Author Archives: Bodger


Last night.

Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler declines to acknowledge Joe Biden as her President-elect during a debate with Democrat challenger Rev. Raphael Warnock dominated by election fraud claims.

The US senate hangs on the outcome of the 5 January election in Georgia with two seats at stake determining whether Republicans or Democrats will hold an effective majority in the upper chamber.

Georgia runoff debate: senator Kelly Loeffler refuses multiple times to accept Biden victory (The Guardian)

20-year-old campaign staffer for Sen. Kelly Loeffler dies in a car crash (Business Insider)

Meanwhile…

Saturday night.

US President Donald Trump presents video of alleged election fraud during the US Presidential Election count in Atlanta at a rally in Georgia on Saturday night.

Meanwhile…

Oh.

Alternatively…

FIGHT!

Auntie to Aunt: Helen O’Rahilly with a BBC prop and her Covid diary The Stairlift Ascends

Aunt: (calling loudly from sitting room); “Helen, can you help me?”

Me: (drops everything, rushes to front room, expecting her to have fallen)

Aunt: “The cat’s on my lap, could you pour me a small Jameson?”

The Stairlift Ascends: Tweets from a Covid Cocoon, written by Helen O’Rahilly and illustrated by Jennie O’Connell has become an instant bestseller. It is hilarious.

The book relates, in tweet form, how returned emigrant and former BBC and RTÉ executive  Helen O’Rahilly, cocooning with her ninety-year-old Aunt , survived the first months of the pandemic.

When not tweeting, Helen also helps organise a network of volunteers to deliver necessities to older people called localsupport.ie.

But tomorrow, Helen takes to the piping hot ‘stool of doom’ to answer YOUR questions on the buke, her aunt or anything (within reason).

Leave any queries below. The best question WINS our own copy of The Stairlift Ascends (which we will hopefully get signed by the author).

Lines will remain open until 10pm.

The Stairlift Ascends (O Brien Press)

This afternoon.

Westbury Mall, Dublin 2.

“The Vaccine” (watercolour) by F Stocks May at the Balla Bán Gallery.

Thanks Frank O’Dea

It’s full of hopium.

This morning.

South William Street, Dublin 2

Broadcaster Mairead Ronan on a bed at Focus Ireland HQ in a space designed as a typical 12×12 foot hotel room showcasing what life is like for the 2,642 children living in emergency accommodation this Christmas.

At the window is Niamh Lambe, Family Services Manager, Focus Ireland who hopes the installation will help drive awareness and encourage donations.

Focus Ireland

Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

 Tanaiste Leo Varadkar

Earlier.

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar responds to Claire Byrne’s interrogation interview with Mary Lou McDonald where the Sinn Féin President addressed the Brian Stanley tweet controversy.

Meanwhile

Safety of the closet, eh?

Previously: We Only Have To be Sorry Once

Dublin city centre last Saturday

Level 6, anyone?

Via the Irish Times:

CSO surveys showed that 71 per cent of people believe Level 5 was appropriate, while 10 per cent say it didn’t go far enough.

As of November 30th, department data suggests that 61 per cent of people approved of the Government reaction to the pandemic, while a further 23 per cent believed it didn’t go far enough.

On social distancing measures, 78 per cent of people believed they were about right, while 14 per cent thought they were too weak. There’s good evidence of social cohesion, as 61 per cent of people believe everybody or almost everybody was following guidelines.

Furthermore, there are strong indications that the public was willing to go further. Some 75 per cent of people thought Ireland was trying to return to normal either “a bit too quickly or “much too quickly”.

Seems legit.

Silent majority supports goal of zero Covid (Tomás Ryan Irish Times)

Meanwhile…

Fight!

This morning.

First same-sex couple marry in Northern Ireland (RTÉ)

Pic via Cara McCann

From top: Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and former justice minister Charlie Flanagan; Tullow solicitor Mary Morrissey’s appointment in July to the Circuit Court bench as reported by The Carlow Nationalist

Yesterday.

Via The Sunday Times:

Several District Court judges also applied for the vacancy on the Circuit Court bench that was filled by [Mary] Morrissey, a solicitor who once worked in a law firm with Charlie Flanagan, the previous Fine Gael minister for justice. Last week The Sunday Times revealed that Morrissey canvassed for a Fine Gael councillor in the local elections in 2019.

The Sunday Times has learnt that at least three candidates for the post were approved by the JAAB, but McEntee brought only one name to cabinet. She has declined to say whether she discussed the other names with the taoiseach and Ryan or with Leo Varadkar, the tanaiste and leader of Fine Gael. “Discussions between ministers are confidential,” McEntee said.

The taoiseach would not comment on whether he was aware the JAAB had approved more than one candidate. A government spokesman said: “The minister for justice recommended Mary Morrissey and the cabinet agreed. The normal process was followed and she informed the taoiseach.”

Several judges put in bids for Circuit Court post handed to Mary Morrissey (Stephen O’Brien, Sunday Times)

RollingNews

Last night.

RTÉ One’s The Week in Politics.

Meanwhile…

Oh.

You’re an angry elf.

Thanks Vanessa