20 thoughts on “De Saturday Papers

  1. Otis Blue

    Interesting piece in The Times on how the financial difficulties faced by the Irish Greyhound Board were solved by the grossly inflated price paid by one arm of the state to the other in the purchase of the Harold’s across stadium.

    Although a niche pursuit, for some reason greyhound racing has always been close to the political system, with its governance falling under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture; its’ directors being political appointees – including a Chair requiring the Taoiseach’s approval.

    It’s governance has long been a pooshow. For those so inclined, here’s some context https://www.igb.ie/globalassets/report-pdfs/indecon/bordnagconfinalreport7july2014.pdf

    Screwing the pooch?

    1. Eoin

      Regardless of how independent an organisation the Irish Greyhound Board is, it looks deeply corrupt to me to concoct an inflated price, maybe three times what the land was really worth, which the govt is now paying the organisation using taxpayers money.

      If the IGB is that important and needed to be bailed out because it had run up debts which couldn’t be repaid, then the govt should have sought to give it taxpayers money and allowed the Dail to debate the bailout. But pretending a plot of land is worth €20 million when it’s independently valued at €6 million looks corrupt and an attempt to defraud the taxpayer.

      1. Otis Blue

        The Irish Greyhound Board is not independent at all. It’s a commercial semi-state organisation with the Minister for Agriculture being its sole shareholder.

    2. Cú Chulainn

      It’s always been a more discreet and effective way to ‘wash’ the cash through the system. Cui Bono.

    1. SOQ

      It appears that in those days, a single mother had no rights and neither did the child. But what is really corrupt is that even now, those people will do everything they possibly can to prevent justice, and that includes those acting on behalf of the state.

  2. Eoin

    Congrats to Stephen Maguire for penning the main (identical?) story in the Indo, Mail and Sun. Stephen penned the same story for the Irish Times and Irish Examiner yesterday.

    This is two weeks in a row for Stephen whose story on the young mum killed in Donegal was the main story last Saturday in the Indo, Mail and Sun.

    Time was, the newspapers would have helicoptered in their own journalists for the sudden death of a young attractive woman. The Indo cutting 30 journalist jobs is just the tip of the iceberg hitting Irish print media in 2019, how long before readers, advertisers and decision makers cop on….

  3. Eoin

    “[Karla Stover, the ex director of the government-supported American Funds Ireland charity] is contesting the production of American Express credit card records on more than 25 payments to a healthcare provider and a pharmacy dating back to September 2014, five purchases from a lingerie shop dating from March 2015 to November 2016, and a political donation made in October 2016, two weeks before the US presidential election.”

    reports the IT today from a document filed in an embezzlement case in the US last week.

    Karla is alleged to have embezzled nearly $600,000 from the charity which Irish government ministers, RTE correspondents and IT journalists cling to when in the US.

  4. Eoin

    Interesting to see the choreography of the UK parliament as it finally confronts the reality that the seven options open to it will frustrate the will of a large group of well-organised, financially-backed, media-backed angry and aggressive voters (who could be Remain or Leave).

    Yesterday, senior ministers let it be known that a request to the EU for a delay to leaving would need to be made because even if the draft withdrawal agreement was passed by parliament this coming Tuesday (unlikely), there wouldn’t be enough time to legislate for it. Leavers will want to know why the govt didn’t put the draft agreement to the vote before Christmas and will logically suspect the govt wants to frustrate their vote to leave.

    It won’t take much for the British tinderbox to become a conflagration.

  5. Johnny

    Given the govt can’t even build or create a environment to build housing,despite being pro business it comes as no surprise that they are allowing the brits own this.
    It’s a incredibly compelling industry for Ireland which has it all to be a major player.

    ‘Added together, medical marijuana and CBD represent a rapidly changing industry, already worth some hundreds of millions of pounds each year. More importantly, they show a growing acceptance of cannabis among Britain’s political and business establishments — and this is making investors very excited. After all, since Britain has emerged as a world leader (an accidental one at that) in this field, could manufacturing medical marijuana be our next boom industry — both at home and abroad?‘

    https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/01/how-britain-became-the-worlds-largest-expert-in-medical-marijuana/

  6. Eoin

    Bit shocking that the news that broke yesterday afternoon (because of High Court proceedings) isn’t a full-blown front page splash in any of the Irish papers today

    This should have been the headline:

    “Assistant Garda Commissioner suspended from duty amid investigation into malfeasance in public office”

    When the story was first reported a week ago, all we had was “a senior Garda” which could have referred to hundreds of people. Thanks to the High Court proceedings, we know the name and rank of the Garda.

    1. SOQ

      While distasteful to some, I always had a hunch that Harris would be srt8 down the line and by the book. The unification has begun. Both north and south will change but they really need to get rid of that class clown Ross… pronto.

  7. Eoin

    Ah now, if you can’t believe the front page “news” in the Daily Star anymore….(plus, the Rock is not happy!)

    ““The interview [reported on the front page of the Daily Star yesterday] never took place, never happened, never said any of those words, completely untrue, 100% fabricated, I was quite baffled when I woke up this morning,” [Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson] said….The Daily Star has yet to comment on whether the interview was fabricated, but has now taken it offline. Staff at the newspaper suggested the apparent interview was provided to the Daily Star by a freelance journalist and then written up by the staff reporter whose byline appeared on the piece.The unnamed freelance reporter is thought to be abroad and not responding to messages.” says the altogether more reliable Guardian.

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