I’m sorry, my dear, but it’s true,
George Clooney has uttered “I do”,
If that frightful old mare,
Hadn’t managed to snare,
Him I’m certain he’d have chosen you.
John Moynes
(AP)
FIGHT!
at
Crystal clear portraits of Betta (Siamese fighting fish) by Banglok based photographer Visarute Angkatavanich.
Previously: Fighting Fish Portraits
Remote
at
Mark Moran writes:
“My Honda Integra Tyre R was stolen from Mondello Park [Caragh, Co Kildare] at Jap Fest [Ireland’s only festival of Japanese Motoring and Motorsport] yesterday – white with standard white alloys. Anyone with any information please leave a message below or contact Naas gardai on 045 884347. Thanks…”
Anyone?
Thanks Derek Troy
UPDATE:
@broadsheet_ie thanks for the post on the stolen Integra yesterday. She was found this afternoon safe and sound.
— Derek Troy (@derektroy) September 30, 2014
Little is known of Amal’s earlier relationships (we assume she was climbing that corporate ladder and smashing glass ceilings) but she’s tying the knot with an actor, whose name is George Clooney, we’re told.
Amal & GeorgeHe’s probably a nice man, but seems to be a bit clingy, as since she met him it’s hard to find a photo or footage of Amal without him hanging around in the background.
Thanks Spaghetti Hoop
The flocking patterns of migrant professionals compared by empet based on data collected from the European Commission Database.
You may like this.
Philip Barrett writes:
Students will learn the basics of comic storytelling and each create their own multi-page, black and white story for inclusion in a class anthology, a copy of which they will receive at the final class. The focus will be on storytelling through words and pictures with an emphasis on personal and autobiographical work. The class does not require previous drawing experience though it will include hints and tips on cartooning, design and other related visual skills as well as information on the layout and print-production aspect of comic book creation.
Comics Nightclass – Visual Storytelling – Autumn 2014 (Blackshapes)
Lucia O’Farrell
You may know the case of hit-and-run victim, Shane O’Farrell, is one of the 282 cases of alleged Garda misconduct being examined by a panel of two senior and five junior counsel.
The panel was established by Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald following the publication of the Guerin Report which looked at the handling of allegations made by Sergeant Maurice McCabe about gardaí and the Department of Justice.
The Department of Justice wrote to Ms O’Farrell to tell her Shane’s case was being included in this review, on August 8, 2014.
In relation to the review, Frances Fitzgerald told the Dáil last Wednesday:
“The review of each allegation consists of an examination of the papers by a counsel from the panel and does not involve interviews or interaction with complainants or any other form of investigation, although counsel may recommend that I seek further information to assist in coming to an appropriate recommendation in any particular case.”
Ms Fitzgerald, in response to a question from Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins, said:
“This is an opportunity to go through the detailed information on cases and we have asked everyone to submit material in writing. In many cases there is a considerable amount of correspondence. If there is nothing in writing I call on Deputy Collins to encourage people to put as much in writing as they can. We have put no limitation on the material that can be submitted and indeed extra material has been submitted in several cases.”
However, Lucia O’Farrell says:
“Perhaps Ms Fitzgerald could identify to me when she asked ‘everyone to submit material in writing’? I find this response unusual as neither in the letter to me or letters to Senator David Norris or John McGuinness or Finian McGrath (who wrote to her on my behalf), did she ask for materials to be submitted to to her. They appear to be making it up as they go along.”
“Initially, when the two senior counsels were appointed, this review was to take eight to 12 weeks. Therefore this would be due out soon. How can they now say on the Dáil floor, at the end of September, “we asked everyone to submit material in writing”?
“What about all the other families, who did not hear this on Wednesday, or who don’t have the internet, or can’t get broadband? I phoned around to inform who I could.
Last Friday, and in response to Ms Fitzgerald’s comments made in the Dáil, Ms O’Farrell drove from her home in Monaghan to Dublin, to deliver material to the Department of Justice at Stephen’s Green.
She says:
“I asked the desk person/security to phone upstairs for the person who was aware I was coming with this material. This call was made, but the secretary to minister Fitzgerald, Chris Quattrociocchi, refused to send anyone down stairs to collect and sign for the material which was in a brown A4 envelope. I left it with the desk person.”
Meanwhile, one of the Senior Counsel appointed to the review is Conor Devally – who defended Zigimantus Gridziuska, the man who killed Shane O’Farrell.
The O’Farrell family have since been told that Mr Devally won’t be involved in the Shane O’Farrell case due to a conflict of interest.
Despite this, Mr Devally will receive a brief fee of €20,000 to oversee all the complaints. The other senior counsel involved is Aileen Donnelly, who was made a High Court judge last week.
On foot of this appointment, Ms O’Farrell asks:
“Will she continue in the capacity as SC in this review process? Will she be replaced? If she is not replaced, will Connor Devally be overseeing all cases?”
The junior counsel include: Paul Carroll, John Fitzgerald, Tony McGuillicuddy, Siobhán Ní Chúlacháin and Karen O’Connor.
Previously: “Delay, Deny, Lie, Then Cover Up”
Tommy Tiernan and Philip O’Connor
Tommy Tiernan’s improvised show in Stockholm, Sweden in March will be a small part of Tommy: To Tell You The Truth a documentary showing on RTE1 at 9.35 tonight.
Sweden-based journalist Philip O’Connor was in the audience.
He writes:
Surely he wasn’t going to improvise the whole show?
He was.
And he did.
In parts it was gut-achingly hilarious, in others cringeworthy. His few hours in the city had given him enough to hit the easy targets early and often – how well-run the country seemed, how beautiful everyone was, and how the Irish stood out in comparison.
The crowd tried to go with him but those with bellies full of beer and a distinct lack of understanding of the live setting interrupted the flow repeatedly with heckles, particularly when Tiernan tried to take the tempo down before quickening again.
It was like the lions realizing that the ringmaster’s whip and chair were no match for their teeth, but this particular ringmaster had a few more potent barbs in his arsenal.
Tommy ploughed manfully on – 18 years of dealing with audience members who all think they are funnier than you gives you certain coping mechanisms, even without the safety net of a script – never once seeking the comfort of familiar material.It was a masterful, powerful, almost sickeningly brave performance, both physically and verbally.
This was a performer dragging us to the very limits, forcing us to stare into the abyss and then pulling us back and changing course. Only a few were lost over the side.
Finally, he took the enthusiastic standing ovation of the crowd; some applauded the jokes made up on the spot, while others applauded his courage and resilience.
Some clapped in relief that it was over, while others knew that they had seen something very, very special, even if they couldn’t put their finger on what it was….”
Fair play, in fairness.
More here: When Tommy Walked The Tightrope In Stockholm (Philip O’Connor, Our Man InStockholm)
Denis O’Brien
“In Ireland, there might eventually be only one or two newspapers. The problem now is, there are a lot of management teams in media who don’t see any way of co-operating, and to be honest, they are the cows on the line.”
“People in media and management can’t cooperate, and if you don’t cooperate sending vans, sharing resources, sharing everything, nobody will survive. Or only one will survive.”
“You take INM [Independent News and Media], which has stabilised. I think [INM chairman] Leslie Buckly had a massive impact in doing that, and with great difficulty, and the board met nearly every week. It’s a real worker board, and not a lot of reward.”
“It is the digital side where they made the investment, and that is where the really big bet is. Hopefully, we can maintain a good solid base of readers who buy the paper every day. It is a huge challenge, complicated by the fact that all the news you see about media is written by media, so they are all conflicted.”
“At the end of the day, there has to be pollination between online radio and TV and newspapers. I was up with a business in Canada last week, Rogers, and they have a massive network across all platforms, and whatever business they have is cross-promoted across everything else. They are in radio, television, cable TV, mobiles – they are a mega company. ”
“When I told one of their main guys about the restrictions in Ireland, the guy fell off the chair laughing. He said: “You gotta be kidding me, that is Stone Age stuff. That is completely the antithesis of where the world is moving to.”
Denis O’Brien in an interview with Niall O’Dowd in yesterday’s Sunday Business Post.
The Moriarty Tribunal, Irish Water, or how Mr O’Brien’s purchase of both SiteServ and Blue Ocean Associates came after the IBRC wrote off €64million and €100million in debt from the companies respectively were not discussed.
In addition, there was no mention of the Irish secretary of the National Union of Journalists, Seamus Dooley’s call for the establishment of a commission of inquiry into the future of Ireland’s media.
Good times.
Mr O’Brien’s interview is behind paywall at the Sunday Business Post. It’s also on Irish Central (link below).
(Photocall ireland)