179 thoughts on “Tuesday’s Papers

  1. Charger Salmons

    78,005 people in Northern Ireland have received their first Covid-19 vaccination dose and of these 13,949 have also received a second dose.
    In Ireland the Government is unable or unwilling to provide accurate figures about who has been vaccinated,when further supplies will arrive and how they will be distributed.
    Elsewhere in the EU many other countries are far more advanced with their vaccine programmes both in terms of numbers and logistics.
    As Ireland records the world’s highest Covid-19 infection rate this is a national disgrace.

    1. jungleman

      I hope someone is paying you to be such a complete pain in the hoop all day every day on this website. Otherwise you are wasting your life.

      1. Andrew

        What is your point though jungleman,Papi & Charlie? Charger may annoy you but aren’t you at all curious as to why our vaccination programme is so far behind? Who do you think you are defending and why? Is it a national pride thing with some people? Can’t take critcism of the auld sod even it’s verifiably true? Is it because ‘da Brits….. 800 years of oppression ‘ etc??
        MOVE ON FFS!

        1. Charlie

          You just don’t get it do you? It has F-all to do with vaccines or pathetic patriotism. Pay attention!

          1. Andrew

            I obviously don’t get it then Charlie. Maybe explain why you would rather deflect from Charger’s point than actually actually address it.
            I don’t care who the message is coming from.
            Are you really more interested in ‘calling out a troll’ than questioning how shambolic the way things are expensively run in this country. Do you not question the competence of people like Paul Reid and the army of unknown six figure salaried mandarins in the HSE and Dept. of Health. Do you not question why no Minsiter of Health has ever, ever been willing or brave enough to inform this cesspit of waste self enrichment?

          2. Charlie

            I question them all Andrew.
            However my complaint is not about that. I question the incessant, vile, arrogant, chest beating of this attention seeking hypocritical cretin. He sole journey is about irritating the entire nation in the land that has unfortunately adopted him. This is usually prefixed by lavish praise of the nation he fled in the most arrogant of ways.
            I’m no patriot, infact I detest the notion but I know a piece of nasty work when I see it.

          3. Charlie

            Having to read it occasionally might suggest you’re right but having to read it every day would suggest you’re incorrect. I seriously doubt I’m alone. Like I said, I know a nasty piece of arrogant work when I smell it.

          4. Charger Salmons

            It’s clear to me opinion on here is evenly divided between open-minded and free-thinking posters prepared to question those in authority who run every aspect of their lives.
            And children of the Catholic Church-dominated Ireland whose default position is to kow-tow and metaphorically scrape and bow to their betters.
            And it infuriates them that it takes a Tan to point it out.
            Morto.

          5. Charger Salmons

            Aint’t that the case Clamps old chum.
            The truth hurts like nobody’s business.
            All from a simple post asking that the Irish government publishes a daily total of vaccines delivered as they’re doing in Blighty.
            You’d swear I was asking for something totally outrageous.

          6. Charlie

            If you seriously think that the issue with you is about a vaccine observation you’re either more arrogant than I know you are or thicker than rocking horse poo. You’re a poisonous scourge on the site. See if you can get through a day without beating your sneaky patriotic drum.

    2. SB

      In fairness, there is no better way to monitor vaccine deployment than to provide daily figures. It would also help prove or disprove the “Mon-Fri” allegations.

    3. ReproBertie

      “In Ireland the Government is unable or unwilling to provide accurate figures about who has been vaccinated,when further supplies will arrive and how they will be distributed.”

      This is clearly not true. We are not getting a daily vaccination figure unfortunately but we know that we are getting 40,000 doses a week and we know that the nursing homes and frontline healthcare staff are first in the queue with the plan being to have them all double dosed by the end of February. We also know the rollout is planned to accelerate once the EPA approves the AstraZeneca vaccine.

      In terms of how the vaccines will be distributed, the nursing homes have been sent a schedule as to when they will receive the vaccine. We know this to be true because Kate told us Saturday about when her elderly relative’s nursing home was due to receive it and we can see in the papers today that a nursing home in Stradbally was due to get the vaccine on January 19th but that has been pushed out because of an outbreak. We also know the hospitals have a schedule and we know that staff in some hospitals have already all received their first dose.

      The government has mishandled the pandemic in the lead up to Christmas and there is plenty to give out about there but the vaccine rollout is far from the shambles that Spoofer portrays.

      1. Charger Salmons

        So why do you think the Government is not releasing daily vaccine figures ?
        It could be done at the touch of a computer send button.
        There has to be a reason why Ireland is near the bottom of the EU vaccine rollout programme – is it because you don’t care or don’t want to know the truth because it puts Ireland in a bad light ?
        Maybe you’re just being patriotic like the Irish media.

        1. ReproBertie

          I don’t know why but Ireland is far from the only country not releasing daily vaccine figures. They are clearly releasing some figures though, otherwise how would you know “Ireland is near the bottom of the EU vaccine rollout programme”?

          Near the bottom but ahead of France, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

          1. Charger Salmons

            If you don’t know why Ireland is not releasing daily figures you’d surely be in favour of the media demanding to know why not.
            And castigating this government for allowing Ireland to shoot to the top of the world infection rates.
            Look across the Irish Sea – Boris and/or his Health Secretary and chief scientific and medical advisors appear live on TV and radio countless times a week being harangued and villified for their actions.
            And they’ve been doing it since the pandemic began even when the UK’s infection and fatality rates have been dreadful.
            Name me the last time Mehole or Varadkar appeared on live prime time TV and we’re questioned aggressively by a journalist.
            They’re getting a free ride while people are dying because of their actions.

          2. Morning George

            Boris’s appearances in front of the UK press (those who are allowed access) is coordinated.They can’t even handle it when Piers Morgan goes off script ffs.They refused to go on a breakfast show to answer questions because they are unable to justify themselves when asked a question that demands a straight answer .I would love to see Michael,Leo and that other guy fed to Morgan every morning but lets be honest nobody has mishandled this pandemic quite like the Tories.

          3. Micko

            I’d honestly rather see daily vaccination figures alongside the daily case figures.

            My parents in law are visibly jaded at this stage. Every time we go on zoom with them they seem worse and worse.

            All they watch is RTÉ.

            They need some kind of hope.

          4. Micko

            Thanks, but doesn’t really help my in laws Cian

            They are both in their 70’s and are not exactly computer literate.

            My MIL was in an absolute state after Claire Byrne last night.

          5. millie bobby brownie

            Don’t blame her for that at all Micko. I refuse to watch her now. Claire Byrne is nothing but a misery merchant and I can’t sit through that night after night. You’d be better off putting your head in the oven for a laugh.

          6. ReproBertie

            I’m the same Millie. Can’t be bothered with the Claire Byrne misery hour. The show should come with a mental health warning.

          7. millie bobby brownie

            Worse still, Himself watches it every night. There have been Arguments.

            I’ve taken to watching trashy shows on Netflix using my phone. Bridgerton is 10/10 for pure escapism.

          8. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

            but the historical inaccuracies….a bridge too far ( still better than the misery witch I’ll grant you )

          9. millie bobby brownie

            Why do none of the female cast wear bonnets Janet? WHY? It drives me insane. I adore historical costuming and the many, MANY missteps almost put me off watching.

            I think seeing it as a fantasy type piece is required to enjoy it fully. Once I stopped thinking of it as akin to say, Pride and Prejudice, my enjoyment increased tenfold. Having said that, the book series upon which its based is very entertaining and requires a similar suspension of disbelief.

          10. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

            I’d have to watch it alone, I’d drive anyone up the wall with, that’s not the right music , that’s not the right dress, there’s no way that woman was a duchess, the social papers at the time were far more discreet,
            it’s like when they made Mary Queen of Scots a fupping redhead in that movie Elisabeth….sigh

          11. millie bobby brownie

            I’ll watch it with you and we can bitch about the – why are none of the women wearing a bloody chemise under their corsets? Why are they wearing corsets for that matter? Surely they should be in stays? HAS NO ONE HEARD OF A SPENSER? IT RAINS IN ENGLAND ALL THE TIME! – historical inaccuracies together.

          12. millie bobby brownie

            Any recommendations Lilly? I’ve been trying so hard to get back into reading and while I love audiobooks, I want to be able to enjoy a physical book in my hands again.

          13. millie bobby brownie

            Cheers for all the great book recommendations folks. I’ll be checking them all out and trying my hand again. I used to be such a voracious reader. Now I barely manage one book in a month. Sometimes longer. Much appreciated all!

            Also, what with things being somewhat grim around these parts, I truly think a broadsheet book club would be an excellent addition. I know a thread where we can discuss a perfectly good (or awful) book without the usual arguments or pissing contests would be very welcome to me, and I doubt I’m alone in thinking that.

          14. ReproBertie

            Bridgerton is good escapism but it’s no Cobra Kai!

            We’ve been working through “The Expanse” or “Confusing Space Program” as it has come to be known in the house.

          15. Micko

            Hehe “ Confusing Space Program”

            It is that.

            If I can recommend ‘Home’ from Channel 4

            I stumbled upon it a few weeks back on All4. Excellent, funny and heartwarming.

            Made me feel a little better in all this

          16. ( ̄_, ̄ ) AKA Frilly Keane

            I liked Bridgerton
            It served its purpose, entertaining escapism that was well made
            Like no corners were cut

            a few episodes too long alright
            but the wardrobe and the cast made up for it

            what I wouldn’t give for a night of dancing and full all out dressing up
            and there’s this crowd doing it night after night

          17. Lilly

            @Millie I’ve been hopping all over the place bookswise but if you want the literary equivalent of Bridgerton – ie, you’ll have to suspend disbelief here and there – Where the Crawdads Sing is a nice bit of escapism, a light read for the distracted.

            Also, have you read Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple? You’ll enjoy that.

          18. Nigel

            Millie – most lovely and enchanting thing I’ve read in ages was The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Wonderful bit of magical escapism. Then I had ro reread Jonathan Strange And Mister Norrell again, just because.

            (I also love Confusing Space Programme and barelled through the Confusing Space Book Series on audio, and that was VERY enjoyable and distracting pulp adventure.)

          19. Nigel

            Lucy Foley’s two tricksy mystery thrillers – The Guest List and The Hunting Party – they have the same structure – you know someone’s been killed but it’s structured to jump foward and back in time so you don’t know who or why but they’re tight and the characters really come to life and drive the story.

            The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher is a great little horror/supernatural/fantasy thriller with a really endearing narrative voice and a lovable doggie.

          20. Rosette of Sirius

            Well imagine my surprise to learn that Her Grace is non other than Sally Webster’s daughter (her from the ‘Street)

          21. millie bobby brownie

            No fricking way! It’s been a long aul time since Corrie graced the TV in my house.

            We did watch eastenders over Christmas, for old times sake. Always a few great arguments and a good murder in the Square come Yuletide.

          22. ReproBertie

            Replies seem to be a little all over the shop but I second Millie’s Broadsheet Book Club suggestion.

        2. Dr.Fart

          exactly, Charger! This government fail at every turn, if they were doing decent numbers on vaccinating they’d be sure we’d know all about it.

      2. Kate

        That’s right Bertie. 25 nursing homes in Limerick will receive the vaccine before 29.Jan according to TD’s post.
        The vaccine shipment arrived St Stephens day and the 1st roll out is 19th January at MIlford Nursing Home.

        1. Charger Salmons

          More than a month to vaccinate 25 nursing homes doesn’t seem very efficient to me.
          If the vaccine arrived on Boxing Day why will vaccination not start until the 19th ?
          It’s not like they haven’t had months to plan this.
          The UK expects to have vaccinated 15 million people by mid-February.

          1. ReproBertie

            Vaccination started in Ireland on December 29th. I don’t see what’s inefficient about administering doses as soon as they arrive.

            We were expecting delivery of 35,000 doses per week and according to the Chief Operations Officer at the HSE yesterday, more than 35,000 Covid-19 vaccinations were administered here in the last seven days. How is that inefficient?

            The delivery numbers have been increased to 40,000 and will increase again when Moderna vaccines arrive this week. According to the Minister for Health the expected total is now 50,000 to 55,000 doses administered per week. Over 140,000 people in nursing homes and health care staff will have had two doses (over 280,000 doses) by the end of February. That date is based on the delivery numbers before the increased numbers announced yesterday (280,000/40,000 per week = 7 weeks).

            We can expect the numbers to increase further now that Astra Zeneca has finally applied to the EMA for approval. We’re told that by the end of March 700,000 people will have had both doses of one vaccine or another.

          2. Papi

            St. Stephen’s Day.
            Fixed that free of charge for ya, discharge.
            Now be a good lad and get my comments from last Wednesday and hurry up about it.

  2. Charger Salmons

    Claire Byrne Live.
    One hour of prime time television on Ireland’s main TV channel from the Mater Hospital.
    A succession of exhausted emergency workers telling us what we already know – hospitals are a disaster zone and people need to wear a mask and stay at home.
    For an entire hour.
    No-one from the government being aggressively challenged about their ongoing failures which see Ireland near the bottom of European vaccine rollouts and top of the world for Covid-19 infections.
    Yes I know a hospital porter does valuable work but 10 months into this pandemic that’s not who should be being interviewed.
    Politicians let off the hook yet again by a pathetic Irish media.
    They cannot believe their good fortune.

      1. Lush

        It’s only trolling because it’s Charger.
        Everything he says is pretty much on the button.
        The loosening of rules over Christmas has been a disaster and, from what I can read in the media, the government is adopting an “ah shur it’ll be grand” approach.

        1. Charger Salmons

          You want trolling ?
          Here’s one BS poster’s entire output from yesterday.

          ” And charger still maintains it was a peaceful protest. But then he also thinks he has a wife, so……

          Troll troll troll troll

          Are you just cut and pasting from Trump’s tweets now? You can’t even troll hard enough on your own any more?Poor charger.

          Bit hypocritical charger saying anyone is gin soaked, the bigoted racist. He’s probably well into bottle number two by now.

          Once you stop fancying seatbelts and being a racist mysogonistic bigot, you can knock yourself out, you human rodent.

          Troll troll troll troll

          Troll can’t even troll right anymore, he’s so sozzled.

          Translation: I’ve been drinking cans on my own since early morning due to my crippling loneliness and the only company I have is trolling.

          Troll troll troll troll

          Troll troll troll troll

          Go away troll.

          Go away troll.

          Everyone knows you’re inferior, charger, no need to constantly, constantly prove it.

          What’s this “we” malarkey charger? You don’t have a “we”.

          Your membership fee to the BNP? ”

          Yup.
          Everything he posted.
          All day.
          Calling Chumps Corner – we have a winner.
          Heh x 15

          1. Brother Barnabas

            so contrary to charger’s claims that he doesnt read others’ comments towards him, not only does he read them, he copies and saves them

            weird

          2. Papi

            The disdain of charger, we’ll call it Discharge, is a badge i’ll wear proudly.

            Broke you, Discharge, like i knew we would.
            HEH HEH HEH.

        2. bisted

          …Rachel English just started the RTE news saying Ireland’s covid figures had gone from the lowest in Europe to the highest in the world…but shur…xmas…

        3. scottser

          charger is a serial liar and hypocrite. any time he is called out on his lies he asserts that the respondent is too stupid to reply to. when he is correct – and after all a stopped clock is right twice a day – it’s not out of any genuine concern to make things better, it’s to rub everyone’s nose in it. he pours disdain on a sycophantic irish media, then qoutes from the express, the telegraph and the daily mail in the same breath. seriously lush, this guy’s schtick is just too obvious.

          1. Lush

            This is all true but naive as it may be, I want to believe that if you all stopped reacting to his comments, he would, eventually, stop posting them.
            No offence intended, but you’re all like a pack of puppies chasing your tails, round and round and round. Every. Single. Day.
            Can we not just talk about barm brack and costume dramas for today?

          2. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

            I’m in
            do you know the worst part about Bridgherton, the HAD a historical advisor, here’s her interview in a podcast, aptly called ripping up the rulebook on regency romance,
            https://aca.st/b4ff76
            it didn’t make it any better…

    1. V aka Frilly Keane

      This is exactly why they should be all out in the open

      Anyone else concerned that these people exist
      With their great awakening and the plan etc
      And we don’t know who they are
      Or what they’re talking about

      https://twitter.com/hugolowell/status/1348622597886521346?s=19

      We’re talking about a Country where it’s legal to carry a gun lads
      Let me see it FFS
      If you need to carry a gun or a tazer or cable ties
      Then let me hear why and what you have to day

  3. Formerly Known As @ireland.com

    This is a disgrace, alright.

    https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/ireland-had-one-of-the-lowest-coronavirus-rates-in-europe-its-now-highest-in-the-world-20210112-p56thy.html

    A good leader would have told people to cop on, forced people to stay at home, etc. There will be another Xmas next year. For all the deniers, this is not a “casedemic” – it never was. Melbourne had a long lockdown, cases are back at zero, the economy is bouncing back. Ireland isn’t going to recover quickly.

    1. ReproBertie

      Many other European countries went into harder lockdowns as Christmas approached. We opened the pubs. A ridiculous decision that we’re all paying for now. We have frontline healthcare workers pleading with people to take it seriously as the ICU beds fill up and the hospitalisations rise but we’ll still have the covidiots telling us it’s just a flu, only the old get sick, masks don’t work, the tests are a lie and whatever today’s garbage is.

      1. Cian

        But it’s the gubbernment’s fault!

        How was the average person to know there was a deadly virus? How were they to know that just because the pubs were open that they should show some personal responsibility?

        1. Brother Barnabas

          I know you’re being sarcastic, cian, but given the relentless barrage of misinformation online and beyond, there was understandably a lot of confusion and misunderstanding

          some of the responsibility for it lies there too

        2. E'Matty

          I went to the pub a rake of times in the 10 days before Christmas. It was great. Spent all day there too (no 2hr limit nonsense or €9 meal). My whole family spent Christmas together as well (including my parents, both in their 70’s). It was actually a really lovely Christmas. Those waiting for all of this to end before recommencing life will learn in time.

          1. Bitnboxy

            Lol. E’Matty’s immature boasting is performative hyperbole. A cry for attention when we all know the true reality: baked beans and over-indulging in World of Warcraft.

            On your bike mate.

          2. E'Matty

            @ Brother Barnabas – I know!! An absolute monster who loves human contact, family, friends and pints. Pure evil.

            @BitnBoxy – lol, I actually took the week off before Christmas (usually never get it off) and it worked out brilliantly. Got to meet up with friends and have real Christmas sessions together before they closed everything on Christmas Eve. It was great. Smiling happy faces all round and even, heavens forbid, some singing! Bit sad that you assume somebody claiming to have met and socialised with people is making it up. Shows how deep you’ve gone in this nonsense.

            @Charlie – Granny died two years ago of cancer. My mother (also a granny, just not mine) was delighetd to be able to play with and hug her grandchild. Both my parents are in reasonably high spirits compared to their peers after having a really lovely Christmas all together.

            I’ll take this opportunity to mention that I also went on three holdiays last summer, two abroad. They were great too!! All the sheep hiding away in their homes while I’m out living life as close to normal as possible. Lol.

        3. ReproBertie

          It is the government’s fault and it is also the fault of people who spread lies and it is also the fault of people who willingly ignore the guidelines.

          There’s plenty of fault to go around.

          1. E'Matty

            Yeah, sure it is. You must be really annoyed with all of those elderly people in nursing homes spreading the virus amongt one another. They must not be obeying the rules, lol. Are you perhaps victim blaming?

        4. Junkface

          At the end of the day the Government are responsible. They have to account for all types of people in society, some follow guidelines and leadership, some are a little bit dim and need restrictions and clear rules.

          It’s the same reason why there is a poison logo on the back of bleach bottles. Its not just for kids!

          Irish leadership made a big mistake and gambled on Christmas. They lost.

          1. Cian

            What annoys me most is the same people that blame the government for everything are often the same people that give out about living in a nanny state

            (I’m not saying this is you Junkface)

          2. Junkface

            I know, I feel the same way. Personal responsibility is an important quality for all of us living and working together. We can only succeed as a society if we come to an agreement on how to behave and respect each others space during a pandemic. People deciding that they’ve had enough of the rules heading into mid-winter were reckless. Ireland went from one of the best records in Europe, to the worst infection rate in the world! I was shocked. I’m more worried about my parents now.

    2. Micko

      How is the name of Christ can we have the highest rate in the world?

      Lots of countries opened up over Christmas. None have rates as bad as us.

      The only thing I can think of, is maybe the fact that we never really opened fully in the summer, we never let people who would of had no problem with the virus get it naturally.

      Remember when parts of Europe opened, while Ireland stayed in relative lockdown. It’s the only thing we did differently that I can think of.

      And now all those people who didn’t get it during the summer are all getting it now – plus it’s winter time.

      I dunno… it’s mental.

      1. goldenbrown

        I can’t understand the mystery, it’s obvious

        in my own extended family I know of four who travelled back for xmas.

        two of them coming in from London were spitting determined and went the whole Planes, Trains & Automobiles approach to achieve it, they were never not coming back. packed to the rafters several times en route with fellow travellers, no testing. gone back now.

        another wan came in from Lisbon, had a lovely xmas with the fam. no symptoms. no tests. started to make arrangements to go back work in Holland, was informed she had to have evidence to travel so went and did a paid test which came back +ve. laughably they figured because they’d made this bubble and everyone seemed ok at the start of it t’would be grand. she’s still here now and two in the household have the full dose and are locked away.

        there’s no mysteries here, we succumbed to our insane intrinsic green sod homing beacon. and we opened up. we were 0-0 and then let in two massive OG’s in added time.

        1. Junkface

          Yes. I know of a couple of girls from work who insisted on flying home to Ireland for Xmas. I suggested that maybe they should stay and not risk air travel and possibly bringing more covid 19 into Ireland. “No way!” was the answer. “I have to have a Christmas after this awful year”.

          So there you go, multiply that by thousands.

          Just like the summer, international air travel spreads covid 19, except its even worse in the winter. No UV light from the sun.

        2. Micko

          But the highest rate in the world GB? Lots of people travelled home to different countries all over the globe.

          How are we worse than Russia, the US, the U.K. even Sweden?

          Anyway, Ireland’s daily case numbers are over 1000 each day since Christmas and we haven’t yet seen deaths like in March /April , so fingers crossed

          1. Charger Salmons

            A perfectly valid question and one the Government should be asked and forced to answer.
            Last night Claire Byrne asked three different people the same question – so in your experience how bad is this ? – as though after 10 months we don’t already know.
            The Tonight Show asked a senior registrar about vaccines but he was in the same position of not knowing as the rest of us.
            The government is getting away with obfuscation and bluster while people are fighting for their lives in ICU.
            My word I wish Vincent Browne was back on our screens – now there was a proper journalist who took no prisoners and called out crap when he heard it.

          2. Micko

            Yeah. In fairness Claire Byrne was a disgrace last night. I had to turn it off it was so shambolix

            Honestly, we know it’s bad for certain people. But my mother in law is now convinced her children are going to die as last night on CB they kept saying “ younger people in their 30’s and 40’s are coming in” and “they think it’ll never happen to them” etc

            The poor woman is terrified. It’s a disgrace.

          3. goldenbrown

            Micko I can see it happening alright

            (apart from any entirely possible number massage for whatever reasons)

            we’re still very much a nation of emigrants

            any given regular xmas period the population here will temporarily expand by 1.5 million or so….lets say only 25% of them came home this year (and lets be generous and round that down to 300k) and 10% of them have C19 and half are asymptomatic…..

            15,000 C19 carriers all over the kip free to wander up Grafton St. on xmas week (at times it was shoulder to shoulder) out and about, have their feed of pints, free to sit and pass it on at the xmas dinner table unhindered (does anyone here know anyone who had the family circle wearing masks at the dinner table? seriously?)

            it didn’t come from nowhere

            even the usual Govt. mouthpieces are questioning the strategy, language like “not very sure-footed” translated means “fupping clueless”) and although we all have personal responsibilities the Govt. have an awful lot to answer for – in times of crisis like “em or not we expect Govt. to lead.

            we opened up, the numbers shot up, no mysteries

          4. Micko

            Only 30k from the U.K. from Dec 8-23rd apparently.

            https://www.thejournal.ie/rules-for-people-coming-from-britain-to-ireland-5309656-Dec2020/

            I’d say your 300k is way off. But, yes of course you’re right, I’m sure it did lead to some extra infections. And sure we are only guessing – we have no idea really.

            Funnily enough, I had some family members travel home from the U.K. and Europe for Chrimbo and the funny thing is, they were the exact ones who were slagging people off calling other “Covidiots” and “ how can people be so stupid for not staying at home” only a few weeks ago on family zoom calls.

            But when THEY were personally inconvenienced by the restrictions – the rules didn’t apply to them.

            As far as I can see most people were just talking the talk…

          5. benblack

            @Micko

            You do realise that yesterday’s figures include a 2900 backlog.

            Of course, you don’t. The news and the daily NPHET press conferences do not make this fact known to the wider public – I wonder why?

            Backlog Confirmed. 2,870 backlog cases was included in yesterdays data. Yesterdays positive tests was 4142 vs 6,888 reported. Todays data# of Tests 18,280% Tests positive 15.6% (lowest in 2 weeks)Positive tests 2845Backlog is now 1000-1200. @sarahcareyIRL @Mark_Coughlan pic.twitter.com/PRq87Nedvr— Conor (@RiochtConor2) January 11, 2021

          6. benblack

            @Micko

            You do realise that yesterday’s figures include a 2900 backlog.

            Of course, you don’t. The news and the daily NPHET press conferences do not make this fact known to the wider public – I wonder why?

            I did try to include a twitter post that explains the backlog – with graphs, charts and accurate data – however, the link doesn’t seem to have passed the BS filter.

            If you’re interested, the twitter handle is @RiochtConor2.

  4. Enn

    I’ve wanted to say this for some time but it always felt so frivolous in the circumstances.

    You’re a fine lookin’ man, John.

  5. ce

    Anybody want to have an argument about eradication/NZ/Taiwan/Australia etc… just for the craic while we’re all sitting on the couch, not having a life burning through public money, planning the summer holidays in Spain again…

  6. ( ̄_, ̄ ) AKA Frilly Keane

    Dunno about ye but the item there in d’Examiner
    Irish banks develop own ‘Revolut’ app

    Specifically identifies four Banks regulated by the the Central Bank of Ireland
    Boi, AIB, PTSB & KBC
    who have come together and formed a single company, Synch Payments
    Between them, and as I think I am entitled to presume, where all four are Shareholders and sit on the Board

    That’s a Cartel folks
    Organised Price Fixing if you like
    Wonder what the CBoI have to say about one of their own mandates
    To ensure there is healthy competition in the Finance markets for the Irish Consumer

    Or the Banking Culture Board

    Nice to know Tax Payer Bailouts and postponed sanctions are being put to good use

    Suckers!

    Nothing wrong in an Irish payments app btw, but it should have been done via a separate third party/ entity – and the banks could join up to independently. What four retail banks have just done there, if the Examiner is correct, is come together, and colluded to create a dominant vehicle for payment services
    Just like they did over Bank Charges

    BTW, Anyone curious about what FG lovvie Pat Cox is up to these days

    1. Cian

      Is it really a cartel if they are entering an existing market where there is already 6 businesses?
      Revolut exists, as do N26, Monzo, Transferwise, Bunq, and Monese.

      All of these existing cards are (AFAIK) free.

      So how, exactly, are the 4 banks creating a “cartel” or “price fixing” to beat a free product on price?

      1. ( ̄_, ̄ ) AKA Frilly Keane

        By becoming business partners they are creating a significant special interest in their own affairs as a single group
        These Four Banks sat down and arranged this – between them, on the quiet
        What else did they do between them on the quiet?

        If a lad came along and put it together, and then they joined up via typical service agreements, then fair enough

        but what they have colluded to do as a four ball is combine forces to compete as a single entity with an already significant foothold into the current account market here against external competitors

        as you named some yourself, Revolut, N26, Monzo, Transferwise, Bunq and Monese

        And some of the Big Four forming Synch, have actually been staked by the Irish Taxpayer
        These same Big Four btw, have already demonstrated they are willing to betray their customers and breech regulations across a number of their business activities

        And here they are combining their collective reputations for bad regulatory oversight and customer service to keep out external competion

        Tell you what C!an I’ll look away when the bad actors in that Synch group have paid out ALL their sanctions & fines to the Central Bank, and are passed fit in all divisions, including AML, and have paid out all the compensation due to Customers for Tracker breeches, their over charging, their FX and Trading gouging, whatever your having yourself
        + Regulatory Levies

        1. Rosette of Sirius

          For what it’s worth, the banks sit down on a regular basis to plans and implement standards and products. SEPA being one and in back in the 90’s the cross bank program to deliver the Laser Card into the Irish market. It was set up as a not for profit and owned by the four main banks of the time.

          I’m viewing this new aggregated bank app service offering as perhaps a modern day Laser Card program – approach and execution.

        2. benblack

          @V

          In all things financial, and the needed regulations surrounding this sector, you are very well informed – and, if I may say so, on the right side – the consumer and the legal frameworks that police this sector.

          This is definitely a Cartel move.

          We may disagree on other matters, but, on matters financial, you’re spot on – most of the time!

      1. Micko

        That’s good news.

        In the last two weeks I know a good few people who’ve got it – about 12 in total. My own family included.

        All very mild cases. Even my friends parents in their 80’s.

        The only symptoms I’ve had is a metallic taste in my mouth and food tastes a bit funny.

      1. ( ̄_, ̄ ) AKA Frilly Keane

        Neither bring me to a search box or the Contributors

        am I doing it wrong

        I just always thought they were handy,
        like to the right of the screen or under the comments

        especially when looking for Millies brownies recipe
        or a previous column
        thats all

        no worries, thanks anyway

        1. millie bobby brownie

          You can still search on the app, but it’s a limited search function I’ve found and can cause the app to crash from time to time.

  7. george

    A “Great British summer”?

    Donkey rides in the rain then? Such ridiculous nationalism. Someone tell Matt Hanncock that the “great” in Great Britain is a reference to the size of the Island. It doesn’t mean “brilliant”.

  8. Brother Barnabas

    re the enduring refrain “it’s just a flu… if it’s such a big deal, how come there arent more deaths”

    from the BBC now –

    Covid: 2020 saw most excess deaths since World War

    The Covid pandemic has caused excess deaths to rise to their highest level since World War Two.

    There were close to 697,000 deaths in the UK in 2020 – nearly 91,000 more than what would be expected based on the average in the previous five years.

    This represents an increase of 15% – making it the largest rise in excess deaths for more than 75 years.

    When the age and size of the population is taken into account 2020 saw the worst death rates since the mid 2000s.

    This measure – known as age-standardised mortality – takes into account population growth and age.

    Mistakes ‘cost lives’ in a pandemic

    Richard Murray, chief executive of The King’s Fund, said the picture was likely to worsen given Covid deaths are rising following the surge in infections over recent weeks.

    “The UK has one of the highest rates of excess deaths in the world, with more excess deaths per million people than most other European countries or the US.

    ‘It will take a public inquiry to determine exactly what went wrong, but mistakes have been made.

    “In a pandemic, mistakes cost lives. Decisions to enter lockdown have consistently come late, with the government failing to learn from past mistakes or the experiences of other countries.

    “The promised “protective ring” around social care in the first wave was slow to materialise and often inadequate, a contributing factor to the excess deaths among care home residents last year.

    ‘Like many countries, the UK was poorly prepared for this type of pandemic.”

    1. f_lawless

      “When the age and size of the population is taken into account 2020 saw the worst death rates since the mid 2000s.

      This measure – known as age-standardised mortality – takes into account population growth and age.”

      What happened in the mid 2000s?

      1. Brother Barnabas

        my reading of it – nothing

        the estimates are based on “age and size of the population”

        the death rate could be higher in real terms in a particular year, but still ‘normal’ given the age and size of population at that time

        2020 was abnormal – to the tune of c90k deaths – given age and size of population

    1. Charger Salmons

      You tried to get me kicked off this forum a couple of days ago and now you want me to engage with you ?
      Welcome to Chumps Corner.

      1. Brother Barnabas

        ooohhhh look who’s playing the spicey little maiden now ?!

        shouldnt this be “Kate”?

      2. V aka Frilly Keane

        For despicable and reprehensible misogynist posts Charage
        Pointed at a woman because of who she is married to

        Not for crimes or for leadership, or management fails
        Or for putting people’s lives at risk or for squandering billions of taxpayers money

        Or for comments she made here to weewee you off

        If Broadsheet and regular commenters & readers are ok to let that slide
        And leaving that carry-on amongst us all, and keeping the door open for more of it
        Then that’s what it is
        It’s a free forum for all of us – their gaff their rules

        However I’m not and I’ll continue to call you out when you target innocent, and unknowing bystanders with your bigoted cowardly and sly bullying
        And will do for as long as I’m allowed
        Show your backbone now put you own name beside your comments
        With the same dignity that lady stood alongside her husband for the likes of you to harrass
        Go on.

        Meanwhile I’ll remind you of something else I also said here lately
        You can be measured by what questions you don’t answer

        Remember that
        Because that makes you an empty shirt with all the substance of a used condom

          1. Papi

            It’s time for a chumps corner for one poster.
            He uses his bigotry when he wants, then pretends to make rational posts until it blows over.
            No more.

          2. benblack

            If the Pied Piper of Broadsheet leaves, then, where will all the rats go?

            He makes this site interesting – top-tier banter, and that’s all it is – banter.

          3. V aka Frilly Keane

            Banter is when all the participants and subjects participate fairly and evenly
            The mood and tempo is evenly distributed and shared

            And not one-sided, and at the expense of private citizens / unknowing subjects, and innocent family members

            If you’re in the habit of thinking agist sexist digs from an anonymous, yet established internet hardman is just lads having a bitta banter
            It isn’t

            Tell me
            If you saw a lad shouting drunken offensive remarks at a complete stranger on the street
            Would you call that banter?

          4. benblack

            @V

            “The magnificent art of using word play, opinions, exaggeration, irony, sarcasm, and other comedic themes to (playfully) humiliate, make fun of, and laugh at your friends. This word is most commonly used in Britain, but ‘Banter’ is used around the world.”

          5. V aka Frilly Keane

            There was no attempt to playfully humiliate
            And there was no artful play with words

            But if you see there was
            The ye’re welcome to each other
            So all that’s left to day BenBla is – ye must be met

          6. Charger Salmons

            Just to remind everyone – I referred to the wife of French President Napoleon Macron as his ‘ pensioner missus ‘.
            I refute the accusation that I said he met her at his local discotheque’s renowned Grab-A-Granny night.
            Or that he married her for her free travel pass to save on charabanc trips to the Cote d’Azur.
            I may be a cad but I’m not a bounder.
            Wahaay !

  9. Brother Barnabas

    looks like EU about to approve AstraZeneca vaccine, which will accelerate things significantly

    most countries waiting on this because it’s by far the cheapest

    per dosage prices negotiated by EU are the lowest in the world, with the AZ being lowest of all:

    Oxford/AstraZeneca: €1.78

    Johnson & Johnson: $8.50

    Sanofi/GSK: €7.56.

    Pfizer/BioNTech: €12.

    CureVac: €10.

    Moderna: $18.

    for the Pfizer alone, UK is paying £30.50 per dose

    1. Junkface

      I’m so glad Oxford/AstraZeneca took up the type of vaccine they did. Millions more will be saved because of this, especially in poorer countries.

      1. Charger Salmons

        Not only that but part of the deal that the Oxford University research team struck with AZ was that all vaccines would be sold at cost price to everyone to make sure Third World countries wouldn’t be left out.
        The fact that it can be stored in an ordinary domestic fridge was a game-changer.

  10. f_lawless

    Some food for thought here, referenced with HSE data, by Graham Neary, who’s done some excellent prior investigative work exposing Neil Ferguson’s flawed modelling:

    https://twitter.com/GrahamNeary/status/1348732237211168769

    “Are you ready to understand the nature of the scam?

    The number of people in Ireland’s ICU units doesn’t change, no matter how many “Covid” patients are in it:

    (graph: ‘Ireland’s Critical Care Bed Utilisation April 2020- Jan 2021’)

    Firstly, it’s important to note that this is not because maximum capacity has been reached.

    All the way back in mid-April, there were 500 beds, and additional surge capacity on top of this.

    That capacity was taken out, as it was not needed. Fewer than 300 beds are in use today.
    (graph)

    Think about what I’m about to say.

    Since mid-December, the number of “Covid” patients in ICU has increased by around 100.

    About half of all ICU patients now have the label “Covid” attached to them.

    But the total number of ICU patients has gone down!

    (graph: ‘Ireland’s Critical Care Bed Utilisation Nov 2020- Jan 2021’)

    The same thing happened in reverse, earlier in 2020.

    From April, the number of “Covid” patients in ICU fell steadily, from a high of around 150.

    But by August, with only a handful of Covid patients left, the total number of patients was higher than it had been in April!

    (graph: ‘Ireland’s Critical Care Bed Utilisation April 2020- August 2020’)

    Please share this with your friends. It might not achieve much, but it’s the least we can do against the narrative of fear.

    We must try to help our fellow citizens come to their senses.”

    1. Rob_G

      Who is Graham Neary – an epidemiologist? Some other type of public health professional?

      *clicks through”

      stock market investor and Youtuber – ah, I see.
      As you were.

      1. f_lawless

        Why would you need to be an epidemiologist to analyse data?

        As a side note, Neary’s thread was retweeted today by DR Clare Craig, a consultant diagnostic pathologist for the NHS, who has also worked on the 100,000 Genome Project and AI cancer diagnostics. Given her specialism that makes her incredibly familiar with testing and diagnostics.

        Her retweet is quite a strong endorsement of Neary’s tweet, in my book.

        https://twitter.com/ClareCraigPath

        1. Rob_G

          So you are ambivalent to public health officials’ advice, except when through the medium of retweet…

        2. Brother Barnabas

          “her retweet is quite a strong endorsement…”

          despite her profile saying “Retweets are not an endorsement” ?

          1. f_lawless

            That’s a bit of a dishonest response considering her profile doesn’t even say that
            See: https://twitter.com/ClareCraigPath

            And anyway, if you read any of her articles/interviews or her evidence submitted to the UK government (see link above), it’s clear that she holds a view in line with Neary’s, ie- that government polices are being led by bad data based on flawed interpretations of what constitutes a ‘case’

          2. SOQ

            You are wasting your time f_lawless- British Intelligence is a contradiction in terms- the paid sort I mean.

    2. Cian

      Surgery is cancelled when there are insufficient ICU beds.
      As the number of Covid cases in ICU rises, the number of surgeries drops.

      1. Brother Barnabas

        that would MAYBE make sense if there was like some limit on the number of ICU beds

        you can buy a bed in IKEA for €69 ffs

    1. Brother Barnabas

      there is lots to suggest that we may be on the brink of a golden age in vaccine development

      covid could be the impetus we needed

      1. bisted

        …I heard that the spinoff from the development of covid vaccines will represent a huge leap for scientific research in general and medical research in particular…an ill wind indeed…

        1. ( ̄_, ̄ ) AKA Frilly Keane

          Professor Cox-on-Legs was saying there the other day that the speed of the vaccine development & delivery has a much to do with the number of pure scientists in wholetime research now compared to years ago
          like top notch phds everywhere and all in well funded and maintained labs
          being encouraged and enabled with a lot of investment and research grants

          I suppose I would have to put the accountants twist to it
          and pose the notion that the R+D allowances over the 30 odd years is starting to pay off

          Just saying
          Its not something I really know anything about tbh

    2. Junkface

      That’s amazing! Wow, maybe pushing the Scientific community hard for a covid 19 vaccine, has opened many doors to curing other viruses and diseases.

  11. Cian

    We just passed the April Covid ICU with 158 people in ICU with Covid.
    The hospitalisations, at 1,700 is almost double the peak in April.

    #itIsJustTheFluMeHole

    1. Micko

      Not good alright.

      But let’s not forget that in Jan 2020 over 12k people were on trolleys in hospitals in Ireland.

      Will be ok.

      1. ReproBertie

        “in Jan 2020 over 12k people were on trolleys in hospitals in Ireland.”

        WHAT???? Am I missing a joke here?

        “For the second day in a row there are 760 patients deemed to require admission to hospital waiting on trolleys in emergency departments and on wards for a bed, nurses have said. This equals the record level of overcrowding experienced in hospitals on Monday.”

        https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/number-of-patients-on-trolleys-remains-at-760-on-tuesday-1.4132848

          1. GiggidyGoo

            The rest, presumably, are waiting in, and being treated in, ambulances outside the hospital entrances?

  12. Charger Salmons

    Facts eh ? Inconvenient little blighters aren’t they ?
    A new occupant of Chumps Corner asked me to comment earlier on this Twitter picture which is doing the rounds in Blighty today about what’s on offer for £30 for 10 days if you receive free school meals in the UK.
    https://twitter.com/RoadsideMum/status/1348646428084760576?s=19
    Newly deified football saint and free school meals campaigner Marcus Rashford weighed in about the disgraceful nature of it.
    https://metro.co.uk/2021/01/12/free-school-meals-firm-with-tory-links-shamed-over-30-shopping-basket-13887331/
    Further investigation, however, revealed a somewhat different story.
    The company providing it, Chartwells, report it was actually 5 days of free school lunches (not 10 days) and the charge for food, packing and distribution was £10.50 not £30 as suggested.
    More interestingly Chartwells will be familiar to Rashford because the company are part of his own Child Food Poverty Taskforce and was the first company to sign up for it.
    https://twitter.com/MarcusRashford/status/1336949735761076224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
    Of course it’s worth remembering that Marcus ” I grew up in poverty ” Rashford was actually on the books of Manchester United when he was seven years old.
    Any further requests for a chat on this subject should be accompanied by a picture of the food that is being provided by Ireland’s free school meals service during the pandemic when schools are closed.
    When you’re ready …

    1. Nigel

      One day you’re an apologist for killing the bees, the next you’re an apologist for starving the poor while over there you’re accusing others of being overly deferential to the powerful. Must be exhausting.

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