Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar talking to the media on his way into the Data Conference at the Convention Centre Dublin
Amid the news of a new Taoiseach in the Dáil and the announcement of his Cabinet, the news that Leo Varadkar had confirmed an abortion referendum, seemed to slip through the cracks.
Yesterday he confirmed that the referendum will take place sometime next year.
He said Health Minister Simon Harris would be responsible for bringing forward legislation to allow for the referendum on the eight amendment, which gives an equal right to life to the mother and the unborn….
I stopped in Boyle, Co. Roscommon yesterday with my family to get something to eat. There was a teddy, doing some sort of stationary backstroke in the Boyle River. Trying to come up with a satisfactory explanation for my little girl has been tricky, and seemingly endless.
Last week, with a Golden Discs voucher worth in the region of TWENTY FIVE Euros on offer, we asked you to select your favourite song by Nick Cave.
You answered in your dozens.
But there could be only one winner.
In reverse order then…
Nick Cave and PJ Harvey – Henry Lee
Penfold writes:
The Nick Cave track that has left the most indelible mark on me is “Henry Lee” because the guy’s voice is gloomily magnificent, with the added PJ Harvey the vocals here are sensual. You nearly feel like shouting “get a room” while listening to it.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Far From Me
Runlolarun writes:
The Nick Cave track that has left the most indelible mark on me is ‘Far From Me’ because it used to be the song that I lamented lost loves to – with my ever-consoling, unconditionally-loving cat Nudge in my arms; slowly circling the living-room-dance-floor together, tears and fur in my eyes, glass of wine to hand.
Then Nudge died and it was the song that I played when I walked into the sea on Sandymount Strand to scatter his ashes. It’ll always be his song now and lifts me up in such a bitter-sweet way in his memory.
Nick Cave – Peggy Gordon
Scottser writes:
The Nick Cave track that has left the most indelible mark on me is Peggy Gordon from the movie The Proposition it’s use in the movie is nothing short of genius. the song becomes the soundtrack to rape, murder, punishment justice and redemption at various times in the movie. it made me adore that melody to the extent that i sang it as a lullaby to my first born to get her to sleep each night when she was younger.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – We Call Upon The Author
Aido writes:
The Nick Cave track that has left the most indelible mark on me is ‘We Call Upon the Author’ because while plenty of songs shake their fist impotently at god, few go in to such detail as to why.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Distant Sky
Bertie Blenkinsop writes:
Distant Sky breaks my heart, in fact the whole album is a hard listen, it’s like you’re intruding on private grief I don’t know how anyone copes after the death of a child, it must be the most devastating event for anyone to suffer, it’s difficult to even contemplate let alone live through.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – The Ship Song
Andrew writes:
The Nick Cave track that has left the most indelible mark on me is The Ship song. It perfectly echoes my relationship with my now wife. We actually used the song for our wedding. There are so many though; Straight to You is outstanding, Red Right Hand and a brilliant cover of “By the time I get to Phoenix. Not forgetting The Mercy Seat. It really depends on the mood I’m in…
Winner
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Into My Arms
Paraic Elliot writes:
The Nick Cave track that has left the most indelible mark on me is IInto My Arms because:
I have always struggled with the fact that I had been raised catholic and, from an early age, was told to believe in a “personal” god who had a unique relationship with me.
I struggled as an adult to express what I now believed as a skeptical, lapsed catholic. Suddenly, one day driving the M50 motor way I heard Into My Arms by Nick had a light bulb moment – that was it in a nutshell – Nick expressed it for me :”I don’t believe in an interventionist God!” Just proves how much a lyric and a performer can play a large in someone’s life.
An experimental short by Toronto based filmmaker Jonah Haber featuring dancer Niamh Wilson shot against a huge glow-in-the-dark backdrop as a strobe light creates a shadow trail of her movements.
The film is the official video for ‘Working for the Future In The Interlake’ by Canadian groovers Yes We Mystic
The third part of an investigation into “unproven medication being offered to Irish people suffering from serious illnesses” by the Here’s How Current affairs podcast.
Host William Campbell writes:
I ask Gino Kenny why he and People Before Profit are promoting the idea that cannabis is a miracle cure for cancer and many other illnesses….
Mobo-award winning artist and writer Akala spoke to Channel 4 News last night about the Grenfell Tower fire in West London which has claimed 17 lives.
“We are in one of the richest spaces not just London but in the world. Repeated requests were ignored. There is no way that rich people would be living in a building without adequate fire safety.
“Everybody I spoke to couldn’t hear alarms, there was no sprinkler system…”
Local resident Joe Delaney, who managed to escape the fire and also help some of his neighbours get out of the building with their children, backed up Akala’s claim that there were “no alarms”.
Responding to presenter Jon Snow’s comment about spending on refurbishments for the building last year, Akala said: “It was an eyesore for the rich people who lived opposite.
“So they put panels, pretty panels on the outside, so the rich people who lived opposite wouldn’t have to look at a horrendous block.”
