Author Archives: Bodger

Yesterday…

Dublin Chamber of Commerce announced on Twitter:

White water rafting, anyone? New images have been released to show what the new white water rafting facility, that Dublin City Council is proposing to build in the IFSC, will look like. The project will reportedly cost €22m and take around 18 months to build.

How did that go?

Oh.

Meanwhile…

Meanwhile…

In the Dublin Inquirer, Lois Kapila reports:

With Dublin City Council short of money, councillors on the finance committee have agreed to consider a different way to raise cash: civic crowdfunding.

Council to Consider Crowdfunding for City Projects (Dublin Inquirer)

Al Porter

Mr Porter, who was charged under his real name, Alan Kavanagh, had denied sexually assaulting a young man at a venue in Dublin.

Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Diarmuid Collins, told Judge John Hughes that the prosecution was not proceeding any further and the charge could be struck out.

Mr Porter added that he had always denied any wrongdoing whatsoever in this case.

Sexual assault charge against Al Porter dropped (RTÉ)

Rollingnews

Clive James

This afternoon.

Broadcaster, poet, memoirist and renowned television critic for The Observer, Clive James has died aged 80 after a long illness.

In a statement announcing the death of Clive James, United Agents said:

‘Clive James, poet, critic and broadcaster, died at his home in Cambridge on Sunday 24th November 2019. A private funeral attended by family and close friends took place in the chapel at Pembroke College, Cambridge on Wednesday 27th November.

RIP

Clive James, writer, broadcaster and TV critic, dies aged 80 (The Guardian)

Meanwhile, in 1988…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4BUp4AylZE

Meanwhile back in the present day…

Jonathan Miller, director and humorist, dies at 85 (BBC)

Earlier: Gary Rhodes Dead At 59

Getty

This afternoon.

Dawson Street/ Trinity College/ College Green, Dublin 2

Gardai escort a tractor convoy from Stephen’s Green as the farmers’ protest begin to leave Dublin after a two day protest over the price of beef and investment in rural Ireland.

Earlier: Farm Fresh

Sam Boal/Rollingnews

Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy

This morning/afternoon.

The Social Democrats will  bring a motion of no confidence in the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy to the floor of the Dáil next week.

It comes, according to RTE, amid speculation that Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy is set’ to resign his seat in the Dáil to take up a job in the European Commission’.

Catherine Murphy , co-leader of the Social Democrats, said:

“Our housing situation has gone beyond a crisis and has been an emergency for a long time. This Minister and this Government have abjectly failed Irish families, our communities and our economy in not getting to grips with the chronic lack of housing that is affordable to buy or rent.

“The Minister’s trots out his plan – Rebuilding Ireland – but he can’t even meet the tame targets set in that plan. It is failure upon failure. And the consequences for real people are appalling.”

Roisín Shortall, Ms Murphy’s fellow co-leader, added:

“On almost every door in the by-elections, our candidates in Cork North Central, Dublin Mid West and Dublin Fingal hear the same story of an emergency in housing.”

Meanwhile…

A spokesperson for Minister Murphy said the motion is an “election stunt” ahead of the by-elections on Friday.

“This is pathetic and the Social Democrats would be better using their time seeking support for a constructive solution rather than a stunt that will not pass,” the spokesperson said.

Social Democrats to table no-confidence motion in Murphy (RTÉ)

Rollingnews

SOLD last Month for €118,0000

FOR SALE today for €195,000

You’ve come to the right place.

Mary writes:

I was looking at this apartment (above) with an asking price of €195k.  I checked the Property Price Register to see prices of similar apartments sold recently only to find that the exact same place was bought for €118k last month.

Further research shows it was sold on the BRG auction site as a bank disposal (by a long term trustee savings bank). Over 65% increase in price in a single month was not what I expected to see in a slowing property market.

I am wondering if estate agents have any responsibility in preventing property market hyperinflation? That might seem counter-intuitive, but in the long term I reckon it would be better for business.

Anyone?

28, The Willows, RivercourtDrogheda, County Louth (Daft)

28, The Willows, Rivercourt, Drogheda, County Louth (Property Price Register)

You’re not alone.

Me Head is Wrecked with Tony Kelly

A new, mental health-themed podcast with actor and comedian Tony Kelly (top).

Last Sunday’s first episode peaked at Number 2 in the Mental Health charts on iTunes and Number 9 on the overall Health & Wellness charts

Tony writes:

The first episode is me telling my own story about my recovery from depression and prescription drug addiction.

Emily O’Callaghan was the guest host for the episode as she had interviewed me previously on her own “Green Rebel Podcast”, which you guys wrote a lovely piece about.

It has been amazingly well received, I have been inundated with messages, emails, DMS etc from people sharing their stories with me and saying how it spoke to them.

Listen here

Me Head Is Wrecked With Tony Kelly

Previously: Suicide, Toxic Masculinity And Stand Up Comedy

Noon today.

Dawson Street, Dublin 2.

Thanks Sauvignon Blanc

Meanwhile…

Around the corner.

Farmers outside the Shelbourne Hotel on day 2 of their protest over the price they are getting for beef and investment in rural Ireland among other issues.

Earlier: “He Said he Had A Pulse Number”

Meanwhile, At Leinster House

Sam Boal/Rollingnews

O’Devaney Gardens site in Dublin 7

This afternoon

In the Dublin Inquirer…

Laoise Neylon reports:

A council report said the value of the land at O’Devaney Gardens in 2017 was €15 million to €20 million.

A council spokesperson said last Monday that that figure remains the same today. “The indicative land value range (€15M to €20M) as outlined in the O’Devaney Gardens Feasibility Study has not changed,” they said.

Other vacant sites in the wider area have significantly higher values.

In Fairview, a similar distance from the city centre, a site with scope for 32 apartments was for sale in May for €3 million.That valuation suggests a site value of €94,000 per apartment.

Back in 2018, a site in Cabra was valued at €32 million, which suggests a site value per apartment of €76,000. That was over a year ago and land values have gone up since.

What if the site value on the O’Devaney Gardens land was midway between these, say €85,000 per apartment?

Barta is building 411 homes for private sale, so an approximate commercial value for half of the land being transferred to Bartra would in that case be in the region of €35 million.

…Architect and housing expert Mel Reynolds said he was chatting to a developer recently and he put a challenge to him.

“I said to him – ‘Do you think if we sat down together, we would we be able to figure out a way to make a 12 acre site, worth €65m, disappear?” said Reynolds.

“Dublin City Council have managed to do just that,” he says. “The unbelievable thing is that they start off with an asset but then they just give it away for free.”

A Closer Look at the Costs of the O’Devaney Gardens Deal (Laoise Neylon, Dublin Inquirer)

Previously: “There Is Something Seriously Wrong Here”