Category Archives: Misc

Staying in anocht?

Via TG4:

TG4 will air ‘A Jar with Brendan Behan’ tonight at 20:30 in memory of actor and comedian Niall Tóibín who passed away this week.

‘A Jar with Breandan Behan’ is a one man show from 1970 starring Niall Tóibín as Behan.

The film was only aired once before on Irish television, on TG4 earlier this year. Directed by Bergette Pierre who at the time was a researcher in RTÉ, and produced and shot by Godfrey Graham.

Tóibín was known for his portrayal of Behan, starring in ‘Borstal Boy’ many times in the Abbey Theatre and Broadway and winning a Tony Award for it.

This is a rare chance to see this one man show from 1970 where Niall Tóibín plays Brendan Behan, as only he can.

A Jar with Brendan Behan’at 20.30 on TG4.

Previously: Tóibín There

Orla Gartland – Figure It Out

Lyric videos are all the rage – but here’s one that offers an innovative new twist.

Director Ryan O’Connor projects the deeply felt words of Orla Gartland’s new single onto the back of her head.

It’s a simple but clever way of illustrating the message in the song: in case it’s not clear, now you can literally read my mind.

The London-based YouTube star (top) returns to her hometown to play a not-to-be-missed headlining show in Whelan’s of Wexford St, Dublin 2, tonight at 9pm.

Nick says: Breaking up is hard to view.

Orla Gartland

This morning.

On RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

Fianna Fáil Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee spoke to Carole Colman about her controversial tweets from 2011.

Ms Clifford-Lee is running for a TD seat in the Fingal by-election on November 29.

During the interview, Ms Clifford-Lee said:

“What happened back then was totally inappropriate and wrong and I’m very sorry for offending people. It was many years before I was engaged in electoral politics and in no way reflects my opinion on minority issues.

“My true attitude is reflected in what I’ve done and what I have said since I’ve been in a position to influence things. For example, I robustly offended in the media the families at Cabra Bridge last year, in their dispute with Tipperary County Council.

“I supported the Traveller education bill, the granting of ethnic status to Travellers, the family reunification bill which offered extra rights to undocumented migrant families in Ireland.

“And I also supported marriage equality so I’m truly sorry for the offence that I caused. I think sometimes we say things when we don’t understand the impact of the words that we use.

“I’m meeting Martin Collins [of Pavee Point]. I’ve spoken to him on the phone, I am going to reissue that apology to him in person and I truly hope that my apology is accepted.

“It’s from the bottom of my heart and it’s very heartfelt. And I hope to engage in constructive dialogue with Martin and his colleagues.”

Asked how she felt how the matter “unfolded during the middle of her campaign, she said:

“It obviously was unexpected but, you know, as soon as it emerged, I apologised and I’ve kept apologising and I will continue to apologise because that’s all I can do. I am genuinely very, very sorry.

“It doesn’t reflect who I am. It doesn’t reflect the work that I have engaged in and I know that I have caused offence and I am truly sorry for that offence.”

Asked if she accepts that people, particularly in public life, have to be very careful about how they label other people and other groups, she said:

“Absolutely and it’s something that happened far before I was involved in electoral politics. Nevertheless I understand the impact that the words I used has had on people and I understand the offence that I have caused and I am truly, truly sorry for that offence.”

Asked how she disassociates herself from something that was her own words, she said:

“It was a long time ago and I suppose we all evolve as people and I’m, now I’m a mother, I suppose I have educated myself a lot in relation to minority issues in recent years and yu know people make mistakes and it’s the recognition of those mistakes and it’s how you act.

“And since I have been a public person, that was in a private capacity. Since I have been a public person, I have worked very, very hard in relation to minority issues.”

Asked if there any other tweets or anything on other platforms that may yet emerge, she said:

“I don’t know is a straight answer because you know obviously this was a long time ago, before I was engaged in electoral politics and I’m very, very, very sorry for things I might have said back then.”

Asked for her thoughts, in general, on the value and challenges of diversity, she said:

“Ireland is a more diverse country than we have been in the past and particularly this constituency, it’s very, very diverse. And this constituency is a very young constituency and it’s  a rapidly growing constituency and there’s people coming from all over Dublin, all over Ireland and beyond to live in this constituency.

“I think it’s very important that we put the structures there in place in all our communities that we can all integrate, get to know each other and grow as communities.”

Listen back in full here

Previously: Set In Motion

I’ve Been Smeared

 

Tonight.

Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey released the statement above after her party’s National Executive Council announced earlier that it was deselecting her as a candidate for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in the next general election.

Maria Bailey deselected as Fine Gael election candidate (RTÉ)

Earlier: Set In Motion

Previously: ‘I Found Myself On The Floor’

Behold: the McLaren Elva Roadster – the lightest road car McLaren has ever made and the latest addition (following  the F1, P1, Senna and Speedtail) in McLaren’s Ultimate Series.

The open driver compartment of this 804bhp, 4.0-litre, twin-turbo, V8 hypercar has a system of vents and ‘active aero vanes’ that create a low-pressure zone for the driver and passenger.

Which makes the windshield an optional extra. Neither do you need a helmet. But it’s probably advisable.

Deliveries start late next year when yours will cost a trifling €1,540,000.

uncrate

This afternoon.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Brendan Doolin (37) left his home only twice in the previous 17 years prior to these matters being investigated. His lawyers described him as “an internet troll”.

Doolin of Leighlin Road, Crumlin, Dublin pleaded guilty to harassing Sarah Griffin, Kate McEvoy, Sinead O’Carroll, Christine Bohan, Roe McDermott and Aoife Barry on dates between May 2012 and February 2018.

‘Internet troll’ who harassed six female writers and journalists jailed for three years (Breakingnews).

Editor of the Journal news website Sinead O’Carroll, was once contacted and told to “break both legs” after she tweeted to promote an upcoming appearance on a television programme.

Kate McEvoy was informed that the sender of the emails was in the area where she lived, and once when she tweeted that her housemate had gone out for the evening, he messaged: “Good I’ll be over soon.”

Christine Bohan, who got more than 450 messages from Doolin, also received a 10-year-old political leaflet from him which carried a photograph of her on it. She was also sent an image of her from a dinner at her old college. After receiving this, Ms Bohan feared he had scoured the internet looking for her image.

Each of the women received hundreds of emails, usually using the same unusual font, containing insults such as calling the women “wannabes, nobodies, whiteist, bigots, lefties and pseudo intellectuals.”

He accused them of being narcissistic attention seekers, self-obsessed and concerned with their own self-promotion, referring to their “Twitter bubble” and suggesting that they do not care for others.

Man who harassed women writers and journalists jailed (RTÉ)