Behold: the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Series II Coupe – the first mass-produced Ferrari (previously, the cars were all custom made for wealthy buyers).

This model – extremely well preserved with its original red leather interior and exterior paint  – can be yours for (most likely) upward of €640,000.

uncrate

Dáire O’Driscoll tweetz:

This photo from @LovinDublin’s Instagram features “fairy tale” Dublin; complete with homeless person camped out in the background. This is at best pure stupidity and and at worst horrific apathy.

From top: David McCourt with Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection Pat Breen; Fianna Fail leader Mícheál Martin and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

 

This afternoon.

Further to the resignation of former Communications Minister Denis Naughten last week after it emerged he held several meetings with David McCourt of Granahan McCourt Capital – a consortium which is the final bidder in the tendering process for the National Broadband Plan contract, the State’s largest ever communications project.

And it emerging that Clare Fine Gael TD Pat Breen facilitated one of these meetings.

Fianna Fáil leader Mícheál Martin, who mentioned this article published in the Silicon Republic in September 2017, asked Taoiseach Leo Varadkar if he had spoken to Mr Breen about the meeting he facilitated between Mr McCourt and Mr Naughten.

The Taoiseach told Mr Martin that he had spoken with Mr Breen and that Mr Breen told him that Mr McCourt asked him to pass on an invitation to Mr Naughten, for dinner in his house, Mr Naughten accepted the invitation and this dinner took place.

Mr Varadkar said Mr Breen told him the National Broadband Plan wasn’t discussed during this dinner.

After further questions from Mr Martin, Mr Varadkar said:

“While we may all agree that passing on that invitation was unwise, I don’t think it’s a resigning matter.”

Previously: Courting David

This afternoon.

RTÉ’s Health Correspondent Fergal Bowers is reporting that High Court Judge Mr Justice Charles Meenan’s report on potential alternatives to the court process for women affected by the CervicalCheck scandal is now with the Government.

Mr Bowers said it’s expected that Judge Meenan’s report will be published within the next hour or so.

Ahead of this, Mr Bowers reported:

“His report was given to the minister last night and brought before Cabinet today. Probably, it will be published in the next hour or two. And as I understand it, I mean, alternatives are limited but I believe it’s going to recommend, particularly, that they go down the route of a compensation tribunal.

“And we’ve had similar compensation tribunals here for people infected with Hepatitis C and HIV through contaminated blood.”

“…The nature of these tribunals are that they’re held in private, and people can go in with or without a legal advisor, make their case and then an adjudication will be made, an award recommended.

“If somebody isn’t happy with that award, they can go to the courts.

“The big question, of course, is the State funds the tribunal. That’s the taxpayer and so will the State then pursue other parties, say some of the laboratories, to recoup that money. That might be tricky but that’s obviously an important point.”

Tribunal could be set up over CervicalCheck crisis (RTE)

UPDATE:

The 33-page report can be read in full here

“Talking to colleagues across Europe, I now hear for the first time that there is actually suggestions being made that the Irish backstop issue should be postponed. I think that’s very dangerous for us and it’s something that we have to resist.

“But it was highly predictable. I think there is still solidarity from all the discussions I’ve had certainly from social democratic colleagues in relation to this matter but I’ve no doubt that that will become a focal point over the next number of days.

“So there has to be a very clear determination set out by the Irish Government that the backstop issue, and that is a permanent backstop – the whole idea of a backstop being a temporary measure is bizarre, even as a suggestion.

“And that that matter should be put to bed so there can be no discussions on any long-term arrangements with the United Kingdom until that matter is determined in accordance with the agreement that is set out by both the European Union and the UK authorities last December.”

This afternoon.

Labour leader Brendan Howlin speaking to journalists on the plinth at Leinster House.

Howlin: Europe is ‘considering’ postponing Brexit backstop (RTE)

DUP threat over Brexit backstop deal (BBC)

Data scientist Neil Kaye shows how the ubiquitous Mercator Projection distorts the real scale of countries (dark blue = actual size in the map above).

The visualisation shows land masses nearer the Poles [including our own] to be much larger than they actually are.

Take aways: Mercator Alaska is larger than Mexico (it’s not). Mercator Russia is ridiculously exaggerated (it is). Africa is very large indeed.

kottke

This morning.

Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

A mural funded by independent Dublin City Councillor Mannix Flynn promoting Michael D Higgins’ presidential re-election campaign which promises seven more years of ‘Articulating the Nation’.

The excitement is palpable.

Earlier: How Was It For You?

Rollingnews

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