This evening.
Eamonn Farrell writes:
Further chaos due to Garda check points on the N7, with a 5km tailback from Castlewarden to Rathcoole as traffic headed home south from Dublin at 5.30pm…
The votes are in.
Last week, with a crotch-bulging €25 Golden Discs on offer, I asked you to name the greatest moment in heavy metal history.
You responded in headbangingly large numbers, securing for the discerning a playlist of ear bleeding riffage and manly wailing.
But there could be only one winner.
Third Place:
Raining Blood by Slayer
Clampers Outside writes:
‘Amid the sound of rain and eerie guitar feedback on the opening track to Slayer’s 1983 album Reign in Blood comes three quick taps of the drum…dut, dut, dut…Repeating a little louder each time, like a clock ticking down, building on atmospheric tension tighter and tighter…dut, dut, dut….dut, dut, dut…dut, dut, dut…
A sound so distinctive the entire song is recognisable from those first three beats alone.
… And then a clack of thunder, the 3 tap drum, now louder, adding a snarling guitar riff, before taking off at break neck speed. The now rampant drumming punching through that tension. It’s all hell let loose in those opening 40 odd seconds to ‘Raining Blood’.
Once heard, never forgotten. It is that 3 tap sound that can so minimally get one’s pulse racing that is nothing short of iconic…’
Runner-up:
Let There Be Rock by AC/DC
Micko writes:
‘Everyone always forgets about AC/DC’s original frontman. The late great, Bon Scott A man who, just exudes charisma through every pore. Look into his eyes – he’s hypnotic. A man TRULY enjoying himself. Pure joy.
Here (above) he is in one of his best performances in AC/DC’s “Let there be rock” while also dressed as a priest. It doesn’t get better than that. :)
PS: Even if you don’t like AC/DC, it’s worth watching for his performance alone and for the massive 10 FOOT JUMP over the rest of the band he makes (@4:15).’
Winner:
War Pigs by Black Sabbath
Barton writes:
‘The greatest moment in heavy metal was the formation of Black Sabbath in 1968. They went on to influence almost every heavy metal band to come. War Pigs is from their second album. It is just a powerhouse of monster riffs, bass lines and excellent drumming. This, along with Ozzy straining his voice to reach those notes makes for a top headbanger tune. A masterpiece.’
Nick says: Thanks all!
Last week: Win Nick’s Voucher
ITV presenter Philip Schofield
Course you are.
On The Late Late Show…
Jennifer O’Brien writes:
Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick will speak to Ryan about the life-changing event that happened to him earlier this year…
Singer Daniel O’Donnell will be in studio to speak about the ongoing struggles facing the music industry in Ireland…
TV presenter Philip Schofield made headlines when he made the decision to come out. Philip will speak with Ryan about what prompted him to first speak about his sexuality…
Campaigner Catherine Corless will discuss the significance of this week’s clarification by the government that adoptees and survivors of Mother and Baby Homes are legally entitled to access their personal data…
Presenter Cat Deeley will chat about life with her Irish husband, Patrick Kielty, and their decision to move back from the US to the UK after 14 years..
Bernard O’Shea will offer up his experience of his mid-life crisis in the form “manopause”…
Chef Donal Skehan will also chat with Ryan tomorrow evening about his recent return to Ireland, and keeping anxiety at bay…
The Late Late Show tomorrow at 9.35pm on RTÉ One.
Pic: ITV
From top: Patsy McGarry; This morning’s Irish Times
‘Last week too it was erroneously claimed that the Data Protection Act 2018* – which implements the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – meant the commission could no longer abide by provisions of the 2004 Act which set it up, and stipulated that documents it accumulated must be placed beyond public access.’
Irish Times Religious Affairs Correspondent Patsy McGarry
Meanwhile…
Katherine O’Donnell, of the Justice for Magdalenes Research (JFMR), tweetz:
Quick thoughts on the Irish Times coverage of Repeal the Seal…
1. Portraying adopted people’s and public anger at repeated Government. declarations that records would be sealed for 30 years as a misunderstanding of the bill and Government’s good intentions.
2. Blaming ‘hurt & upset’ of survivors on survivor/activists and academics protesting the system whereby adopted people are denied the name their mothers gave them and personal data – is to refuse to hear the empowered voices of survivors demanding their human rights.
3. Accusing activists and particularly academics of ‘wilfully’ misrepresenting the Bill and Commission and deliberately and unnecessarily upsetting ‘those people affected’ is not merely wrong (and injurious) but dangerous to fostering informed respectful public debate.
4. Sustained a very unusual level of ‘inaccuracies’ in The Irish Times is troubling e.g. 2004 Act does not in fact seal archives – Magdalene Inquiry wasn’t based on this Act. etc. Failure to ask critical questions – such as isn’t it illegal for Commission to destroy a database?
Good reporters editorialising on behalf of Government is a betrayal of journalistic standards – we need them to continue to hold power to account. Coverage in The Journal and Irish Examiner was so much better.
Finally – we would not have achieved any justice measures won (so far) without the level of engaged and informed debate on Twitter. I’m looking forward to Irish Twitter continuing to listening and informing each other, debating and critiquing – we have an ongoing job to ensure justice.
McGarry, eh?
Unnerving LPs from the @obscurestvinyl Insta, wherein folk submit sinister, lurid and scatological parodies of awkwardly staged but genuine vintage album covers.
Sack – Laughter Lines
Continuing our series of underrated Irish music since 1960 (unearthed by our recent Golden Discs competition), reader (and Zappa fan!) Andy Pipkin has a soft spot for 1990s Dublin indie guitar stalwarts Sack who were led by Martin McCann (now an ace DJ).
Andy says:
“From the opening unforgettable line to the brilliant chorus, the fantastic Sack and Laughter Lines…”
Nick says: The best medicine.
You know what you need?
A surfboard serving board.
Ann Power writes:
Copper Coast Woodcrafts is a timber and copper craft company based in Tramore in County Waterford who are producing an array of unique serving boards and platters, sushi boards and chopsticks, retro-style bent nail beer bottle openers, wine bottle and glass carriers and even skateboards this festive season. Prices range from €15 to €180 plus delivery. Browse and shop online for these unique pieces (at link below)
Irish-made stocking fillers to broadsheet@broadsheet.iue marked ‘Irish-Made Stocking Fillers’. No fee.
Um
Micko writes:
Hot Press have just shared this survey on their Facebook page.
In it, they ask potential concert-goers about their willingness to wear a tracking wristband that allows them to monitor for contact tracing. Fair enough.
They also ask about your willingness to wear such a device for 10 DAYS before you go to the gig to monitor your temperature and sleep patterns and tracing your GPS data while at the event – for safety…
I guess, failing the sleep and temperature check would prevent you from entering the concert.
I know it’s only a survey, but it possibly shows where this thing is eventually going if we don’t nip it in the bud now.
Anyone?
A colourful, trope-filled short by Dylan Chase in which five Jeebie Scouts attempting to outscare each other with ghost stories are interrupted by a knock at the door.
A little intense for tots but older kids (and you, you big kid) will love it.
Jeremy Corbyn has been suspended from the UK Labour Party he led up to last year
I will strongly contest the political intervention to suspend me.
I’ve made absolutely clear those who deny there has been an antisemitism problem in the Labour Party are wrong.
I will continue to support a zero tolerance policy towards all forms of racism.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) October 29, 2020
This afternoon.
Jeremy Corbyn responds to his suspension from the UK Labour Party provoked by a statement that he rejected the conclusions of a Equality and Human Rights Commission report into claims of anti-semitism during his time as leader.
He said the problem was “dramatically overstated for political reasons” by opponents and the media.
Labour suspends Jeremy Corbyn over EHRC report comments (The Guardian)