a Party Ticket, or to even up the numbers on a Management team if I’m already qualified and suitable for the post anyway.

Aren’t I already entitled to equal consideration if I’ve declared my interest?

At this stage of our evolution here in Ireland, why should anyone still have to sue for a right they already have. I not going to deny it never occurred to me, but on the most recent occasion, I neither had the stomach nor the patience, but mainly because I was mortified that I would have to.

Now I’ll be honest, I really thought that part of what I’m about to introduce to ye would’ve bin done already, by those professional Opinion’ators and Journalists; those we’re expected to take seriously because the Main Stream Media news and views endorses them.

Maire Whelan: She had a job she was qualified for; Yes. She had a responsibility to do it right, honestly and beyond reproach; Yes, and not just to her employer, us, but also to her Professional Body – An Honourable Society apparently. Could she, or did she achieve any of those obligations? No.

She was a shyte Attorney General throughout both her terms. And that’s not an opinion, it’s a confirmed fact; how her responses to the Fennelly Tribunal alone didn’t even earn her a performance appraisal suggests some jobs cannot be questioned.

Even with the blanket of pals in high places she has very obviously depended upon throughout a pretty insipid career at the Bar, could she not muster up some semblance of professional obligation to a profession that’s served her too well as it is.

Nope. Not a bit of it; as AG Maire Whelan was obliged to present to the Government the three applications for a significant appointment in our Judiciary, but she wanted it for herself so she kept the applications to herself. Self-Serving – that’s not fair play and it is a denial of Equality. Something she is required to observe.

It’s not the appointment itself I have an issue with, it’s the conniving snakey way Maire Whelan secured the job for herself that I’m most offended by. And in truth, well my truth anyway, she and the then Government turned their arses to Transparency, Equal Opportunity and simple bog-standard Fair-Play.

Yet when they require it from dependents on the State, and those seeking Social Welfare assistance or Carers grants; Christ they’re all about it.

Anyone caught trying a bitta crafty non-disclosure there might end up with a Blue Shurt Manifesto named after them. Named and Shamed – and with the exchequer funding the advertising campaign.

So why didn’t Maire throw her hat into the ring with the other three candidates; like if she was that sure of herself she would have competed equally with the other candidates.

It’s a disgusting final play from someone who had the responsibility of being the first Woman Attorney General. Would Mary Robinson have conducted herself so grubbily? That’s up to ye. But one thing is certain, I have no confidence in how our Judiciary gets appointed.
I’m disgusted at myself for having had to say the first woman in the job. What the fúck should it matter. The best person for the job is what I want to be endorsing. And that’s where these Gender Quota lobbyists deny us all true and fair treatment.

Another snakey Lady in High Placement is our Garda Commissioner, Noirin O’Sullivan; now I don’t know if she actually earned that Job, or even the High ranks she captured on the way up to it.

That whole organisation has been rotten for decades, and is a closed shop and only serves those secured into it. It’s clear now that we cannot rely on any internal or external oversight other than hoping our Judiciary can. See above.

Here’s annuder one; Mary Mitchell O’Conner – talk about a sense of entitlement. She was elected a TD, that’s the job she has actually earned. That’s it as far as I can see. So what are her credentials to be granted a Ministerial Super Junior job ON FÚCKING DEMAND?

What we do know is that she was a terrible Minister and can’t retain senior staff; that latter part right there is a big enough signal that she’s just not fit for any enhanced role.

Gender Quota advocates should put that into their defence prep notes.

The whole Gender Quota thing is a cod anyway; its pander and lip service the Girls:Boys ratio; The optics – to be seen to be doing sum’ting. But in truth it’s all just what we’ve always called jobs for the boys. Get used to it lads, it’s not really about boys.

It’s about favouritism, payback, and patronage, and what can cope with the spin cycle. Not about Skill, Achievement, Expertise, Qualification, Contribution, Potential or Equality; which is what we deserve.

To be fair I don’t necessarily blame Leoseach for his Cabinet; he had fúck all talent to choose from anyway. But I hate the Gay Mixed-Race Taoiseach header that accompanies every event, photo op, and announcement.

What the fúck has that got to do with him being a Doctor, an elected TD, Minister, Leader of his Party, and now Taoiseach. If there was true Equality in this country, like inherently bred into us, the fact that he’s gay and half this n’ that wouldn’t even occur to anyone; and even less a matter required to enhance positive messaging.

Stick to the fact that #CampaignForLeo is the only thing of substance he has accomplished in years.

I’ve a pal and work colleague that is going to run in the next GE. She’s already a very active Councillor, but deliberately refused at Gender Quota place in the last one.

Her manifesto is very simple; People remember results. If she does get elected; and it’ll be tight if I’m honest, it’ll be because she has worked for it and the constituency she is hoping to represent will recognise her work and contribution already on their behalf, and her capacity to replicate it Nationally.

Not the Mná, and not that she was their only choice. Unlike Leo’s effin’ cabinet.

The Girls mentioned earlier really had a far bigger responsibility; to prove they could do the job under the same rules has the Men that sought to deny women for decades. They’ve done us all harm.

I’ve gone way over again, but for the weekend that’s in it; Hon’Cork

Frilly keane’s column usually appears here on the first Friday of every month. Follow Frilly on Twitter: @frillykeane