Behold: the Lamborghini Sián Coupe (or a reasonable facsimile thereof). The name means ‘flash’ or ‘lightning’ in Bolognese dialect – a reference to the elemental power of its 819bhp V12 power plant, 2.8s 0-100km/h acceleration time and 350km/h top speed.

Given such earth-scorching stats, it seems churlish to mention that the Sián is also a ‘hybrid’ vehicle with a  34bhp electric motor for parking and reverse.

Only 63 will be made (a nod to the founding year of Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini S.p.A.) and every last one of them has been spoken for.

uncrate

BBC reports:

Mr Johnson voted Remain in the 2016 EU membership referendum, while his brother co-led the Leave campaign.

He resigned as a minister last year in protest at Theresa May’s Brexit deal.

But he re-entered government during the summer, after Conservative Party members elected his brother as leader.

PM’s brother quits as Tory MP and minister (BBC)

Meanwhile…

Today’s [UK] The Sun.

Henreal.

Boris Johnson brands Jeremy Corbyn a ‘chicken’ for blocking a snap General Election and making ‘the mother of all U-turns (The Sun)

Meanwhile…




Yesterday.

Lower Kevin Street, Dublin 2.

The former Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) building has been sold  to Dublin-based, US-backed Westridge Real Estate for €140 million.

It is understood that Westridge will now press ahead with plans to seek planning permission for a major mixed-use scheme on the 3.57 acre site, comprising mainly Grade A office space alongside a large element of private rented sector (PRS) apartments, and food and beverage offerings.

…While the figure paid by Westridge Real Estate represents a premium of 75 per cent on the €80 million price guided by Knight Frank when they brought the property to the market last February on behalf of DIT’s successor, Technological University Dublin, the site is acknowledged as being one of the best redevelopment opportunities to have been offered for sale in the capital in recent years.

The former DIT campus is located just 300m from the Luas Green Line stop at St Stephen’s Green, and sits within walking distance of the city centre.

Westridge Real Estate completes €140m purchase of DIT Kevin Street campus (Irish Times)

Sam Boal/rollingnews



Ministers Paschal Donohoe and Regina Doherty; Public Services Card; Section 263, sub section 3 of the Social Welfare and Consolidation Act of 2005

Yesterday, Minister for Employment and Social Protection Regina Doherty went on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland to defend the Government’s position on the Public Services Card, despite findings about the card made by the Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon.

During the interview, Ms Doherty repeatedly said the Social Welfare and Consolidation Act of 2005 has allowed the Government to do what it has done in respect of the card and she said that that is the legal advice she’s received from the Attorney General’s Office – advice she will not publish

Ms Doherty  said:

“Where we [the Government and the DPC] have a difference here is in the interpretation of the Social Welfare and Consolidation Act of 2005. My legal advice is incredibly strong, that we have a clear and unambiguous legal basis to do exactly what we intended to do from 2005 and what successive governments have done since…”

She also said:

“In the 2005 legislation in sub section 3 of that legislation, it very, very clearly sets out exactly what the anticipated use was for, what the legal right and the responsibility of the data controller is and that’s exactly what we’ve done and so we really believe that we have a very, very strong legal basis to do exactly what we have done…”

However.

This morning.

Ciannan Brennan, in The Irish Examiner, writes:

The minister referred to subsection three of that Act, and 23 words that the department and the DPC disagreed over.

Loose talk aside, there is only one section she could mean — subsection three of section 263 regarding a prospective Public Service Card.

Those words are: “A person shall produce his or her Public Service Card at the request of a specified body for the purposes of a transaction.”

That’s it. You’ll note that nowhere in that sentence are the words “mandatory” or “compulsory” to be found.

Put simply, there is no basis there for the blanket issuance of cards to citizens looking to access State services.”

Much more at stake than a little plastic card (Ciannan Brennan, The Irish Examiner)

Meanwhile…

Solicitor Simon McGarr has also tweeted his thoughts on the matter…

Yesterday: ‘It Would Be In The Circuit Court So It Probably Wouldn’t Be Very Expensive’

Rollingnews






Last night.

The Sugar Club, Leeson Street, Dublin 2

Irish slebs enjoyed a first look at ‘The Keith Barry Experience’, a new four part series ‘showcasing mentalism, magic and and music acts’ which airs on RTÉ One on Wednesday evenings.

From top: Keith Barry on stage;  members of hip-hop collective Chasing Abbey; Emma Power (left) and Laura Fox; Catherine McKeown and Paul Byrom; Irma Mali and Karl Bowe; Keith Barry and Alannah Beirne.

The Keith Barry Experience

Pics: Karen Morgan

Thanks Ian Collins

Ah here.

Dublin Rental Watch tweetz:

A #TipOff for a ‘one bedroom own door flat’ offered by Colin O’Neill in Templeroan, €1,170pm Mon-Fri. I’ve narrowed down the street. I suspect there’s no window in the bedroom. The kitchen has a microwave while retaining the garage doors.

UPDATE:

The property is no longer available.

The Craddock House Nursing Home, Naas, County Kildare

To wit:

The owners of Craddock House (Bríd and Karl Gallagher) decided to build a strong visual sensory area in their Dementia Care unit for the purpose of creating a stimulating space for residents and a place to reflect, relax and enjoy.

They engaged local craft-person Kevin O’Rourke of Country Kitchens (Ballymare Eustace) to design and build a streetscape of old shopfronts that included; a Post Office, Flower Shop, Sweet Shop/Ice Cream Parlour, General Mercantile, Garage, Pub, Antiques Shop and a functioning Hairdressers.  Mock cottage facades and walls formed part of the new streetscape…

In fairness.

Mock Street Scene at Craddock House Nursing Home (Retail Design)

 

Carlosfandango writes:

So, this is a very talented and hard working young man. He goes to an incredible amount of effort to produce fabulously detailed videos on his restoration escapades.

This one (above) is a compilation of the restoration of a beautiful Range Rover Classic. It’s mesmerising.

It would be very helpful for this chap if we collectively got his subscribers up – he deserves it. I am biased, this is middle aged porn for a petrolhead like me…

SOUP Classic Motoring

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