Author Archives: Admin

06/10/2016. Angela Kierns Court Case. Pictured Angela Kierns leaving the Four Courts this afternoon . Photo: Sam Boal /Rollingnews.ie

Former Rehab Chief ExecutiveAngela Kerins leaving the High Court last September

The three judge court ruled today, as a result of the absolute privilege provided by the Constitution for Oireachtas proceedings, the courts have no power to intervene in relation to how those hearings were conducted.

The President of the High Court, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, said while the claim was couched in highly jurisdictional claims, the issue of jurisdiction does not properly arise.

Ms Kerins claimed the utterances by the PAC members that she complained of amounted to some form of adjudication or determination when, in reality, those were just expressions of opinion by the PAC members which were devoid of any legal force.

Because these were no more than utterances, that ousted the court’s jurisdiction in this matter, he said.

“The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech in parliament, not to protect parliament, but the democratic process in itself,” he said.

Angela Kerins loses court case over alleged PAC ‘witch hunt’ (Irish Times)

Judgement here

Update:

Meanwhile…

Businessman Denis O’Brien’s action over statements made by two TDs in the Dáil about his banking affairs has concluded at the High Court with judgment reserved.

Ms Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh reserved judgment until the new year and said she would not finalise her decision until the High Court rules on the separate case of former Rehab chief executive Angela Kerins.

Denis O’Brien ‘not trying to chill’ speeches made in Dáil (irish Times, December 6, 2016)

Previously: Angela Kerins on Broadsheet.ie

Update:

2017-01-31

This evening.

A statement released by Eames Solicitors on behalf of Angela Kerins.

Via Tom Lyons

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CHANCER – math-rock bangers from Dublin

What you may need to know…

01. While it may only have been a matter of time before an Irish band got around to using the word ‘chancer’ for a band name, it’s well-used on these Dublin math-rock boyos.

02. Beginning as a solo project for musician Dara Walsh, CHANCER has quickly expanded to a four-piece following debut single Whistler, with full-band rehearsal footage being posted to their Facebook.

03. Streaming above is the video for the band’s new single, Banger, available now from their Bandcamp. The tune premiered on UK math-rock blog Fecking Bahamas, where they also dropped the announcement of an upcoming Irish math compilation.

04. Wait for it at 3.46.

Thoughts: Lovely, awkward, loud, noisy math-rock, not dissimilar to early Adebisi Shank or parts of BATS’ sound, but with a more rough-hewn sense of humour in their aesthetic and references. Good tack.

CHANCER

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Last week, we asked YOU to complete this sentence:

“The best Irish female voice by some distance is ________________________ particularly when performing____________________________”

At stake was our weekly €25 voucher for any of fourteen Golden Discs stores around the country, and as usual, the competition was stiff.

But as ever, there can only be one winner.

Iwerzon takes it, with a personal story on his favourite female Irish voice.

“The best Irish female voice by some distance is Eithne Ní Uallacháin, particularly when she performed from her album ‘Bilingua’ and in particular the tracks Lughnasa Damhsa, Senex Puer and the title track Bilingua.

Eithne, from the Cooley Peninsula Co. Louth, sadly passed away in 1999 and her family and musical comrades made sure this work in progress saw the light of day.

She was years ahead of her time which is very evident in this important recording, her use of a distinct traditional voice, and influences from other cultures and electronica makes its sound very current and hugely relevant. Please give it a listen if you get a chance.”

Other highlights from the running:

Leopold Gloom: “The best Irish female voice by some distance is Roisín Murphy, particularly when performing live as she is bloody brilliant. She’s arguably the best musician to come out of Ireland in the last two decades. Chameleon-like, electronica, pop, disco. Guilty of forgetting her sometimes.”

Specific Gravity: “The best Irish female voice by some distance is Katell Keineg, particularly when performing Gulf of Araby. Still remember seeing her on Nighthawks performing a cover of Quapelle Valley and being transfixed, even considering Shay’s bizarre set. And while she may be Breton-Welsh technically, her formative music years were spent here.”

Pat Walsh: “One of the best Irish female voices is that of Leslie Dowdall particularly when performing All I Wanted when she was with In Tuath Nua.”

Nigellicus: “Lovely choices here. The best Irish female voice by some distance is Mary Coughlan particularly when performing Double Cross.”

Penfold: “The best Irish female voice by some distance is Carol Keogh particularly when performing Out of This while part of Automata. A brilliant band, and amazing singer (also Cathy Davey on the first album, another fantastic voice).”

HyperGlobalCompuMegaNet: “The best Irish female voice by some distance is Lisa Hannigan particularly when performing. Rather than put in a song at the end I think a full-stop sums it up better.”

Golden Discs

Previously: She Moved Through The CD Racks

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gemmaodoherty

38 Social Democrats NAMA._90500169

From top: European Centre for Press and Media Freedom conference;  Gemma O’Doherty; Catherine Murphy.

From 10am.

The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) will host the second Newsocracy conference, entitled ‘Media Ownership Concentration in Ireland and Europe’ at At the Irish Writers’ Centre on Parnell Square, Dublin 1.

Catherine Murphy TD co-leader of the Social Democrats will speak alongside investigative journalist Gemma O’Doherty, Lynn Boylan MEP and others.

The event is open to the public and free but those interested in attending are asked to register here or send an email to conference@ecpmf.eu .

Ms Murphy said she will return to Leinster House following her address to initiate a Private Members Bill to “protect the diversity of ownership and address the issue of control of media in Ireland”.

Ms Murphy’s bill aims to ensure that the 20 per cent public interest test that applies to any media mergers “could be applied retrospectively to any individual or undertaking holding more than 20 per cent of the shares in a media business.

It will be debated during the Social Democrats’ private members’ time on Wednesday, February 8.

Ms Murphy said the Bill will also recognise:

“the huge shift to online and digital news sources and will update the current definition of audience reach to add those sources to the existing viewership and readership definitions, which are taken into account when considering media mergers and plurality of the media.”

FIGHT!

More details here

Previously: Pressing On