And please don’t ask what I’m “going to do with myself”. Why can’t I just be retired.
— Pat Mattimoe (@figures21) March 2, 2022
An Post Pat (retired).
42 years.
In fairness.
Mewling cat (out of picture).
Author Archives: Bodger
This afternoon.
Enjoy the gee-gees?
Like y-fronts?
Read on.
Via Paddy Power:
The first 100 punters each day entering Paddy Power’s Cheltenham Fanzone a flagship fanzone in The Camden on Camden Street on March 17and 18 will receive a flexi ticket to the Punchestown Festival next month as well as…
….a pair of PP lucky pants (above), made (in)famous over the years by sports stars as diverse as Floyd Mayweather and Nicklas Bendtner, to give those punters in The Camden that extra, eh, rub of the green?
Splutter!
Paddy Power continues:
To help punters in Paddy Power’s Cheltenham Fanzone there will be a panel of racing expertson handincluding Paul Carberry who found himself 14 times in the winning enclosure. Tickets via Ticketmasterhere or Universe hereat a cost of €20per day
We have TWO (yes, two) Free tickets to give away! To enter, just tell us how many Irish-trained horses won at Cheltenham last year. First out of the hat wins.
Lines MUST close at 5.55pm.
Over-18s only.
Alan Kelly resigns as Labour Party leader last night
This morning.
Further to last night’s surprise resignation of Alan Kelly as leader of the Labour Party.
Via Irish Times:
Kelly’s two-year term as leader of the party was brought to an abrupt end on Tuesday, when a delegation of three members visited him to deliver a blunt message: your time is up.
The knife was ultimately twisted by three members of the parliamentary party seen as particularly close to him: Dublin Fingal TD Duncan Smith, who Kelly made director of elections for the successful Dublin Bay South byelection, and the party’s health spokesman; Cork East TD Seán Sherlock, who backed him for the leadership over Aodhán Ó Ríordáin in 2020; and Senator Mark Wall, a staunch backer of Kelly through and through.
but the immediate trigger, sources said, was unhappiness among members over the manner of an appointment made to a backroom position within the party.
Sources said the decision was made to approach Kelly on Monday, and deliver the verdict of his colleagues to him. However, it wasn’t until Tuesday that Smith, Wall and Sherlock went to him.
Hmm.
Anyone?
Meanwhile.
Above from left: Duncan Smith, Ivana Bacik, Ged Nash, Alan Kelly and Aodhan O Riordan in Buswells, Dublin, for the launch of Labour’s Alternative Budget in January
This afternoon.
Paddy Power odds on the next Labour leader:
Ivana Bacik. 1/10
Ged Nash 9/1
Duncan Smith 10/1
Sean Sherlock. 16/1
Aodhan O Riordain. 20/1
Brendan Howlin. 20/1
Kelly lost the support of party colleagues (Jack Horgan Jones, irish Times)
Last night: The Power Wears Off
Flowering
at
This morning.
Elgin Road, Ballsbridge.
Flowers, posters and messages of support left outside Ukraine’s embassy.
Earlier: Claims And Control
Meanwhile…
We highly appreciate a single, strong voice of Ireland 🇮🇪 when it comes to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its barbaric crimes which are being committed on our soil. Thank you @MaryLouMcDonald for standing with 🇺🇦 Ukraine at this tragic time. @OireachtasNews #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/lZeOVVFLcw
— UKR Embassy in Ireland (@UKRinIRL) March 2, 2022
Meanwhile…
Neutral Bomb
at
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar this morning
📣 Leo Varadkar all but opening the debate on Ireland’s military neutrality in the Dáil – says we have gotten by for 70yrs presuming nobody would attack us, and that even if we were, the US and UK would come to our defence… he says he’s not sure that’s tenable position any more
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) March 3, 2022
Boom.
This mornning/afternoon.
Dail Eireann.
FIGHT?
This morning.
Mick McGovern writes:
Today’s special page one of Dublin Gazette with new concept for Primary Schools of Dublin— Making Dublin Greener.
Christy Dignam of Aslan
On The Late Late Show…
….Linda Pototzki writes:
With the war in Ukraine, this week’s RTÉ Late Late Show will be dedicated to the Irish Red Cross fundraising appeal for Ukraine to help raise vital funds for humanitarian assistance for those directly impacted by the disaster. Ryan will also speak with Ukrainians living in Ireland about their concerns and worries for their families who are still in Ukraine.
Dublin band Aslan will be performing in support of the fundraiser and will reflect on the crisis as will singer/songwriter Róisín Murphy who has postponed two dates in Russia. Hollywood actor Alan Cumming will share his thoughts on the current situation…
The Late Late Show on RTÉ One tomorrow at 9:35pm.
Statue of Luke Wadding outside Greyfriar’s Church, Waterford city; Brothers Fredie and Felix Fitzgerald on a Waterford Treasurees tour
This morning.
Paddy’s Day.
It’s all his fault.
Ann Power writes:
At the entrance to Greyfriar’s Church in Waterford City stands a sculpture of the famous Franciscan monk, theologian and historian, Luke Wadding.
It is Luke Wadding who succeeded, against all the odds, in having St. Patrick’s Day recognised as a Church holiday and of course and soon afterwards it became a worldwide day of celebration.
Born in Waterford in 1588 and ordained as a Franciscan priest in 1613 he quickly became one of the most respected and well-known Franciscan theologians at work in mainland Europe, mostly in Rome where he established an Irish college for clerical students studying for the priesthood.
It is widely held that after he established his reputation in Rome, the Pope himself asked Wadding to lend a learned eye to helping to create a comprehensive calendar of saints. Wadding completed his task dutifully but thanks to his patriotic Irishness, along with all of the well-known Saints like Anthony and Francis, Wadding snuck in an extra, slightly lesser-studied Irish Saint – Patrick.
March 17th had been observed by the Irish as St. Patrick’s Day since the tenth century, but only when Wadding gave church sanction to this did it become a huge spectacle of parades and céilithe. Strangely enough one of the places integral to the international importance of St. Patrick’s Day – and to its status as a national holiday – was Waterford.
During St. Patrick’s Weekend, a guided Luke Wadding historic walking tour of the City is available at 12, 2 pm and 4 pm and will be led by the expert guides from Waterford Treasures Museums.
The Luke Wadding Walking Tour tickets are available at €10 per person, under 12s are free and tickets can be booked via Waterford Treasures (link below) or via the ticket desk at the Bishop’s Palace Museum in Waterford City.
Pics: Coli Shanahan and Flickr
On Or Off?
at
It’s your choice.
Yesterday evening.
Pearse Street, Dublin 2
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris greeted by Professor Linda Doyle, Provost of Trinity College Dublin, as they arrive in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute to announce the successful cross-border partnership projects awarded funding under the North South Research Programme.
Meanwhile…
'This is ridiculous': @GovRonDeSantis scolds students for wearing face masks during his @USouthFlorida visit https://t.co/v9XLjueCYi pic.twitter.com/TFeC6t6wL9
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) March 2, 2022
Tonight
Leinster House, Dublin 2.
Meanwhile..
Alan Kelly’s legacy will be water charges and homelessness. The media loved him, but people never forgot his time in Government and particularly the role Labour played in hammering working class people with austerity measures.
Something he / they have never apologised
— Mick Caul 😷 (@caulmick) March 2, 2022
Earlier…
Labour Party Leader Alan Kelly with Labour TD for Fingal, Duncan Smith (in background)
Breaking: Alan Kelly’s position as leader of the Labour Party is in doubt after months of internal strife within the party, the Irish Examiner can reveal.https://t.co/1uxg8O6L4P
— aoife moore. (@aoifegracemoore) March 2, 2022
Update: Alan Kelly will make a statement about his political future at 7pm this evening at Leinster House.
Earlier…
This evening.
Sources have confirmed there had been criticism of Mr Kelly’s leadership style as the party continues to stall in the polls.
One representative said that Mr Kelly’s plan to improve the party would involve him “travelling around the country, pressing the flesh”.
Another source said that issues had come to a head in last week’s parliamentary party when Mr Kelly faced serious criticism from the representatives present, with one TD saying that they ultimately felt that the decision on Mr Kelly’s future would lie with Dublin Fingal TD Duncan Smith.
“If Duncan says he has to go, he has to go,” they said.
Anyone?
Alan Kelly’s leadership of Labour Party in doubt after months of internal strife (Irish Examiner)