Tag Archives: Dundalk

CQoS7IjUYAE97fo

Dr Alison Lennon tweetz:

“An aerial view of Roche Castle, Dundalk [Co. Louth]. The only medieval castle in Ireland constructed by a woman.”

Yay.

Via Wikipedia:

After her husband’s sudden death whist travelling in Poitou, France, Rohesia de Verdun moved her lands in Ireland. She immediately set about fortifying the land with a castle. However, her quick tempered reputation deterred all potential architects.
She then offered her hand in marriage (and thereby a share in her wealth) to the man who would build the castle to her liking. Local legend has it, after their wedding banquet in the newly completed castle, she invited her husband to the bridal suite and urged him to view their estate from the large bedroom window. Taking no chances with the castle’s secrets, she promptly pushed her new husband from the window, where he plummeted towards his death…

Oh.

Castle Roche (Wikipedia)

ad

Ross writes:

Ad printed in the Dundalk Argus is causing a bit of a stir on social media locally. Most people are pretty shocked with the bluntness of the message, prior to this there has been no sign of a no campaign in Dundalk that I’ve seen, can’t even recall seeing a No poster. Up until now it’s all been really positive stuff from the Yes side.

gRBBp_V6yrdRwO57QMDgZtmx7ac_6QXJEVF0iHwXmlbt4WOMOWckV_4gexZcKbq1qAbmAccRyxNM6zG8ULnTiC-VuN3JqXKwMZaTyJ5lBQaGfhZq7cG5Mf-LhXwyH33kLsavIKgOe4mBI5DFbKQd7KqHjVsISNo3dGN5vNRZZy7aYapsdgc3BW9Wxlb4OvPWaUcjDFNx32oIwDaJeucqDca2zIL

Alan Daly adds:

It’s also in the Meath Chronicle and the Anglo Celt….

_71509237_breenbuchanonuntitled-1copy

(Chief Supt Harry Breen and Supt Bob Buchanan)

Yesterday three retired Garda Chief Superintendents publicly denied the conclusions of the Smithwick Tribunal that a member of the force in Dundalk Garda station colluded in the deaths of RUC oofficers Chief Supt Harry Breen and Supt Bob Buchanan in 1989..

Ed Moloney, author of The Secret History of the IRA in his blog today writes that the Provisional IRA did have a mole in Dundalk Garda station at the time of the RUC men’s killing.

I do not know what happened on the day that the two RUC men met their end but there are two things that I do know: one is that it was not necessary for the Gardai informant to tip off the IRA on the day of the killings for him to have colluded in the deaths.

The other thing I know is that the IRA did have an agent inside the Dundalk Garda station. The Smithwick Tribunal was established largely because of allegations from Toby Harnden in his book Bandit Country – The IRA and South Armagh that a Dundalk-based Garda helped the IRA kill the two RUC men.

I believed him not just because I know him to be a reputable and ethical journalist but also because I was told the same, that a well known Dundalk Garda was in the back pocket of the IRA in South Armagh. My source was a well-placed member of the IRA whose position in the organisation was such that he was in a position to know all about the Garda agent.

The details about the agent that I was given dovetail exactly with Harnden’s information. The protestations to the contrary from the retired Garda officers are understandable but they do not add up.


The IRA Did Have An Agent In The Dundalk Gardai (Ed Moloney, The Broken Elbow)

Previously: “Beyond Comprehension”

“There Was No Way They Were Going To Get Back”

JU writes:

“I work in Vodafone in Dundalk. Just over three weeks ago Vodafone announced that they would be moving over 300 jobs to Newry-based company Teleperformance from the call-centres in Dublin and Dundalk. I was hoping you could help shed some light on the current situation for the employees concerned, considering the lack of coverage there has been from the likes of RTE, I’m sure this competiion on last Friday’s Late Late Show is a coincidence.

While Vodafone have advised there will be no job losses and that our jobs are merely transferring to Newry, they have not been able to guarantee the jobs in the long term. Although we have been told that we will be employed on our existing terms and conditions, Teleperformance has already advertised new positions in Newry on current N.I. minimum wage rates, considerably less than what most of the Rigney Dolphin and Vodafone staff currently earn. Which takes me onto my next point.
As it stands, there are people like myself currently working in Vodafone who literally have €10 left over from their wages each week after bills have been paid. It is simply not economically viable for most of us to travel to Newry. One example of this would be people who work part-time weekend hours in Dundalk. Although Newry is only ten minutes from Dundalk, the extra mileage and the cost of parking (which is provided free within the grounds of the current call-centres) would mean the hours an employee works on a Friday evening would be more or less spent before they even sat down at their desk. At that stage the employee would probably get more money on the dole. Then consider the Dublin employees who will have even higher petrol costs if they have to drive to Newry.I think its fair to say that all of the employees involved would much rather work than join the dole queue
A local councillor and former employee in the Dundalk call-centre estimated that the move will see a loss of €4.7 million a year to Dundalk’s economy . Local shops and businesses which rely on the business they get from the Vodafone employees, through shopping, lunches etc. immediately expressed their concern about the adverse effects the move will have on their own futures. The CWU (Communications Workers’ Union) are currently involved in a consultation process with Vodafone with the hope of keeping our jobs where they are. But judging by Vodafone’s actions last year when they outsourced jobs to India and Egypt, it remains to be seen if they will do right by their staff.”