Last night.

Casement Aerodrome, county Dublin.

The Irish Air Corp plane carrying Gerry Hutch from Spain prepares to land.

Name that craft, anyone?

Dishevelled Gerry Hutch charged with Regency Hotel murder after extradition from Spain (The Irish Mirror)

RollingNews

Michael Noonan

This morning.

Via The Irish Examiner

Two interim reports seen by the Irish Examiner from the Farrelly Commission into allegations of abuse of Grace and 46 others who stayed in the home identified specific failings by health workers who were charged with Grace’s care.

However, the investigation cleared former Health ministers Michael Noonan and Austin Currie over their handling of the case in 1996, after a decision to remove Grace from the home was controversially overturned after the foster father wrote a letter to Mr Noonan.

…it concluded that the actions of Mr Noonan and Mr Currie did not constitute an interference in the case and their actions were “within the scope of accepted custom and practice at the time”.

“There is no evidence of any nature seen by the Commission or brought by any party to suggest that improper influence was brought to bear by the ministers of their officials in the manner in which any of them performed their functions,” the report states.

In evidence, Mr Noonan’s private secretary told the Commission that he had no recollection of the letter of reply to Mr X being shown to Mr Noonan.

The report states that Mr Noonan told the Commission that he had never seen the correspondence from Mr. X.

Mr Noonan gave evidence that he did not know Mr and Mrs X and he had no contact with them other than what was apparent from the correspondence.

When contacted by the Irish Examiner this week, Mr Noonan said he had no comment. Mr Currie similarly had no comment when contacted.

‘Grace’ foster parents had criminal convictions (Irish Examiner)

Previously: Michael Noonan And Grace

RollingNews

Bob Geldof on The Late Late Show in 2019

On The Late Late Show…

…Linda Pototzki writes:

The Late Late Show will celebrate the 70th birthday of rock star and philanthropist Bob Geldof…

Ryan will be joined in-studio with Bob and his wife Jeanne, children Pixie and Tiger and sister Lynn. Also, Bob will receive a special birthday wish from President Michael D Higgins.

The Chair of the Elders and former Úachtaran na hEireann Mary Robinson will speak about her relationship with Bob, his vital role as a humanitarian and his well-known powers of persuasion!

Also paying tribute on the night will be The Boomtown Rats, Midge Ure, Andrea Corr, Imelda May and many more.

There will also be special contributions from Bob’s illustrious friends across the world of entertainment and beyond including Sting, Van Morrison, Tony Blair and Ringo Starr to name a few.

The Late Late Show on RTÉ One tomorrow at 9.35pm.

Pic: Andres Poveda

Tonight.

The Button Factory in Temple Bar will see 450 people in attendance for a pilot nightclub event

Digital Covid Certs and antigen tests will be required.

Anyone?

Pilot Nightclub Event (Button Factory)

Pilot Nightclub Event To ake Place In Dublin (98FM)

Pic: Button Factory

Update:

This morning.

DJ and spokesperson for Give Us The Night Sunil Sharpe and Button Factory promoter Will Rolfe spoke with Aine Lawlor.

Towards the end of the interview:

Aine Lawlor: “And can people, like, to put it bluntly, can they kiss?”

Will Rolfe: “So, in terms of our ventilation, everything has been checked and it will be checked, CO2 levels will be monitored on the night. In terms of people’s romance and enjoying themselves, we won’t be preventing anyone.”

Lawlor: “So, it won’t be like the nuns used to be going around at all those school discos…”

Rolfe: “Absolutely not.”

Lawlor: “Nothing like that.”

Good times.

John Francis Flynn – Lovely Joan

It’s folk, Jim, but not as we know it.

Dubliner John Francis Flynn (top), a veteran of five-piece folk troupe Skipper’s Alley, commands our full undivided attention on this live performance of a song on his new album I Would Not Live Always.

The vid was filmed in Connolly’s of Leap, county Cork, by director Peadar O Goill.

Nick says: In like Flynn.

John Francis Flynn

A lorry driver shortage has put haulage firms under pressure to keep trucks on the road

We all want this country to thrive
Which means we need people who drive
Around in big trucks
But sadly it looks
Like on this front we’re taking a dive

John Moynes

RollingNews

Behold: the 1993 Jaguar XJ220. One owner. Low mileage. Mint condition.

This car, in Moza Red over a Sand interior, was delivered new to a customer in Germany in 1994 and immediately stored in a climate controlled collection.

Never registered, treated to a full engine recondition, it has travelled less than 640km in the last 28 years and changed hands at this year’s Goodwood Festival for a record €537,500.

uncrate

This afternoon.

Earlier…

A Labour frontbencher has criticised the BBC for focusing on “identity issues” and effectively stoking a row over trans rights in the party.

In an interview on Wednesday morning shadow justice secretary David Lammy said Today programme presenter Nick Robinson was “deliberately asking me about an issue that you know does not come up on the doorstep.”

BBC stoking row over trans rights, Labour frontbencher David Lammy says (Independent.co.uk)

Meanwhile…

Andrew Marr (left) and UK Party Leader Kier Starmer on last Sunday’s  The Andrew Marr Show on BBC 1

This afternoon.

Via Pink News:

Labour MP Emily Thornberry has expertly demonstrated how the question “do only women have a cervix” should be answered without feeding into a toxic debate.

The reductive question has become the centre of political discussion since Labour leader Keir Starmer said it’s “not right” to say only women have a cervix during an interview with Andrew Marr.

That question was put to him in relation to a tweet posted by Labour MP Rosie Duffield in August 2020, where she claimed only women have cervixes. Following Starmer’s interview, health secretary Sajid Javid wrongly suggested that Duffield’s initial statement was a “scientific fact”.

Instead of discussing any of the real issues facing trans, non-binary and intersex people – such as the ongoing healthcare crisis – journalists have instead rushed to add fuel to the fire.

The debate was raised during an interview with Emily Thornberry on Politics Live – and she responded in the best possible way.

Thornberry told the hosts that claiming only women have a cervix is “factually inaccurate”, adding: “There are men who have cervixes – there are men who are trans and they’re men. It’s just factually wrong.”

Grilling politicians on who has a cervix isn’t journalism – it’s toxic, transphobic theatre (Pink News)

BBC

Meanwhile…

This afternoon.

Earlier…

Anti covid response protest in Dublin city last month

This morning.

Via RTÉ News:

The largest number of Covid-19 cases were seen in those aged 0-12 years in the two weeks to last Monday, latest figures show.

Of the 18,524 cases reported, 5,103 were in those up to 12 years of age.

The 5-12 year age group represented over 21% of all the cases reported, according to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.

Under-12s account for more than 20% of recent Covid cases (Fergal Bowers, RTÉ)

Meanwhile….

RollingNews

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