Tonight.
Kildare Street, Dublin 2
The switching on of the Christmas tree lights outside Leinster House with political luminaries including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, leader of Fianna Fáil Micheál Martin, President of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald, Leas-Cheann Comhairle Pat The Cope Gallagher, Soc Dem co-leader Róisín Shortall and a festive-hatted Minister for Sports Shane Ross.
This afternoon.
Leinster House, Dublin 2.
Former President of Sinn Féin Gerry Adams, sporting an 1980s throwback ‘do’, on the plinth at the Dáil with current president Mary Lou Mcdonald after greeting the party’s new TD, Mark Ward.
Business at the front: bomb in the boot party at the back.
Earlier: Welcome To The Jungle
‘sup?
This afternoon.
Leinster House, Dublin 2.
As the Markievicz Pool, Townsend Street, Dublin 2 faces demolition to make way for the Metrolink rail line, local residents, including above from left in pool: Bob Cleary (with unidentified dog), John Gantaley and Gerry Doyle present a novel riposte to these plans.
Previously: The People’s Pool
Meanwhile…
Or maybe just preserve the amenities the city has already? @SaveCollegeGate #saveMLC
— Save Markievicz Pool & Gym (@savemarkievicz) December 3, 2019
Good times.
Dublin councillors approve white-water rafting facility (RTÉ)
ATTENTION LONDON JOURNALISTS:
As freezing temperatures hit UK last winter, we put a rail outside a church with clothes on it & a sign: “If you’re cold, take one. If you can help, leave one.”
What happened next was remarkable.
Tmw, we’re launching again.https://t.co/A2wuyTdClu
— Stefan Simanowitz (@StefSimanowitz) December 3, 2019
As snow and freezing temperatures hit Britain last January, a small group of friends decided to put a rail outside a London church with some warm clothes on it. Beside the rail we placed a sign which read: “If you’re cold, take one. If you can help, leave one.” What happened next was remarkable.
By the afternoon the clothes rail was full. People living and working near Exmouth Market had donated jackets and coats as well as gloves, hats, scarves and blankets; passing homeless people were helping themselves to whatever they needed.
As well as the clothes rail, ‘pledge cards’ had been created which enabled people to offer homeless people free food, drinks and other services. These pledge cards could be bought by locals from shops at a discounted price or donated by shopkeepers .
More than 100 meals and hot drinks were donated in the first day alone, in the form of pledges, and more than a dozen businesses on the street got involved.
The rail stayed for the entire winter, being replenished each day with warm clothes and spawning similar initiatives around London and Britain.
In fairness.
Thanks Bebe
Thomas Barry, owner of Thomas’s Trendy Socks at the Dun Laoghaire Christmas Market
Fill your stocking.
With trendy socks from Thomas.
Helen O’Dwyer writes:
Thomas Barry, owner of Thomas’s Trendy Socks, is a very special market trader at Dún Laoghaire Christmas Market [Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin] this year.
Thomas has Downs Syndrome as well as a host of other serious illnesses but this hasn’t affected his creative desire to express his inner self.
He now has his very own new sock business with the support of his proud Dad Finbar and family from Tallaght.
Running until December 23rd. The Dun Laghaire Christmas Market and Festival features the largest ever display of Christmas lights in Dún Laoghaire, the iconic Ferris Wheel from the movie ‘Grease’, a Vintage Funfair, Santa’s Post Box and the very popular Christmas market with a traditional and nostalgic theme bringing the magic of Christmas and a winter wonderland for the festive season….
Dun Laoghaire Christmas Festival 2019
Irish made stocking fillers to broadsheet@broadsheet.ie marked ‘Irish-Made Stocking Fillers’. No fee
This morning/afternoon.
Leinster House, Dublin 2.
Joe O’Brien, elected TD at last Friday’s Dublin Fingal by-election, with Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan (above right) and Green Party Deputy Leader Catherine Martin (above left) on the plinth at the Dail.
Meanwhile…
This morning.
Leinster House, Dublin 2.
Fianna Fáil party leader Micheál Martin (centre) with Malcolm Byrne [Wexford] (left) and Padraig O’Sullivan [Cork North Central] (right) newly elected TDs from Last Friday’s by elections on the plinth at the Dail.
Meanwhile…
This morning.
Newly-elected Dublin West Sinn Fein TD Mark Ward with with his son Oisin (top) and party leader Mary Lou McDonald (above) on the plinth at the Dail.
Leo Varadkar (left) launching his ‘Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All’ campaign, when he was Minister for Social Protection in May 2017; Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy (right).
In 2017, Fine Gael spent 200k on a campaign ‘Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All’, finding just ONE case of fraud that year.
Meanwhile, FG TD Dara Murphy claims his full wage of 94k & max expenses of 51k per year despite not speaking in the Dáil since 2017
Who are the real cheats here?
— Tate Donnelly (@donnelly_tate) December 1, 2019
Communications Minister Richard Burton said Mr Murphy now needs to show his expense claims were justifiable.
Mr Bruton said: “Now he needs to account for what claims he made and whether those claims were justifiable.
“I mean, a lot of questions have surfaced in the media and they do have to be answered, I think it’s important that the committee on members’ interests investigate this and thrash it out,” Mr Bruton said.
Fine Gael Minister Says Murphy Should Pay Back Expenses (Irish Examiner)
From top: Virginia Giuffre on BBC One’s Panorama last night; Britain’s Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein in 2010
Although it aired afterwards, Giuffre was interviewed for Panorama before Prince Andrew’s Newsnight episode was recorded. Perhaps that’s for the best; now she must be taken seriously.
The lasting impression of Giuffre was her immense bravery in facing such towering institutions alone. The sheer strength she possesses is incredible. Forget Prince Andrew; when the dust settles on this, she’s the one who deserves to be remembered.
‘Prince Andrew can’t slink away from this now’ – the TV triumph of Virginia Giuffre (The Guardian)
‘sup?
This morning.
River Dodder at Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
Thanks Frank Armstrong
Meanwhile…
More #ominously #cormorants have begun to colonise the #riverDodder, apparently because of diminished fish stocks. #overfishing #wildllaw @whittledaway @broadsheet_ie pic.twitter.com/1k6QmdFfAl
— Frank Armstrong (@frankarmstrong2) December 3, 2019
