Ho ho hum.
It’s nearly Christmas and to help with your last minute Christmas shopping I’m giving away a festive Golden Discs voucher worth a tinsel-tastic €25.
All you have to do is tell me below what is your favourite song about or mentioning winter.
Here’s mine.
Lines MUST close at 2am [Saturday].
Please include video links where possible.
Nick says: Good luck!
Last week’s winner
Meanwhile…
Got to Be ‘River’ by Joni Mitchell https://t.co/cYwnI60ISe ‘Saint’ Nick’s Voucher https://t.co/KHqWmkeyl5 via @broadsheet_ie
— Rosita Sweetman (@RositaSweetman) December 20, 2019
Watching Out
at
Today.
Micheál Ó’Ciaraidh, of TG4, writez:
“Tá súil agam go bhfuil sibh go maith. We have just today put a video live featuring a night spent with the absolutely amazing CladdaghWatch volunteers.
“We thought you [and your readers] might be interested in seeing it and feel free to share on your own social media if you wish. Bíodh Nollaig iontach agaibh ar fád.”
Samaritans: 116 123
Pieta House: 01 6010 000
Aware: 1890 303 302
This evening.
Luke Brennan (him off the telly) writes:
Lookin’ well Dublin…
Meanwhile…
This afternoon.
Donard, County Wicklow.
Thanks Stephen Stewart
How Much?
at
Dáil chamber; Fianna Fáil leader Mícheál Martin; Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in the Dáil on Wednesday
Further to the spat between Fianna Fáil leader Mícheál Martin and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in the Dáil on Wednesday…
Virgin Media News political correspondent Gavan Reilly has tweeted that, as of Tuesday lunchtime, former Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy voted 51 times in 2019; Mr Martin voted 49 times; and Mr Varadkar voted 36 times.
Asked how many votes is the possible maximum, Mr Reilly tweeted:
“Great question. Answer: 377 up to last Tuesday night. So Murphy: 13.5% of votes Martin: 13.0% Varadkar: 9.5%“
Via Gavan Reilly
Previously: Oh No, I’m Not. Oh Yes, You Are
UPDATE:
🚨 NEW: Leo Varadkar has this evening moved closer to an early election in 2020, saying there is “no point in coming up to an agreement with Fianna Fáil only to find that there is a breakdown within FF and they can’t honour their side of it…”
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) December 20, 2019
Taoiseach says extending the current Dáil until a proposed end date in May would require the stated support of 3 independent TDs outside Govt, but won’t pursue them without an FF deal which includes an explicit guarantee of voting intention from all FF TDs [which Martin can’t do]
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) December 20, 2019
Susan Quirke – Winter’s Here
Cold enough for ya?
Capturing the chill of the Yule is this new video by Susan Quirke (top), who also records as Susie Q.
Originally from County Limerick and now based in Lahinch, County Clare, Susan has enlisted a who’s who of the Irish music scene to play on this atmospheric ballad, including Frames fiddler Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Lir‘s Colm Quearney, Justin Carroll, Rob Malone and Graham Hopkins.
With the winter solstice at hand, this is being billed as a seasonal balm for the soul.
Nick says: Throw another log on the fire.
Yellow Again
at
This afternoon.
Met Éireann issued a Status Yellow fog warning for the whole country. It’s valid from 4pm today until 10am tomorrow.
Sigh.
This afternoon.
The GoFundMe campaign launched on December 6th by staff at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin to raise money to buy a new heart ultrasound machine for extremely premature babies nears €80,000.
It hoped to raise €76,500.
In fairness.
Earlier:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0vhkzqoPBM
The Rotunda Hospital NICU Heart Ultrasound Machine (GoFundMe)
Rotunda staff resort to online fundraising for equipment (The Irish Times)
A classic story of redemption by Ritzy Animation in which a retired, down-on-his-luck Rudolph determines to clean up his act and regain his position as Santa’s lead sleigh-guider.