Fort

 

Keith writes:

I know you don’t really do this sort of thing, but I’ve been trying to get some publicity for my friend Megan Stokes’ play [details below], Fort, with its first performance beginning in Smock Alley [Exchange Street, Dublin] tonight at 6pm. She’s an astoundingly talented writer working on a shoe-string budget, aspiring to work in theatre and journalism who has been fighting hard, juggling her degree, her play, and her sci-fi novel that I’m not supposed to tell anyone about.

 

Meanwhile, about the play:

“Blubber and King are stuck. In more than one way. Confined to their pillow fort they undergo repeating cycles of recovery and relapse while living with their respective mental illnesses and each other. Addressing disordered eating, sexual violence, the effect of mental illness on the families of sufferers, institutionalisation, and camaraderie between the mentally ill, we invite you to join Blubber and King in their fort. Because we’re all a bit messed up sometimes….and sometimes that’s OK….”

Megan Jane Stokes

Smock Alley

ollie
[Former Garda Confidential Recipient Oliver Connolly]

Further to comments by Oliver Connolly yesterday that he will neither comment nor ‘not validate, either by way of confirmation or repudiation, the contents of an alleged transcript unlawfully procured’.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties writes:

“The ICCL is somewhat bemused by the suggestion from the former Confidential Recipient Oliver Connolly that the law “prevents” his commentary on “any confidential report or discussions” held while he occupied his former role.

The An Garda Síochána (Confidential Reporting of Corruption or Malpractice) Regulations 2007 (SI 168 of 2007) to which Mr Connolly refers contain protections for the identity of a whistleblower. However, the regulations do not address the situation of a whistleblower such as Sergeant Maurice McCabe who has voluntarily disclosed his identity and chosen to waive the confidentiality of an alleged conversation with Oliver Connolly.

Moreover, it is hard to understand how the law could “prevent” Mr Connolly from repudiating statements attributed to him in Sergeant McCabe’s transcript if those statements were not made. Legally and logically, a statement that was not made could not possibly be covered either by the 2007 Regulations or the Official Secrets Act 1963 (as amended).”

ICCL comment on recent statement by Mr Oliver J. Connolly, former Garda Confidential Recipient (ICCL)

Tree
[A fallen tree on the Lower Dodder Road in Dublin on February 12]

The Irish Times reports:

It has been estimated that up to 7.5 million trees have fallen in forests following the severe storm on February 12th, according to early indications from the forestry industry.

The Windblow Taskforce, set up by the Department of Agriculture to assess the damage done from Storm Darwin, has estimated that between 5,000 and 7,000 hectares of forest were blown down, mostly in Munster.

.Windblow Taskforce?

Storm Darwin blew down up to 7.5 million trees, task force finds (Irish Times)

saint
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvO6TFesKpI#t=10

https://soundcloud.com/conor-jack-creighton/reading

Conor Creighton writes:

I’m releasing a book called Saint Frank this month. It was printed on a risograph, hand collated and hand bound I also did the illustrations, oh and I wrote it too. Anyway, it’s a completely independent job so I’m also doing the marketing leg work. If you found a space to tell people about it, I’d be delighted. I describe it as a dirty fairy tale. Oh and Pat McCabe, John Banville and Peter Murphy have all said wonderful things about it.

readsaintfrank

Broadsheet.ie