Author Archives: Bodger

Adrian McCusker, founder of the PostAselfie App

This afternoon.

Remember postcards?

Helen O’Dwyer writes:

The humble postcard had become an endangered commodity but a small fledgling business based in Kilkee in Co Clare has found a way to marry the powerful smartphone and the humble postcard with its PostASelfie App. 

Now PostASelfie want to help keep people connected and bring a smile to people for St Patrick Day at Ireland or abroad by offering their service FREE for 200 St Patricks Day Cards from Monday March 15th until Friday March 19th.  Offer is limited to one postcard per user.

“We came up with the idea of a simple-to-use app which combines the magic of a personal photograph with the enduring delight that people get when they receive a postcard from a friend, loved one or neighbour,” said Adrian McCusker, Founder of PostASelfie “we know how special it is for Irish people abroad to receive a postcard from home so we want to do our bit to help families stay connected and send love this St Patricks Day”

The PostASelfie App is available free to download from Postaselfie, Google Play or the Apple App store.

Simply take a picture or use an image from your phone library. The app will then ask you to type the address and a personal message.

Include ‘Happy St Patricks Day’ in the message, then swipe left to bypass the payment system and enter the voucher code: irelandx (all lower case).

PostASelfie

This morning.

The pipes are calling.

Via Independent.ie:

“The ESB state that in order to prevent further deterioration of the chimneys, steel caps were erected in 2015 and that the ongoing cost of the maintenance programme, which includes the removal of hazardous material and the decarbonising of the inner thermal lining, will run to several million euro, and that this will secure the chimneys in the medium term,” the council said.

In 2017, ESB gave a written commitment for 10 years to maintain the chimneys. The red and white chimneys, standing at 207m tall, were built in the 1970s and only had a planned lifespan of 30-40 years. As such, the power plant ceased production over 10 years ago with both chimneys being decommissioned officially in 2006 and 2010.

Dublin City Council added that in order to maintain the chimneys, it: “may give rise to the need for the structures to be encased in a new concrete or fibreglass casing”.

FIGHT!

Poolbeg chimneys ‘may need to be encased in fibreglass or concrete’ (Independent.ie)

RollingNews

From top: ads for children, 1960s and 1970s; Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman

This afternoon.
A review of illegal adoptions in the State has recommended against a full-scale inquiry,  Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman told cabinet colleagues this morning.

Via The Irish Times:

The sampling review is thought to have examined around 1,500 records held by the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla, finding around 260 instances where there was information or so-called “markers” which raised the suspicion or prospect that an illegal adoption may have taken place.
Based on the prevalence of so called “markers” within this sample, the review estimates that between around 5,500 and up to 20,000 files may have similar indicators within the wider archives.
It is understood that while files contain material or “markers” which raised suspicions, the review didn’t find clear evidence of illegal adoptions indicated.
….the review stops short of recommending a full-scale inquiry into the issue.

Good times.

Illegal adoptions review advises against inquiry despite thousands of ‘suspicious’ files (Irish Times)

RollingNews

From top: Eamon Ryan, Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin

This morning.

Government Buildings, Merrion Street, Duublin 2.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin and ministers arrive for a cabinet meeting go discuss the Davy scandal and vaccine roll-out…

When asked if he would approach the British Prime Minister on sharing a vaccine surplus, Mr Martin said Boris Johnson has made it “clear” to him his first priority is to vaccinate his people.

He added, however, that it would be helpful to Ireland if the situation arose.

The Taoiseach said that right now the broader picture is on manufacturing capacity of vaccines and that the vaccine roll-out will pick up in quarter two.

Taoiseach ‘disappointed’ with aspects of vaccine supply issues (RTÉ)

RollingNews

From top: The pamphlet ‘Chains or Change’ (1970), the manifesto of the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement (IWLM); Feminism Backwards (2021) by IWLM founding member Rosita Sweetman (top right in 1970 and above left left today) which re-appraises the pamphlet and details what life was like for women in 1970s Ireland

Happy International Women’s Day!

Rosita Sweetman writes:

So today is International Women’s Day, Hurray! it’s also the 50th anniversary of the launching of ‘Chains or Change’ the manifesto of the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement – on the Late Late Show, where in 1971 everything important happened.

My book Feminism Backwards looks at how things were for women – i.e, grim to ghastly. There was no sex education, no contraception, no divorce, rape was legal within marriage and when you did get married you lost your job – lovely!  Thousands of women and their babies were being destroyed in Mother and Baby Homes run by nuns in this little land of Saints and Scholars where you couldn’t buy so much as a bloody condom.

Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition, as the old American folk song goes, we have evolved.

But tell me the most UNFEMINIST thing you’ve ever done and I’ll send a signed copy of Feminism Backwards to my favourite entry. And a hug. Get thinking now!

Lines MUST close at 9.45pm.

Feminism Backwards Rosita Sweetman (Mercier Press)

This afternoon.

Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2.

Adrian Burke from Galway and Kelly Liang from Xian China unwind after getting married on International Women’s day.

RollingNews

Meanwhile…

This afternoon.

Dublin city centre.

Burly and romantic.

RollingNews

Finally.

Now available in Ireland!

Behold the Husqvarna Automower®.

Virtual Boundary and GPS Technology

In-App Control and Smart Home Compatible.

Ian Collins writes:

The global leader in robotic lawnmowing, Husqvarna reveal the latest additions to its existing range of premium, easy to use robotic mowers for urban to midsized gardens, joining the wide selection of Automower® for large gardens up to 5,000m2.

Husqvarna Automower® uses the latest technology, unlocking hours of free time. It is so simple, all the lawn work done from the comfort of anywhere, at the touch of your smartphone…

Meanwhile…

Helping to reduce direct emissions and the carbon footprint of GAA Clubs and local communities one lawn at a time, Husqvarna Ireland has launched its ‘Change For Climate Change’ GAA initiative. GAA clubs across the country will have the opportunity to fundraise for a greener solution to lawn maintenance, while also offering club members and local supporters the chance to transform how they maintain their very own lawn at home.

Husqvarna

This afternoon.

The National Treasury Management Agency has withdrawn stockbroker Davy’s authority to act as a primary dealer for Irish Government debt.

It comes as the NTMA said it plans to raise €1-1.5 billion of debt on Thursday through the sale of 10 and 29-year Treasury bonds.

The agency said its board had reached its decision on Davy based on its “assessment of the very serious findings” relating to the firm that were made by the Central Bank last week.

Earlier…

This afternoon.

Further to the resignation of three senior figures at Davy stockbrokers, including its chief executive and deputy chairman, after the firm was fined €4.1m  by the Central Bank for breaches in regulations during a 2014 bond transaction [Employees acting as a consortium of investors had been buying unlisted Anglo Irish Bank bonds from a client at an agreed price]…

Via RTÉ

The National Treasury Management Agency has declined to say whether stockbroker Davy will take part in the bond auction planned for later this week.

It comes after the new interim chief executive of Davy, Bernard Byrne, addressed staff at the company this morning.

It is understood that in his address, Mr Byrne acknowledged that the board of Davy understands that there were failings and that he committed to act with urgency and do the right things, subject to due process being observed.

Sources indicated there was a tone of humility to what Mr Byrne said and a recognition that Davy had “got it wrong”.

Good times.

NTMA won’t say if Davy will take part in bond auction (RTÉ)

RollingNews