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Killkenny city centre, last night.

A candle light vigil for Carlow/Kilkenny rescue dogs.

And a plea for no kill animal shelters.

Maura Rua from Chance Wicklow writes:

We are an advocacy group for pound dogs. We started out some years ago because of concerns about the dog pound in Wicklow. We soon saw the need to broaden our work to other pounds, particularly pounds run by the ISPCA which had high kill rates. The Carlow/Kilkenny pound was run by the ISPCA up to recently and the licence is going out to tender. This is the first time ever the Carlow/Kilkenny dog pound and warden service contract has gone out to tender

In recent years there has been much more awareness of the need for welfare concerns to be addressed in pounds. The mentality of rounding up and killing healthy harmless dogs is abhorrent to those who see a better way forward by rehoming dogs.

Around 99% of pound dogs are rehome-able – it is a complete myth that there are large amounts of savage dangerous dogs in pounds – the only thing wrong with pound dogs is their former feckless owners.

In 2013, the last year for which official figures are available:
Carlow had an intake of 247 dogs of which 64 were killed = 29%
Kilkenny took in 310 dogs of which 66 were killed =21%
Carlow Pound and dog warden service cost €108,000
Kilkenny Pound and dog warden service cost €103,00

In contrast Leitrim took in 529 dogs – roughly the same as Carlow /Kilkenny combined:
Leitrim killed 7 dogs = 1%
Leitrim cost €47,000 to run.
Leitrim Animal Welfare run the county pound for Leitrim.

It is only in comparing what is achieved at other pounds with far fewer resources that a true picture of what is happening can be seen. The statistics then become meaningful.

Chance Wicklow (Facebook)

Thanks Padraig O’Ceallaigh

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Yesterday’s Irish Mail On Sunday

He lived in the shadow of the Long Fellow.

But was he Mr Big?

Sibling of Daedalus writes:

Yesterday’s Irish Mail on Sunday published a letter from the late Eamon de Valera, Professor of Gynaecology, University College Dublin showing him to have been involved in the illegal adoption of babies in the 1960s, such adoption having taken place by way of the issue of a birth certificate in the name of the adoptive parents.

The practice of adoption by falsified birth certificates was discussed by Mike Milotte’ in his book ‘Banished Babies‘, (New Island) in which he records the garda investigation and subsequent prosecution,in 1965, of Mary Keating, proprietress of St Rita’s Nursing Home Donnybrook, Dublin 4 for falsely registering the birth of a baby in her care.

According to Milotte, the original focus of the investigation was not just Mrs Keating, but her kingpin:

“[The Gardai] had their sights on a man whom they believed to be behind a major baby selling racket that had gone on undetected for a number of years, and that had involved the illegal dispatch of many babies to America. The man, who had a public profile, was never charged with any offence, although it was always suspected that it was he, and not Mrs Keating, who was the principal beneficiary of the scam.

Several senior police officers were involved in the investigation, but when the file was eventually sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions he decided to prosecute only Mrs Keating for her role in forging the official birth register. When her trial took place before Justice Farrell in the Dublin District Court in January 1965… the prosecution offered no evidence of financial dealings, and there wasn’t a hint in court of the bigger picture or of the man who was behind the racket…. Mrs Keating pleaded guilty and the proceedings ended quickly… Despite the acknowledged gravity of the offence, she was put on probation… A Mrs Keating kept her licence and remained profitably in business until she retired more than a decade later… and ‘Mr Big’ lived a long, respectable and prosperous life.”

Mrs Keating was clearly well-connected. Declan Costello, future Attorney-General, appeared for her her trial, and Karl Mullen, gynaecologist, rugby star and grandfather of Cian and Pippa O’Connor, gave evidence of her good character.

Although many children of unmarried mothers were adopted in the 1960s, with and without the help of gynaecologists, St Rita’s adoptions were unique, or almost unique, in offering the adoptive parents a birth certificate in their own names.

Was the child the subject of the Irish Mail on Sunday article born at St Rita’s? And, if so, what was Professor de Valera’s association with this institution?

Milotte also reports an anecdotal statement by Charles Haughey that ‘half the children born at St Rita’s were fathered by members of the Dail’, stating :

“It might explain why the identities of so many of Mrs Keating’s ‘girls’ were obliterated through the issuing of false birth certificates, why she was so keen to dispatch their children to America, and why she was so willing to plead guilty to a very grave offence, protecting the man who was masterminding the whole business in the process.”

Hmm.

Read Sibling of Daedalus’ and newly-updated Irish history blog here.

(Mail on Sunday)

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Stena Europe at Fishguard on Saturday

Yikes.

Murph writes:

The Stena Europe in Fishgaurd [southwest Wales] on Saturday…returned to Rosslare [Co Wexford] after 26 hours at sea….proper gnarly…!!

Update:

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The car deck aboard Stena Europe

Via Rosslare Maritime Enthiusiats:

The Stena Europe left Rosslare Harbour on Saturday morning and should have arrived in Pembrokeshire Saturday lunchtime. It is understood that a number of foot passengers were “able” to disembark before conditions worsened. According to reports a mooring rope snapped forcing the vessel to leave the port before car and freight traffic could off load. Sea conditions were described as very rough entering Fishguard Harbour and the ship listed heavily. A passenger on board Rob Vincent said.. “Approaching Fishguard Harbour the ship rolled valiantly to port causing a lorry (above) to collapse on the lower deck”

Rosslare Maritime Enthisiasts (Facebook)

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Scott De Buitléir  writes:

Chadwicks Building Providers have come up with this infographic (above) on the Irish relationship with water, including some pretty interesting stats, including:
• Over 80% of us are wrong when guessing how much water we use;
• The typical Irish person’s water footprint is over 3600 litres per day;
• It currently costs the state approximately €1.2 billion per annum to run the public water system.

FIGHT!

Chadwicks

houdini

Houdini – Friendly Fire

A blogger/band mash-up

Aaron Cranley, of Houdini, writes:

We recently were contacted by an internet blogger from LA named Shabnam Ferdowsi. She found our band and asked to film us performing a song while she was travelling around Ireland. We of course obliged and organised for it to be shot in The Bello Bar [Portobello, Dublin 2] and it’s turned out rather well….

Houdini (Facebook)

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Conor Brophy, presenter of The Media Show

Liam Geraghty writes:

The Media Show – a new 13 week series – began last night on RTÉ Radio One (Sundays at 7pm). Presented by Conor Brophy, the series will look at the pressing issues in the sector including ownership, diversity, press freedom and how digital media are changing the way content is delivered and consumed. Last night’s show featured NPR media journalist David Folkenflik profiling the new media tycoons, inside Al Jazeera from the point of view of two Irish journalists who have worked there and a celebration of the art of tabloid headline writing…

The Media Show – podcast

90368110Senator Lorraine Higgins at Labour’s 2013 think-in

This morning.

Fear-rattling Labour Senator Lorraine Higgins spoke to Gavin Jennings on RTÉ R1’s Morning Ireland about tonight’s midnight deadline for people to register with Irish Water.

Deadline?

Schmeadline.

Lorraine Higgins: “Everybody will receive a bill, notwithstanding whether they’ register or not, in April. And I do believe…”

Gavin Jennings: “Sorry, I’m confused. What allowances will you not get if you don’t register by today.”

Higgins: “Well there are certain allowances for children that have to be taken into account and if you don’t register by today, by midnight tonight…”

Jennings: “What allowances?”

Higgins: “Well there are certain allowances Gavin, right across the board, for children, in terms of capacity, the number of litres that you get on an annual basis and I would urge your listeners…”

Jennings: “I thought you were being billed irrespective of how much you use, isn’t that right? I thought it was dependent how many people were in the house.”

Higgins: “That’s correct.”

Jennings: “We’ve constantly been told that it’s a simple matter of, you can reiterate if you want, of how much you pay for one person, how much you pay for more than one person. So, what don’t you get if you don’t register by today?”

Higgins: “That’s correct. It’s costing €3 per week and it’s very important to ensure the quality of our water in the future and I know from dealing with people in clinics, Gavin, that you know they don’t have the same degree of difficulty as they had prior to this new range of measures that was brought in by the Government..”

Jennings: “Sorry, just to be clear, sorry, today’s deadline, again. If people don’t register, and plenty haven’t, what don’t they get if don’t register by today?”

Higgins: “Well, you know the department of the environment has come out very clearly and said that there may be a situation where there’d be added cost on to the price of paying for water for this year.”

Jennings: “What added cost?”

Higgins: “That hasn’t been clarified yet and I await to find out what that will be. There will probably be a lot of discussion over the course of the coming week in relation to it.”

Jennings: “So, just to be clear, if you don’t register by today, what happens?”

Higgins: “If you don’t register by today, there will be, there will be a situation where you’ll be given optimal time to actually register, right up…”

Jennings: “So you’ll be given more time, yes?”

Higgins: “It seems to but to be clear, the minister has always stated from the outset and indeed even last week, that the second of February [today] was not a dropdead deadline.”

Jennings: “So, if I’m not sure if I want to register to pay for Irish Water, you’re going to give me more, I’m going to be given more time, I don’t have to do it today, is that right?”

Higgins: “Well it’s very important for people to register today…”

Jennings: “But I don’t have to do it today. I’m not really going to face any problems if I don’t do it today, is that right?”

Higgins: “Well the situation is, and as I said, a release from the department with regard to possible penalties and that needs to be borne in mind.”

Jennings: “What possible penalties?”

Higgins: “There’s no clarity on that, right at this moment, Gavin.”

Jennings: “OK.”

Higgins: “But I wouldn’t be advocating that people break the law like Mary Lou (McDonald, Sinn Féin TD who earlier declared her intention to not pay) seems to be doing. I think it’s interesting, her position, given…:

Jennings: “She’s talking about not paying, we were talking there about not registering. If I don’t pay and I know this is a hypothetical matter because the bills won’t arrive until April. If I don’t pay, what will happen to me?”

Higgins: “Well there’s a situation where there’ll be an exchange of information from the Revenue. We expect that there’ll be legislation brought in over the course of this month where it’ll be possible to put a charge on property. It’ll also be possible for landlords to bill their tenants and take it out of their deposits.”

Jennings: “Not yet though, no?”

Higgins: “Well this is something that’s going to be looked out over the course of this month and we hope to have legislation in place before the end of February.”

Jennings: “So, at the moment, if I decide I’m not going to pay, you don’t know what’s going to happen to me yet, is that right?”

Higgins: “Well that’s the position right now but as soon as the legislation is prepared and brought before the Houses of the Oireachtas, it will be expected that there will be a charge put on people’s properties and landlords will be permitted to take the cost of water out of a tenant’s deposit.”

Jennings: “How much of a charge do you think should be put on people’s property if they don’t pay?”

Higgins: “I can’t say that, Gavin and I’m not going to speculate on that.”

Jennings: “But you’re one of the…you’re a member of a party who’ll be legislating for it, what’s your opinion?”

Higgins: “Well I haven’t given it significant thought but I would urge people that’s important not to break the law, I wouldn’t be throwing it around, the populist line that Sinn Féin currently are, you can see how Mary Lou stuttered and stammered over the issue about how she was going to pay for water and how the Government would pay for water in terms of taxation.”

Jennings: “You can’t tell me what would happen if I don’t pay for water.”

Higgins: “Well these are decisions that’ll be made by the Government, Gavin.”

Jennings: “But they haven’t been made yet. There’s a deadline in place for today to register. The bills are going to arrive in April and we still don’t know what’s going to happen if people don’t pay.”

Higgins: “Well I’ve made it very, very clear that there will be a charge put on property and landlords will be permitted to take the price of Irish Water out of deposits.”

Jennings: “Senator Higgins, a large number of people haven’t registered today, thousands of people have protested on the streets and are continuing to do so, there’s no grant in place yet, the amount of income that Irish Water is going to get as a result of people paying bills has already been lowered. There’s no guarantee of passing the Eurostat test, no clarity on what landlords are expected to do, if their tenants don’t pay. What part of this plan has been a success so far?”

Higgins: “First and foremost, I don’t share your view Gavin when it comes to the numbers that have registered. There’s almost 1.1million that have responded – that’s 60% of where it needs to be. And there’s quite a large number…”

Jennings: “There’s a million people who haven’t.”

Higgins: “But look I mean, as I said, the second of February, isn’t a dropdead deadline, you know..”

Jennings: “The first deadline was last year, a million people still haven’t registered.”

Higgins: “Mistakes were made last year, there’s no question of that, we’ve held our hands up to that but all you’ve to do is look at the protests over the weekend, you know, the numbers were significantly down.”

Jennings: “What part of the policy, so far, has been a success?”

Higgins: “Look we’ve had difficulties, any time you’re trying to set up a new utility, it’s going to present some degree of difficulty. And I think you will acknowledge that.”

Jennings: “But has there been any success yet?”

Higgins: “Of course there’s been success. You can see the silent majority that have paid, or have registered rather, to pay the water charge, at 1.1million as it stands.”

Listen back in full here

Previously: Taking The PPS

Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

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BBC Reporter Alys Harte

Abortion: Ireland’s Dirty Secret.

On BBC3.

Ireland Stand Up writes:

This programme follows 24 year-old Tara as she travels to England for an abortion as well hearing from Sarah, who turned from being pro-life to a campaigner for change, after her first child was diagnosed with a fatal foetal abnormality.

[Reporter] Alys Harte believes these voices are a sign that the stigma surrounding abortion is lifting. But she is also struck by the determination of a new generation of pro-life activists, who want to retain the status quo. Gemma, 16, believes some people think it’s fine to have casual sex as they can just have an abortion, an attitude she doesn’t want in Ireland.

Alys hears from a consultant obstetrician working in Belfast who says that her advice to patients is clouded by fear. In Northern Ireland, doctors can be jailed for life for performing illegal abortions. The government even issued draft guidelines that threatened NHS staff with ten years in prison if they didn’t report suspicions of unlawful abortions to the police.

With unprecedented access to both pro-life and pro-choice campaigners as they take to the streets in both Belfast and Dublin, Alys Harte reveals the extreme lengths that young people are prepared to go to in order that their voices are heard in the debate.

Abortion: Ireland’s Dirty Secret  on BBC 3 at 9pm.

Meanwhile…

Northern Ireland abortion laws case granted judicial review (BBC)

Broadsheet.ie