50 thoughts on “De Sunday Papers

  1. Dub Spot

    Jean Byrne. She never got over that silver dress moment of fame, dd she? Or at least the Irish Mail on Sunday didn’t. . .

  2. Lilly

    ‘Dubai paid for Robinson to visit runaway princess’ – sweet Jesus, is there no end to the fumbling in the greasy till. What a charlatan. I hope Maeve Higgins pulls the plug on Mothers of Invention pronto.

    1. Cú Chulainn

      Not unexpected.. the public profile hid the conceited truth for too long.. but disappointing nonetheless..

  3. Otis Blue

    Still though, it was nice of Robbo to give Princess Sheikha Latifa a copy of her book.

    Something other than The Racing Post to while away the hours.

  4. newsjustin

    I’m as critical of Mary Robinson for this fiasco as the next person, but to be fair, I don’t believe her reputation could be bought for the price of a plane ticket, or even a holiday in Dubai. For most business travellers, the “glamour” of a free flight and hotel room soon wears off.

    1. Lilly

      ‘I don’t believe her reputation could be bought for the price of a plane ticket, or even a holiday in Dubai.’

      Indeed. It would be interesting to know how much it cost to buy Mary Robinson.

      1. bisted

        …dunno…I suspect it took only a holiday in Tel Aviv to persuade Ruairi Quinn and Joanna Tuffy to become members of the ‘friends of israel’ group when they were in the Dail…

      1. bisted

        …Junior finds much common cause with the zionazis…wouldn’t even need a holiday to consummate that alliance…

      2. Eoin

        All of the DUP can.

        Did you see that the lavish trips for 10 DUP members to Israel earlier this year were paid for by the Northern Ireland Friends of Israel, care of Oasis Retail. What is “Oasis Retail” you ask? That’s a company which supplies gambling machines, like fixed odd betting terminals (the “crack cocaine” to be seen in most betting shops).

        You’d think the Bible-bashing DUP would be against gambling, wouldn’t you, except they’ve convinced Theresa May not to extend a clampdown on fixed odd betting terminals to Northern Ireland. In Britain, the maximum bet is to be reduced from £100 to £2. Not so in Northern Ireland.

        https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/charity-praises-bookmaker-for-cutting-fixed-odds-terminal-stake-in-ni-1-8712851

  5. Eoin

    The Sunday Times headline is positively misleading.

    “Dubai paid for Robinson to visit ‘runaway princess’”

    The body of the story merely says “my understanding is that Mary was at a conference in Paris and was requested to go to Dubai by Princess Haya and she [Haya] paid the fare”

    There’s a world of difference between the implication in the headline that Mary was “paid” and the understanding in the article that just the fare was paid. The headline suggests Mary was given a fee. Of course, in all likelihood, Dubai paid for the fare [and any hotel, food and drink, and transport/security], but there’s nothing in the story to suggest Mary was paid a fee, or that she received a token of appreciation.

    If I “pay” you to help Juncker sort out his alcohol problems, and the only payment is for your plane to Luxembourg, would you consider that appropriate payment?

    This is the second week in a row for Mark Tighe to produce a questionable article. Has his source that threatened bankers and receivers in their homes dried up?

    1. Lilly

      Granted the headline is misleading, but Mary Robinson, as former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights would be well aware that accepting expenses from an involved party to a contentious situation is shady.

      1. bisted

        …nothing surprises about treacherous labour gene pool…without wikileaks we may never have known about Tanaiste Gilmore briefing the yanks/zionists…

  6. Eoin

    It’s five in a row for HRH Leo. Five headline hogging days filled with his musings about our money and irresponsible speculation about a general election.

    That end of year briefing for journalists has been a boon in a slow domestic news week (state papers apart). I hope journalists appreciate that briefing and reciprocate in their coverage of Leo in the days and weeks ahead, maybe soften their cough on criticism about the upcoming trolley crisis and when homelessness breaks the magic 10,000.

    Today, Leo warns us that robots are to take over our jobs. That’s very good of him.

  7. Eoin

    “Vulture fund Hilco Capital took £48m from ailing HMV
    Collapsed chain paid millions to owner Hilco — and no corporation tax”

    Reports the British edition of the Sunday Times today (pity, it is also newsworthy in Ireland).

    Hilco remains active in Ireland, owning Homebase. Hilco previously acquired A Wear in 2011 but it was later placed in receivership.

    HRH Leo would be a big fan of Hilco presumably.

    1. johnny

      Goldman Sachs operates under these nom de plumes, Ennis Property Finance, Beltany Property Finance and Liffey Acquisitions, which owns Kenmare Property Finance.They are very active buyers of irish home loans, recently closing on a 2 Billion KBC book.
      Ennis has been helping pay the private school fees of many FG solicitors, with a flurry of recent court actions against Irish clients, according IT it applied for 66 High Court summary judgments against borrowers in 2018.

      In 2019 Goldman will be in court again, however this time ….

      “Just before Christmas, Malaysian authorities filed criminal charges against Goldman, seeking a stunning $7.5 billion in reparations for the bank’s role in the scandal. Singapore authorities also announced they were expanding their own 1MDB probe to include Goldman.”

      “But 1MDB is both a financial and existential threat to the bank. In its most recent quarterly filing, Goldman said it expected to face “significant fines, penalties, and other sanctions,” as individuals and nations alike will be scrambling to recover pilfered funds. ”

      So grab a tea on this lovely Sunday,not a fan RS or Taibbi but its a good read, strangely no mention of it in Irish media or by the govt. but extensively covered in states.

      https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/1mdb_malaysia-goldman-sachs-criminal-charges-772795/

      1. Cian

        What does “Ennis has been helping pay the private school fees of many FG solicitors,” actually mean?

        What is a FG solicitor? Is it different from a FF solicitor? Or a SF solicito[r1]? Or a PBP solicitor? Or a green solicitor?

        [1] I’m guessing these SF solicitor are different and deal in GBH, bank robberies, child abuse, ink theft, and murder.

        1. Johnny

          Oh Cian,it’s a little de classe to name names and all that,but you’ve been harping on about FG solicitor Josephine for last few days.Her oul fella was quite the colorful chancher,besides family law what does her little firm do again….

          ‘Madigans Solicitors will continue to provide clients with service and commitment. Patrick Madigan is a specialist in property and conveyancing…’

          https://www.madigans.ie/expertise/category.html?id=4

          From Sunday Times….
          “Two of the cases have been taken by Pepper Finance, which administers mortgages bought by Barclays from Bank of Scotland. In an affidavit filed with the High Court last month, Seamus Dowling, Pepper’s head of primary servicing, applied successfully to replace Bank of Scotland as the plaintiff in a case in which the minister and Patrick J Madigan, her late father, as partners in Madigan Solicitors, are listed as defendants“

          1. Cian

            *You* made a statement about Ennis and FG solicitors.
            When I queried it, you went off on a tangent about Pepper finance and Patrick J Madigan – who as you are well aware was a FF TD. And saying a solicitors does convencying isn’t by any means unusual.

            So again, what does “Ennis has been helping pay the private school fees of many FG solicitors,” actually mean?

          2. Johnny

            Cian it’s New Years Eve,fresh start and all that,Josepha is involved in this case,as the author of “Negligent Behavior” it may be a case of fact is stranger than fiction.
            It was a ‘dig’ at FG and private schools,Madigan is a Mount Anvil alumni.
            Josepha was/is trying curb any social media commentary on trials,it’s probably just a coincidence that shes now facing a nasty one herself involving sub-prime lenders/servicers/dodgy loans at per ST.
            She should read her own book on Dispute Resolution,further commentary as it’s sub judice is probably not advised :)
            Have a great new year Cian.

          3. Cian

            Johnny. More of the same from you.
            You make a statement. When challenged you duck and dive. Then make a completely different statement and say you mean something different.

            So now you are talking about Josepha’s schooling. Or a FF TD solicitor’s daughter. Nothing to do with your original smear.

            Happy New Year to you too.

          4. Johnny

            Yeah I really should join FG-my skill set is clearly wasted:)
            Cian-perhaps I’m simply not interested in engaging,she’s a product of a private school education funded by….oh right there is a pending trial/court case about that.
            It’s a govt minister who’s a practicing solicitor,embroiled in messy litigation with vulture funds,over property deals,you need more !
            It’s a ongoing court case,you really want me “get into” it online,or adhere to the norms,despite overwhelming evidence let’s give her the benefit of the doubt,for now!

  8. Eoin

    Sad to see today’s edition of the SBP.

    It looks like a cobbled together compendium of press releases and opinions.Has Jack Horgan-Jones now left (the Phoenix said at the start of December he was on the way out)? Tom Lyons, who is also leaving, has one article today which was presumably penned weeks ago.

    Sad to see its demise, it’s another nail in the coffin of media plurality in this country.

  9. Giggidygoo

    Ah. The daily ‘Keep Varadkar in the news’ press release. Today it’s robots. Yesterday it was the mights and maybes of Tuam, Friday it was Vulture Funds give better deals, Thursday it was not ruling out opportunistic election, Wednesday it was the rise in LPT. Christmas eve it was the cost of the children’s hospital.

    All front page ‘news’ based on a delivery of a weeks supply of press release waffle before Christmas.

    Not to forget of course his pre-christmas pull out about decorating his christmas tree, or his having christmas din dins with Matt’s parents in Cork.

    We have seen a concentration of Varadkar ‘news’ like this before. The last time was before his ‘election’ as FG ‘leader’ and thus Taoiseach.

    Shame on the media that accept this

    1. Catherine costelloe

      +1.
      Irksome. Constantly rolling empty vessels up/down a concrete yard and the house behind is on fire.

  10. Giggidygoo

    The Boy Harris caught lying again about the Winter Clinics. Like most of his utterances, it takes a few weeks to out him. Chap in a mans job.

  11. Catherine costelloe

    Sheikh won’t be happy at the Missus putting him on front page of Sunday papers ! Still Mary R isn’t one for looking a gift horse in the mouth obviously. To be fair it was an act of compassion and as we handsomely pay our Presidents , Mary could have paid for her own private jet from Paris to Dubai for this photo shoot, without leaving a dent in her account. A mess.

  12. Eoin

    Great little interview with our very own Saoirse Ronan in the Guardian today, talking about her films ‘n stuff
    https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/dec/30/saoirse-ronan-mary-queen-of-scots-interview

    “The new Ireland thrills her. “To know it was seen as this backward place, when it never felt like that to us. It was so disappointing. But now we match up internationally to how we see ourselves, and that feels amazing. The church is still a massive presence. But it is changing. It doesn’t have the same grasp it used to. I can’t imagine what it was like for gay people”

    1. SOQ

      “A young woman is missing, presumed either kidnapped & being tortured, or dead.”

      Bur she is not, now is she? And as for the story of a woman being locked up for years without even a toothbrush, I very much doubt because that is not a face that has endured the hardship described. All Robinson did was to say, look she is alive and (relatively) well.

      I have been following the Detained in Dubai twitter account and they are right to be generally highlighting what is going on but they are not doing themselves any favours by continuing to promote this petition after Robinson’s intervention.

      Why Robinson did what she did is another story.

      1. Lilly

        ‘that is not a face that has endured the hardship described’

        It must be great to be able to diagnose maladies from an online image. You should consider offering your services to the HSE.

    2. Charlie

      Newsflash. 1998 called and want their petition back. That sort of scandal has been goin on there forever and every dog on the street knows. It has always been ignored.

  13. Giggidygoo

    10,000 more UK shops to close. Shouldn’t that read 10,000 UK shops to concentrate on re-inventing themselves?
    Remember cinemas? Closure after closure after closure. The Xtravisions and video tapes /CDs/Blue Ray/Streaming of this world (tech in other words) was the cause. How goes the Cinema business these days? Flying it!.
    Tech causes a glitch for a while. However humans are social animals. This is a glitch that will reverse itself in time. That’s of course if retail properties can be prised from the clutches of fast food, phone, chemist, Euroshop, shops. The Local Authorities should have or develop a vision for the high street.

    1. Clampers Outside!

      And books! Remember… “Kindle will be the death of books”….
      Yet books are being bought in record numbers.

    2. SOQ

      True to a point but look what has happened to the music industry? Artists can now bypass it altogether which somewhat proves the point that it was not needed in the first place. On the other hand, the only real money to be made is in live touring which is not an easy graft at times.

      1. Giggidygoo

        The internet isn’t all bad. The music industry as it was prior to self promotion concentrated on a small percentage of artists, and the majority were left behind. The music industry has reinvented itself. The big artists now have to work beyond producing a track. They have to tour. But their presence on the internet increases their live audiences in my opinion. The smaller, probably mostly unknown songwriters/artists, make a living or part of a living thanks to the internet. Or at least can get known.

        1. SOQ

          No a track is a means to touring now, at least as the traditional model went. There is perhaps a modest living to be made from downloads but you’ll never be rich from it. Perhaps that is a good thing mind because it brings it all back to basics, of people who make music for the love it.

          Two points- Medium sized artists use smaller sized venues to guarantee a return to the banks, like The Olympia. There is less risk of a loss and only a few older, larger, that have the surety of larger venues. And, artists use low cost (from their perspective) festivals to promote now.

          Either way, there has been huge job losses in the Music Industry and in turn, a lot of cocaine dealers. Silver lining so. Cocaine being used by those who need it least and God’s way of separating fools from their money etc.

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