Author Archives: Bodger

Breeda Murphy, PRO of the The Tuam Mother and Baby Home Alliance and adoptee and activist Eunan Duffy on the release of a report looking at Northern Ireland’s Mother and Baby homes, launched last week by, top from left: Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill,  retired senior police officer Judith Gillespie, who led the review and First Minister Arlene Foster…

…and the similarities with Dublin in denying and delaying justice for survivors.

This is the seventh in a series of shows with Eunan and Breeda dealing with Mother and Baby Homes across the island of Ireland and the issues facing birth mothers and adoptees. All are available on our YouTube channel.

Yesterday: The Survivors Of Northern Ireland’s Mother and Baby Homes

Pic: BBC

Meanwhile…

Mayo County Council has become the latest local authority to apologise for its role in the operation of mother-and-baby homes.

Almost a third of all mothers admitted to the mother-and-baby home in Tuam, between 1925 and 1961, were from Co Mayo.

Capitation payments were made by the council to the Bon Secours Sisters, for the women and children sent from the county to the Tuam home, over that 36-year period.

A special meeting of the council is being held virtually this afternoon, following the publication of the final report of the Commission of Investigation last month.

Mayo County Council apologises over mother-and-baby homes (RTÉ)

RollingNews

January 25

This morning/afternoon.

Um.

Anyone?

Double masking is likely more effective to stop spread of Covid-19, Fauci says (CNN, January 25)

Getty

This afternoon.

Inexplicably jab-happy RISE TD Paul Murphy heralds the launch of the Independent Scientific Advocacy Group’s ‘We Can be Zero’ campaign appealing for a Zero Covid strategy (including even more restricted lockdowns) for the island of Ireland.

Not all zeros wear capes.

FIGHT!

Update

Pillow-lipped progressive boffin and former Broadsheet columnist Julien Mercille suggests a veritable rainbow of dystopian ‘internal zones’.

Why can’t we pick our own colours?

Today’s RTÉ News website

This morning/afternoon.

RG writes:

Remember how freaked you were by the Leaving? No one in this government seems to…

Fight!

Coveney says there ‘might be’ clarity on Leaving Cert tomorrow (RTÉ)

This afternoon.

Via RTÉ News

Europol has warned that fake negative Covid-19 test certificates and documentation are being sold to people, enabling them to avoid travel restrictions, and have identified an Irish criminal gang as allegedly being involved.

The European law enforcement agency said it received intelligence on the alleged use of a mobile application by an Irish Mobile Organised Crime Group based in the south of the country, which allows for the manual falsification of test results.

It has said several cases of such fraudulent certificates being sold to travellers have already emerged…

Anyone?

Warning over sale of fake Covid-19 travel documents (RTÉ)

RollingNews

Friday evening.

East Wall Dublin.

A gathering of teenagers commemorate Josh Dunne, who was fatally stabbed last week during an altercation on East Wall Road. Many of the teenagers at the gathering arrived on bicycles, and wore t-shirts featuring Josh.

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Meanwhile..

Saturday.

A Garda van believed to contain the man who has been charged in relation to Josh’s fatal stabbing arrives at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Dublin.

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

This morning.

Aldi has kickstarted a nationwide search for a couple that has had to postpone their wedding celebrations due to the rona, launched by influencer Bonnie Ryan (above), who had to postpone her own ceremony this year.

Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

A message on a wall in the Belvoir area of south Belfast spotted on Saturday morning has since been painted over

This morning.

The PSNI are treating graffiti on a Belfast wall about Tanaiste Leo Varadkar ‘not to cross the border’ as a hate crime.

Via The Irish News:

Northern ireland First Minister Arlene Foster tweeted: “Violence or the threat of violence has no place in democracy. I condemn those behind this.

“The NI Protocol needs replaced but violence or its threat will not achieve the change Northern Ireland needs.”

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said she was “shocked at the disgusting graffiti targeting Leo Varadkar which I condemn, as will the majority of people across the community.

“This is a hate crime motivated by prejudice,” she said.

“It’s also criminal damage and anyone with information should contact police who must investigate.”

Police treat threatening Leo Varadkar graffiti as hate crime (Irish News)

Earlier: Derek Mooney: May May Have Learned From Last Week’s Mistakes

Meanwhile…

Last night.

Bog of Allen, Kildare.

The Hill Of Allen is lit up from the tower on its summit to mark St Brigid’s Day eve. The Hill is the seat of the mythical warrior hunter Fionn MacCumhaill and the Fianna.

Kildare’s Hill of Allen to light up to mark St Brigid’s Day (RTÉ)

Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews

Meanwhile…