Katherine Zappone (centre)

Kevin writes:

Given Katherine Zappone’s appointment, by Fine Gael, to be guardian of our free speech, I offer this poem which I wrote on her appointment to a Fine Gael led cabinet in 2016. The above picture is of her at Jobstown in 2014 unsuccessfully trying to protect Joan Burton’s right to free speech from anti-water charges protesters.

Katherine Zappone Dreams Her Pragmatist’s Dream

Underestimate not a woman of my agility.
I once used one of my better handbags
to carry the King’s distressed head home,
when those without expense accounts, or subtlety,
rudely separated it from the rest of him.

I’ll be Minister for this, that,
anything you want; will gladly
spend my days looking into
slurry tanks, or inspecting
military parades, if the price is
adequate, which we both know
it will be.

When I visit her as part
of the celebrations to mark
the two hundredth anniversary
of the potato famine, I plan
to give her majesty a small
but exquisitely formed
figurine of me, tastefully
painted toe to head
in gold leaf. If we both live
long enough, which I now
expect we will,

for me to tell her about the time
I handed the Tsar a hanky
when all his battleships were sunk
and the families of the sacrificed
reacted surprisingly badly.

Kevin Higgins

Taoiseach left ‘blindsided’ by proposal to appoint Zappone as government envoy (Irish Examiner)

Meanwhile…

Anyone?

Rollingnews

Behold: CG4, aka ‘God’s Hand’ – a ruptured cometary globule, so named because looks like a comet, but isn’t. To wit:

The “claw” of this odd looking “creature” in the featured photo is a gas cloud known as a cometary globule. This globule, however, has ruptured. Cometary globules are typically characterised by dusty heads and elongated tails. These features cause cometary globules to have visual similarities to comets, but in reality they are very much different. Globules are frequently the birthplaces of stars, and many show very young stars in their heads. The reason for the rupture in the head of this object is not yet known. The galaxy to the left of the globule is huge, very far in the distance, and only placed near CG4 by chance superposition.

(Image: Nicolas Rolland & Martin Pugh)

apod

Yesterday.

Activists from socialist republican party Éirígí unveil a banner outside of the Central Bank high-security currency centre facility in Sandyford calling for the site to be used for the construction of Universal Public Housing.

Last April, in a move that indicated a forthcoming sale of the 37-acre site,  the Central Bank asked Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown council to maintain residential zoning on the site.

In 2018, the site was taken off the land hoarder’s list in 2018 because of the high cost of securing the currency facility.

Éirígí’s representative for the Rathdown area, Brian Leeson, said,

“The Central Bank recently wrote to DLR to request that the residential zoning of their Sandyford facility be maintained. As part of that request the Central Bank outlined that it is actively considering selling off some or all of this 37 acre site. We are here today to highlight the fact that this land is potentially going to be sold off to a private developer or vulture landlord and to demand that it is instead retained in permanent public ownership.

“To put the size of the full site in context, it is ten acres bigger than the Central Mental Hospital site in Dundrum and unlike that site, there are no historically important buildings which must be preserved. It could easily accommodate over 1,000 new homes as well as new community facilities and new recreational areas – 1,000 permanently affordable homes for local people from all income backgrounds who are currently being denied access to secure, affordable housing.”

Previously: Central Bank asks council to maintain residential zoning at Sandyford currency centre (Irish Times, April 29)

 

Update:

The Covid-19 vaccination programme is to be extended, with all those aged 12 to 15 to be offered a vaccine.

A recommendation that all children in this age category be included has been made to the Government by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC).

Earlier…

This morning.

The Covid-19 vaccination programme is poised to include 12 to 15 year-olds.

Via RTE:

A recommendation that all children in this age category be included has been made to the Government by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC).

It is expected to be approved by the Cabinet today.

Speaking on his way into the Cabinet meeting, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said there would be further advice from NIAC regarding vaccinations for 12 to 15 year-olds, which he said represents a “significant opening up” of the vaccination programme to younger age cohorts.

Mr Martin said it has been a very effective programme so far and the Government wants to encourage “heightened participation” among the remaining age groups.

Govt set to approve Covid vaccines for 12-15 year-olds (RTÉ)

RollingNews

Meanwhile…

How dare you.

Broadsheet.ie