Author Archives: Admin

Meanwhile, At The Jobstown Trial

Admin at 6:39 pm May 9, 2017

Minister for Children Katherine Zappone arriving at the Central Criminal Court of Justice today

Earlier today.

The trial of Solidarity TD Paul Murphy and six other men – who are charged with falsely imprisoning Ms Burton during a water charges protest in Jobstown, Tallaght in November 2014 – continues.

The six other men are Kieran Mahon, of Bolbrook Heights, Tallaght; Michael Murphy, of Whitechurch Way, Ballyboden; Scott Masterson, of Carrigmore Drive, Tallaght; Ken Purcell, of Kiltalown Green, Tallaght; Frank Donaghty, of Alpine Rise, Tallaght; and Michael Banks, of Brookview Green, Tallaght.

They deny the charges.

RTÉ reports:

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone has told the Circuit Criminal Court she was “deeply concerned and frightened for the safety” of former tánaiste Joan Burton during a water charges protest in Tallaght in 2014.

However, it was put to her that she previously refused to condemn the protesters during a pre-election television debate.

She was giving evidence in the trial of Solidarity TD Paul Murphy and six other men who are charged with falsely imprisoning Ms Burton and her assistant during a water charges protest in November 2014.

Ms Zappone, who was an independent Senator at the time, said she dialled 999 twice as she felt deeply concerned for the safety of the then-tánaiste after protesters surrounded her car as she left a graduation ceremony in Jobstown.

…However, defence counsel Sean Guerin played an excerpt from a pre-election television debate in which Ms Zappone was accused by an audience member and one of the protesters of “condemning us”.

In reply the then-senator said “I do not condemn at all what was going on in Jobstown that day”.

However, in the witness box today she did not agree with Mr Guerin that this was a public refusal to condemn the protesters.

Zappone ‘deeply concerned and frightened’ for Burton at protest (RTE)

Leah Farrell/Rollingnews

‘I Was Counselled To Be Very Careful’

Admin at 5:43 pm May 9, 2017

From top: Garda College, Templemore; John Barrett, executive director of human resources and people development at An Garda Siochana; Garda Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan

You may recall how the Garda College in Templemore, Co Tipperary, was the subject of a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting last Thursday.

It followed PAC receiving, last March, a 44-page Garda Internal Audit Section (GIAS) report on serious financial irregularities at the Garda College and a further 13-page interim audit report in relation to how the recommendations of the GIAS report were being implemented.

The interim audit report on the recommendations was carried out by the head of internal audit Niall Kelly.

Among those attending last week’s PAC meeting included Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan; Kenneth Ruane, head of legal affairs; Joseph Nugent, chief administrative officer, Deputy Commissioner Dónall Ó Cualáin, with responsibility for governance and strategy; Michael Culhane, executive director of finance and services; John Barrett, executive director of human resources and people development; and Mr Kelly.

Readers will recall how, during last week’s PAC meeting, Ms O’Sullivan maintained that this meeting was “a very brief conversation” while they were having tea, while Mr Barrett maintained that the meeting last for more than two hours.

Specifically, Ms O’Sullivan said:

“On the 27th of July, I believe there was a very brief conversation in a room after a meeting in Templemore, in which Mr Barrett raised certain issues specifically around some work he was doing when I was present along with the two deputy commissioners and the chief administrative officer. My recollection [as regards the length of the meeting] is very brief.”

Continue reading →

Fluffy Biscuits’ Guide To Eurovision 2017

Admin at 5:22 pm May 9, 2017

An annual event as loved as the contest itself.

Broadsheet commenter Fluffy Biscuits takes his annual look at the world’s biggest song contest.

Fluffy Biscuits writes:

Before I tackle the songs, politics as always is at the centre of Eurovision.

Russia, with its presence on Ukrainian soil (‘Crimea River’ anyone?) kicked things into gear by sending wheelchair bound singer Yulia Samoilova with what has become their usual PR tactic of sending a sickly sweet ballad, ‘Flame Is Burning‘, about love, respect and diversity all the while gay men are executed on Putin’s door step in Chechnya.

This ruffled the feathers of Ukraine, this year’s hosts, who, after winning the rights to host the contest (with the “Stalin murdered my whole family by deporting them to gulags” R&B ethnic inspired track “1944”), kicked up and told Russia that their singer was not coming anywhere near Eurovision in Kiev as she had allegedly performed in Crimea, a violation of Ukrainian law.

A compromise was reached by the organisers, the EBU to allow her to perform from Moscow by satellite but this was about as welcome as Michael Barrymore at a pool party. In the end Russia pulled out (not a fan of the withdrawal method myself) and the prosecco and poppers will duly flow in Kiev.

Song wise Italy (above) is the favourite to win this year. On the surface it’s a novelty song but drill down into the lyrics and you have a very clever rock song meditating on the West’s obsession with materialism and Oriental-inspired faux philosophy all wrapped up in social commentary about “The Naked Ape” based on the book by Desmond Morris.

The nearest contenders for the title are Portugal who voted to send Salvador Sobral with a tune inspired by 1950’s lounge music “Amar Pelos Dois”. a song that stands out as its beauty is its simplicity in the context of glitz and glamour of Eurovision and even just chart music in general (when you have 16 Ed Sheeran songs in the Top 20 the music buying public are not really in a position to slate Eurovision ;) ) .

Belgium comes next with its electro pop inspired “City Lights” although her stage presence means she is more wooden than a set of table and chairs from Ikea. Armenia has gone with an Oriental inspired pop track.

Making up the other two favourites are Bulgaria sending singer Kristian Kostov with the song “Beautiful Mess and at 17 he appears older and next to them will be Sweden whose song “I Can’t Go On” sees treadmills and enough hair gel to resurface the entire M50 over take the stage.

Ireland has lost interest in Eurovision and, by letting Louis Walsh dictate who he wants to sing Ireland’s song and not reverting back to the process of a national selection, we are again victims of second rate bland writing (a Norwegian jury member was replaced after publicly stating this about our song Dying To Try on the Norwegian preview show!).

A number of comments have referred to the falsetto style voice of singer Brendan Murray as sounding like a “chipmunk being smashed with a hammer “and other unflattering terms. Ireland should bring back the Castlebar Song Contest.

The UK, meanwhile, has pushed the boat out this year and sent Lucie Jones, another X factor winner with “Never Give Up on You” penned by former winner Emille De Forest.

Betting wise, my advice is to back Italy to win and get Israel [with ‘I Feel Alive‘] at 10/15 depending on your bookie.

Eurovision represents a mixture of the deliriously funny and the beautiful aspects of European culture. It’s a crossroads of East and West Europe, the politics and the society that it reflects. Enjoy it whatever you opinion!!

Eurovision 2017

Eye Candy: The Infinite Now

Admin at 4:58 pm May 9, 2017

Dutch cinematographer Armand Dijcks sez:

Over the past months I’ve been working with Australian photographer Ray Collins to bring his amazing oceanscapes to life in the form of cinemagraphs – a blend between photography and video. Each cinemagraph is created from one of Ray’s stills…

curiousbrain

Defiant Tricolour

Admin at 4:07 pm May 9, 2017

This morning/afternoon.

The Palestinian flag will fly alongside the Irish tricolour above City Hall, Dublin until the end of the month as a ‘gesture of solidarity with the people of Palestine’ following a motion, passed Monday, proposed by People Before Profit Dublin City Councillor John Lyons,

It was carried by 42 to 11, with seven abstentions. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil opposed the motion.

Top pic via Cllr John Lyons

Update:

This afternoon.

A ceremony to mark the raising of the Palestinian flag over City Hall with, from left: TDs Bríd Smith, Gino Kenny, Cllr John Lyons, Richard Boyd Barrett TD, Fatin al Tamimi and Martin Quigley, from the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC).

Rollingnews

Shameful

Admin at 3:49 pm May 9, 2017

Leo Varadkar’s department to publish, a list of the names, addresses and penalties incurred by people convicted of welfare fraud.

— Hugh O’Connell (@oconnellhugh) May 9, 2017

Another cunning stunt.

Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar flagged the measure in an interview with The Sunday Business Post last January.

This will end well.

Leo Varadkar sets out plans for future (Hugh O’Connell, The Sunday Business Post, January 2017)

Previously: Populist Chancer Cheats Us All

Pic: Hugh O’Connell

We Beseech Thee

Admin at 3:10 pm May 9, 2017

Earlier.

At 2pm.

Solidarity-People Before Profit TDs Gino Kenny, Richard Boyd-Barret, Bríd Smyth, Mick Barry and Ruth Coppinger and Independents 4 Change TD Joan Collins (3rd pic) refused to stand during the Dáil prayer and the subsequent 30 seconds of silence.

Mr Barry and Ms Coppinger (above) held up signs with the message, “For freedom of religion, separate church and state”.

The Dáil prayer is:

Direct, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy holy inspirations and carry them on by Thy gracious assistance; that every word and work of ours may always begin from Thee, and by Thee be happily ended; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pics: Tony Groves, Gavan Reilly and Ruth Coppinger

Previously: The Prayer Stays

Meanwhile…

Johnny Keenan (him off the telly) writes:

It disgusts me as an Irish citizen that the catholic church can infiltrate with the help of the conservative christian right wing parties of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael a prayer that makes absolutely no sense to the people of Ireland.

Fair play to any politician for sitting their ground today. Instead of standing for the Dáil prayer. These rebel politicians that our Republic needs right now can stand and recite this profound paragraph of the proclamation.

A Moment Of Clarity
‘The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all of the children of the nation equally, and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien Government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past.’

Up the Republic!

FIGHT!

Pics: Oireachtas.ie

‘Documentation That Completely Contradicts And Undermines The Account Of Nóirín O’Sullivan’

Admin at 2:46 pm May 9, 2017

From top: Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams

This afternoon.

During Leaders’ Questions.

The leader of Sinn Féin Gerry Adams told the Dáil new documentation has been provided to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) by the executive director of human resources and people development at An Garda Síochána John Barrett.

Readers may recall how Mr Barrett last week told PAC, in the presence of Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan, that he held a meeting with Ms O’Sullivan for “over two hours” in which he raised issues about the Garda College in Templemore, while Ms O’Sullivan, in contrast, said it was “brief” while she has “having tea”.

Mr Adams said the new documentation provided to PAC shows further contradictions.

During his exchange with Mr Kenny.

Gerry Adams: “Taoiseach, I understand that documentation has been given to the Public Accounts Committee by John Barrett, which completely contradicts and undermines the account given by the [Garda] Commissioner OSullivan last Thursday about her conversations with Mr Barrett over financial irregularities at Templemore. And this latest development today comes after contradictory statements from the Commissioner O’Sullivan and the executive director of human resources, the aforementioned Mr Barrett. So I want to ask you: why you would then end the never-ending crisis and scandal surrounding the senior management of An Garda Siochana.”

Later

Adams: “Taoiseach, the Commissioner’s position is untenable but it’s not easy to understand why you will not remove her from office. There’s no rational explanation. The majority of parties here in Leinster House now want the Commissioner to go and you need to act in the best interests of An Garda Siochana, for the sake of the people of this state, the Commissioner needs to go and go now. So, will you finally accept this reality and relieve Noirin O’Sullivan from her duties as Commissioner, if she refuses to resign.”

Kenny: “The Public Accounts Committee and this house, as deputy Adams well knows, is removed from influence of the Oireachtas. And I’m not aware of the papers you refer to being given to the Public Accounts Committee. They have certainly not come into my possession nor should they if they’re given to the chairman or a member of the Public Accounts Committee. I have confidence in the Garda Commissioner to do her job.”

“This morning, the Cabinet approved the nomination of Kathleen O’Toole, who is the chief of police in Seattle, to chair the review body dealing with the, with An Garda Síochána. She is an outstanding person of very great experience, both in the legal terms, in policing terms, with a deep understanding of the position that applies here in Ireland. I would expect that nomination to be ratified by Cabinet next week.”

“In addition, the Cabinet also approved this morning the terms of reference for Project Eagle which was a matter that was raised by people here on a number of occasions and, following receipt of further observations, from the Fianna Fail party, and Deputy Wallace, I took those account and had approval given for the terms of reference for that. These are actions that are being taken by Government in respect of matters of public concern.”

Previously: Why The Long Face?

Watch Dáil proceedings live here