Yesterday evening.

Just before 5.30pm…

Auschwitz Memorial tweeted:

“Arbeit macht frei” was a false, cynical illusion the SS gave to prisoners of the Auschwitz camp. Those words became one of the icons of human hatred hate. It’s painful to see this symbol ‘interpreted’ over ‘ Cork Employment Services Office’. Please remove it.

Just before 8pm…

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection tweeted:

Dept Employment Affairs & Social Protection confirms that an extremely
offensive sign was placed on outside of Hanover Street office, in Cork by unknown persons yesterday. It was removed immediately. We very much regret that this happened. We have reported it to gardaí.

Anyone?

Pics: Auschwitz Memorial

UPDATE:

This morning, PJ Coogan, of Cork’s 96FM, spoke to the two Polish men, called Chris and Piotr, who alerted the Intreo office about the sticker.

In the interview, Chris explained that he was waiting outside the office on Tuesday when he noticed the sign.

He took a picture but was too busy trying to sort out his affairs within the office that he didn’t alert anyone at the office at that point.

He said it wasn’t until he left, and had more time to think about it, that he realised how “bad” the sign was.

He and Piotr returned to the office on Wednesday and Chris spoke to the centre’s security officer and manager.

Chris said they took the mater very seriously, acted professionally and apologised.

He said within 20 minutes the sticker was taken down.

Listen back in full here

Thanks Fergal Barry

 

From top: DUP Leader Arlene Foster: Peter Brooke in this morning’s The Times

Writing in today’s Belfast Telegraph, Ms Foster is critical of the Brexit deal and says Mr Johnson agreed to greater than necessary checks between Northern Ireland and Britain.

She also said that he settled for what she calls a “one-sided” consent mechanism involving Stormont.

However, at the beginning and end of the article, Ms Foster states the party wants to get Northern Ireland moving again.

She also says that the party wants Brexit to be delivered and devolution restored.

Arlene Foster: We cannot back a deal that is not in Northern Ireland’s best interests Arlene Foster, Belfast Telegraph)

Foster confirms DUP’s ten MPs will oppose Brexit deal in vote (BBC)


Then it would be 420km above us and look like this. Also, it would rise in the west and set in the east.

Also, it might rip itself (and us) apart. It really doesn’t bear thinking about.

Best just keep it where it is.

gizmodo

A legal battle over an orthographic squiggle has ended in victory for a couple granted the right to write their infant son’s Breton first name as Fañch instead of Fanch.

It’s always a terrible shame
If you can’t give a child the right name
But French courts say it’s fine
To use a squiggly line
Without breaking the rules of the game

John Moynes

AFP

Comedian Andrew Maxwell on BBC News in 2018 discussing Brexit

On The Ray D’Arcy Show.

Fergus McCormack writes:

Comedians and actors PJ Gallagher and Katherine Lynch chat to Ray about their dark comedy play Madhouse.

From Big Brother to interviewing the Hollywood A-Listers, This Morning’s Alison Hammond joins Ray for her first ever Irish chat show interview.

Brian Kennedy will join Ray to celebrate his recent cancer free diagnosis and share some of his most loved songs…

Comedian Andrew Maxwell will lead up to a million protesters in a march in London to call for a Brexit referendum. He’ll join Ray in studio to explain how he got involved and why it’s still a laughing matter….

Athlone Jockey Paddy Merrigan joins Ray to talk about his rise to the top of his game, his downward spiral into drink, drugs and gambling and the turning point that led him to return to horse-racing and spread his message of positive mental health.

The Ray D’Arcy Show at 9.55pm on Saturday on RTÉ One.

Pic: BBC

The tales of Odysseus related by way of cheeky Limericks by author Emily Wilson, who recently published a translation of Homer’s ’The Odyssey’.

And then there’s the bit where Odysseus’ men eat the cattle of Helios and are struck by a thunderbolt from Zeus.

But what of Athena and the cyclops Polyphemus?

Epic bantz.

But she’s no Moynes.

kottke

Broadsheet.ie