55 thoughts on “De Saturday Papers

  1. GiggidyGoo

    ‘Surely we can find €3bn to deliver to our best mate?’ Not ‘surely we can find €3bn to build social housing’
    FG cloak and dagger at work again.
    Shameful bunch, Them and FF
    Vote FF – get FG
    Vote FG – get FF

    1. eoin

      There’s a definite attempt at softening up the public ahead of the Cabinet approving the €3 billion. They wanted to do it last week, but they still think the public will go bananas at a project that was supposed to cost €500 million nine months ago.

      You’re right. Denis O’Brien’s Siteserv is set to be a big winner because of its place in the sole bidder consortium.

        1. realPolithicks

          Says the guy who thinks that these people should use “dial up” for internet access. I assume you don’t live in a rural area cian.

          1. SOQ

            I do- and I use a satellite service. It is a bit more expensive and somewhat slower but I work in IT, usually now on web based systems, sometimes from home, and it does not affect me in the slightest.

            While people are lying on trolleys and trying to have a normal life while living in hotels, rural broadband is complete and absolute bullpoo.

          2. Cian

            No I don’t. I’d support state-sponsored fiber to all towns/villages with at least, say, 100 people. But not to every house in the middle of nowhere. For ESB you need to pay for the poles.

          3. SOQ

            I hereby demand a state subsidised taxi service to and from my nearest large town, at my chosen time and convenience

        2. GiggidyGoo

          No – re-tender it properly and get value for the taxpayer, and bar Actavo/SelfServ from any part of the process.

          1. realPolithicks

            The problem with retendering is that the way things operate in Ireland by the time the process is finished the cost will be 6 billion.

  2. Charlie

    “In a poll bloodbath…”. God I hate so many journalists and their constant craving for sensationalism. They feed scrotes words they can regurgitate to their mates.

  3. SOQ

    Only the Express could interpret 800 seats lost to Remain candidates as a message to get on with Brexit- before they all die obviously. Great news for the Lib Dems and Greens mind.

    1. Mickey Twopints

      British electorate: ANTI-BREXIT PARTIES IN, PRO-BREXIT PARTIES OUT!!!

      Conservative and Unionist Party, Labour Party, Daily Express: BREXIT MEANS BREXIT!!!

  4. eoin

    We should have the final results of the local elections in the North in the coming hours. With 318 of the 462 council seats filled, the only clear winner at this point is the progressive Alliance Party, which is probably good but it’s only the #5 party. The DUP and SF look set to dominate and the results so far are unlikely to force them into a “smell the coffee” moment. Neither the SDLP (backed by FF) nor the UUP is so far having good results. Turnout is probably 50%, which is abysmal but is about the same as 2014.

    1. SOQ

      SDLP doing a lot better than UUP but yes, Alliance and Greens have reason to celebrate. As far as the DUP goes, looks like the old tribal nationalism won over remaining in EU.

      1. eoin

        Good result for the gays though. First openly gay DUP rep gets elected, well done to her; that would have been unthinkable even a decade ago. And one rep who left DUP because of its stance on LGBT rights gets elected in Bangor East. There’s a wind of change blowing.

          1. SOQ

            The Free P’s got a slap within the DUP when Iris Robinson was found to be blowing a flute out the back. Sammy had a habit of skipping naked through country meadows which is in fairness is not a bad thing- if you are a Green.

            Arlene is Church of Ireland of course, which is a lot more small ‘c’ catholic than most of what she leads.

        1. realPolithicks

          It’s off the topic somewhat but I find it astonishing that a gay person would want to be a member of the dup let alone run as a candidate for them.

          1. SOQ

            People are made up of many parts. I know one very out gay man who is also a devout Catholic, so much so that he voted against equal marriage.

            But as the centre of gay civil rights movement progresses, likewise heads pop up in unexpected places. I doubt if we would agree on much else but a heart felt congratulations to Alison Bennington- you made history darling- good for you.

  5. eoin

    Which media outlet was banned from reporting on the child murder trial? Heard rumours it was The Sun but they have a big story on the subject today.

    1. The Old Boy

      I was told last night that it was the Sun, but that was incorrect. There is a reporting restriction on the name of the paper.

      1. eoin

        How Paul McDermott ever made it on to the bench is a mystery. Diffident mediocrity personified (in my opinion).

        1. Andyourpointiswhatexactly?

          No idea about his judicial ability but he’s a terribly nice and principled man to deal with.

      2. martco

        forgive me but I’m being a bit thick/struggling a bit with the logic of all this…

        is the intent that in making only one media crowd the “owner” of the reporting of what’s going on inside the courtroom it will effectively chill the information leakage? in that if something slips that org is for the chop & in so they’ll effectively police this by proxy because the consequences otherwise would be dire?

        I do understand the actual issue, the case is horrific – it’s arguably our very own modern day Jamie Bulger – but wasn’t the way to most effectively “can it” not to stick to the original ruling?

        could the case not have been in camera?

        it’s going to be a test of social media for sure.

        1. The Old Boy

          The order is that one outlet is banned, rather than only outlet being allowed to report.

          1. martco

            aha! ok I see. cobwebs cleared.

            but what about locking the whole thing down? I mean even with the so-called respectable titles the way some of the reporting went on the Quirke case I’m half expecting to see a pull-out board game in the coming Sunday supplements!?

    1. deluded

      To be honest, FFG have the controlling vote in almost every council. I presume, therefore, that most independents will have to trade with them.
      How does anyone else offer a coherent alternative?
      Is that the wrong question?

      1. realPolithicks

        By voting independent you are sending a message to the establishment parties that they need to change how they govern the country.

        1. SOQ

          Like what?

          An bitter old alcoholic who without any presented evidence of accidents in the time window has brought drink driving limits down to the point where 3 glasses of wine may leave a woman over the new limit next morning? Ireland is not Dubai.

          Independents are even more dangerous than what we have now because they can be loose cannons. At least with a political party you vaguely know what they represent.

  6. eoin

    There are two faces to the corporate watchdog, there’s the watchdog which went to court yesterday to force the FAI to hand over documents, there’s the watchdog which forced its way into INM last year to investigate serious allegations of malfeasance. And then there’s the watchdog which made a hames of the Anglo investigation. And yesterday also, there was the watchdog which tried to stop their report on malfeasance at INM being provided to interested parties as well as journalists. The watchdog told the High Court yesterday there isn’t very much at all in the report they produced a month ago after being onsite at INM for six months and they don’t want to share it with anyone until they’ve produced their final report in six months. The judge will rule on the matter in coming days, some people were hoping the report would have been published yesterday.

  7. eoin

    Having slapped an eye-watering 15% increase on its cover price this week, The Phoenix is partly making up for it by giving away free articles in between issues. Today, it reports Fionnan Sheahan, editor of the Indo has been appointed editor-in-chief at INM which publishes the Indo, Sindo, Sunday World, Herald and others. This happened the same week as the approach by Mediahuis was announced. Strange timing.

    Fionnan will be familiar to us as the person accused in a 100-page document of bullying by ex-business editor Dearbhail McDonald. Fionnan would no doubt reject the accusations and it seems Dearbhail settled the matter, leaving with a big payout enabling her to shop at Arnott’s.

    Despite the promotion, it’s not all good news for Fionnan. On 13 May, he’s due back in court with journalist Nicola Anderson. They’re both accused by the DPP of collapsing a rape trial last November. If convicted, they face penalties which include imprisonment.

    https://www.thephoenix.ie/2019/05/fionnan-sheahans-promo/

    1. eoin

      There’s a growing sense that the remaining shareholders at INM are not rushing to accept the 10.5c a share offer from Mediahuis. Although Denis O’Brien and Demot Desmond are selling their 45% stake, others think the company is being undervalued. Wouldn’t it be gas if Mediahuis increased its offer to 20c a share after the two geniuses had sold up?

      1. Cú Chulainn

        Well, even at 20c they’d still be paying well below par for the balance. So rumour has it.

      2. Vanessa (spiritually) Frilly Keane

        Hey Eoin
        I spoke to a shareholder there in the last hour

        And they’re thrilled ta be getting out’ve it with sum’ting
        And also reckons so is everyone else that’s not staff or former staff
        And having said that
        I’d be of an opinion that that particular shareholder group would have a strong majority to accept the offer

        ‘suppose it’ll go to AGM/ EGM once Dick gives it the ok yeah?

    1. eoin

      “This is one I got wrong. I want to apologise unreservedly to anyone who feels that I did not treat this issue with the seriousness or sensitivity it deserved.”

      What about apologising to the four consultants whose concerns you dissed?

      What about saying what you’re going to do to the people you now say gave out wrong information on which you based your comments? Any repercussions for Eoghan O’Neachtain, the government’s new go-to PR guru now that Terry Prone has lost her broomstick halo?

    1. Rob_G

      I agree with you there – if any other politician from any other party had been as economical with the truth as Ms. Kisyombe, a lot of the people who are currently defending her would be raking them over the coals (and rightly so).

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