Author Archives: Bodger



This afternoon.

Government Buildings, Dublin 2

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has ruled out an early general election before Christmas, saying it was not in the country’s interests with so much uncertainty around Brexit.

Speaking to the media after today’s Cabinet meeting, Mr Varadkar said it could be a crucial time in the Brexit process and the UK general election could see changes to the political landscape in Westminster.

He said it was possible that the Brexit Party could hold the balance of power or other parties may want to reopen UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Withdrawal Agreement.

Mr Varadkar said: “We should not have a general election until we have some certainty around what is happening with Brexit and we don’t have that yet.”

Taoiseach rules out pre-Christmas general election (RTÉ)

Earlier: “This Is About A Very Small Number Of Fine Gael Ministers Wanting To Get Out Of Their Current Job”

Rollingnews

The new ‘re-imagined’ Nokia 2720 Flip

This afternoon.

The classic 90s flip phone is back.

Finally.

Tara Walsh writes:

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, today announces that the Nokia 2720 Flip is now available to buy from Carphone Warehouse, Powercity and Harvey Norman from €109.

A classic flip reimagined for today’s connected user, the Nokia 2720 is compact and tactile but transformed in usability thanks to the integrated AI technology. The device features a familiar flip-phone design, combining simplicity and reliability in a durable device.

comes with WhatsApp and Facebook to make sure you’re connected to what matters, while having the Google Assistant1 just a button-push away meaning consumers can get more done with their voice.

Any excuse

Nokia Phones (HMD Global)



This afternoon.

Henry Street, Dublin 1

Love Island’s Greg O Shea (centre) with Arnotts toy soliders Shauna Cleary (left)  and Craig Badger (right) dance on the famous Grand Piano at the opening of iconic toy retailer FAO Schwarz at Arnotts.

The Arnotts flagship is just one of two locations in Europe for the world famous toy store and follows the opening of FAO Schwarz at Selfridges, London last week.

Any excuse.

Photocall Ireland

Come to Mother.

Via GCN:

Mother, the club night that this year hosted the biggest Pride party in Ireland and the hugely successful LGBT+ festival, Love Sensation, is moving its weekly club night residency to Dublin’s most eclectic new venue, Lost Lane [Adams Court, Off Grafton Street, Dublin 2]…..

Launching on Saturday, November 16, Mother will kick off its weekly residency at Lost Lane with Mother DJs & special guests.

Following a one-off Halloween club night on the October Bank Holiday (MOTHER presents: Lost Souls @ Lost Lane), Lost Lane is delighted to welcome Mother to the venue, joining current club night curators Nialler9, Hidden Agenda and Sally Cinnamon.

Mother moving club night residency to new Dublin venue, Lost Lane (GCN)

Thanks Sheena

This afternoon.

Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

Activists from Extinction Rebellion protest outside the Burlington Clayton Hotel who are hosting The Atlantic Ireland conference and Exhibition by the Irish Shelf Petroleum Study Group (ISPSG).

15 litres of fake blood was used to’ represent the blood on the hands of the oil corporations’.

Extinction Rebellion stage protest outside Dublin’s Clayton Hotel (RTÉ)

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Google offices on Barrow Street, Dublin 4

Ronald Quinlan, in The Irish Times, reports:

Google has entered into talks in relation to the rental of all 202,000sq ft (18,766sq m ) of space at the Sorting Office, the seven-storey office block being developed in the Dublin docklands by Pat Crean’s Marlet Property Group.

Should a deal be agreed, the accommodation at the Sorting Office would provide Google with enough room to grow its existing 8,000-strong Dublin-based workforce by up to 2,000 employees. A spokesperson for Google declined to comment.

The news of Google’s negotiations with the Sorting Office’s Singapore-headquartered owner, Mapletree Investments, comes just three weeks on from The Irish Times reporting of the US tech giant’s agreement to lease more than 75,000sq ft (7,000sq m) of office space in Block I at Green Reit’s Central Park scheme in Sandyford, Dublin 18.

Google in talks for new Dublin docklands offices (Ronald Quinlan, The Irish Times)

 

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar

This lunchtime.

RTÉ reports:

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has ruled out holding a general election before Christmas.

It is understood that at a meeting with Fine Gael ministers this morning, Mr Varadkar told colleagues that this would not be in the best interest of the country given that Brexit remains unresolved.

The issue was raised by the Taoiseach himself following speculation in recent days about the timing of an election.

Taoiseach rules out pre-Christmas general election (RTÉ)

Earlier: “This Is About A Very Small Number Of Fine Gael Ministers Wanting To Get Out Of Their Current Job”

Rollingnews

This afternoon.

The Dublin Commuter Coalition has rejected “any suggestion that bus lanes be opened to electric vehicles”.

Ther  Coalition said it would l is a slap in the face to bus users who travel “in a sustainable way to no thanks or, as is evident from this proposal, even a modicum of respect”.

Coalition Chairperson Kevin Carter said

“It is bizarre, it is astonishing and it is stunningly arrogant that this government would even suggest implementing a scheme that so specifically and brazenly harms bus users. Bus users are never rewarded for choosing to travel in a sustainable way, they are only ever subject to overcrowding, constant fare increases and poor enforcement of existing traffic laws.

Flagrant abuse of bus lanes is a constant issue for bus users and now this government is proposing further degrading the attractiveness of this mode by making bus users sit in even more traffic that they had no hand in causing.“

Fight!

Dublin Commuter Coalition

Rollingnews