President Michael D Higgins has described the purchase of Twitter by tech billionaire Elon Musk as a ‘manifestation of an incredible and dangerous narcissism’ | Read more: https://t.co/UcW55R2V7Gpic.twitter.com/5b9CZCjL3E
Speaking about the importance of the role of the media in the battle against climate change at a conference in Dublin City University, the president asked is it a great success if a billionaire would now be deciding what is appropriate for people to exchange by way of discourse.
Without mentioning Mr Musk by name, the president said the purchase of Twitter can hardly be described as anything other than the manifestation of an incredible and dangerous narcissism.
He then read out one of his poems before changing into a tailored three-piece tweed suit with matching cane for dinner, where he recited from his epic work, ‘Globalism: Lovelier Than A Tree’.
Protestors tie children’s shoe’s to railings outside the President’s residence following his signing of a bill that will seal records from the Mother and Baby Home Commission for 30 years.
For a flavour of the sort of things Government TDs have been saying about campaigners out of the glare of these public fora where they will be engaged with, here’s a redacted email from FF TD, Niall Collins which was sent on to me.
— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) April 2, 2020
Mmmf.
Earlier…
At noon today, Ireland’s independent, local and community radio stations will broadcast a message of support from President Higgins to communities around the country.
— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) April 2, 2020
Free at Midday?
Of course you are.
At noon today, President Michael D Higgins will broadcast a message across all independent, local and community radio stations.
President of Greece Prokopios Pavlopoulos and Vlassia Pavlopoulou with President Michael D Higgins and Sabina Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin
Yesterday
Minister of State Finian McGrath represented the Government during the State visit of the President of Greece to Áras an Uachtaráin as all senior Ministers were unavailable.
Jack Power, in The Irish Times, reports:
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was due to meet Mr Pavlopoulos at Government Buildings on Thursday afternoon, but the meeting was cancelled earlier that morning, with Mr Varadkar attending events on the Fine Gael campaign trail instead.
…Mr McGrath is the only TD who sits at Cabinet who is not standing in the upcoming general election.
One senior Áras source said there was a sense of disappointment that the Government had not sent a senior Minister to attend the welcome ceremony.
US Army veterans Ken Mayers and Tarak Kauff; President Michael D Higgins at the New York Library; and Zaidie Mayers speaking to President Higgins in New York
Two US army veterans and members of Veterans For Peace, Ken Mayers and Tarak Kauff, aged 82 and 77, were arrested on St Patrick’s Day at Shannon Airport.
It followed them protesting against the continued use of the airport by the US military.
They’re accused of causing €2,500 worth of criminal damage to the airport’s perimeter fence, as well as unlawfully trespassing into a taxiway.
They’re now awaiting trial and, on Monday, appeared before Ennis District Court, with the court hearing that they’ve sought a transfer of the case from Clare to Dublin.
President Michael D Higgins was doing an interview with WYNC, during which Ellen Davidson, wife of Tarek Kauff, rang into the show.
Ms Davidson, who lives in Manhattan but is currently based in Dublin, said:
“I understand President Higgins is a big supporter of Irish neutrality so I’m wondering why the Irish Government is allowing US military flights to go through Shannon Airport in violation of that neutrality, bringing troops to the Middle East, to the wars that cause the refugees he’s been talking about.
“And, also, about the case of two US veterans who did a peaceful protest against those flights in March and they’ve been held in Ireland ever since, without their passports, on very minor charges, for a peaceful protest.”
President Higgins responded:
“Yes, I think that your caller will know these are issues, when I was a member of parliament, I spoke and acted very often. I do think that the issue – the two people whose case I am familiar – is a matter for Government and I will draw the attention of Government to it.
“But you’ll appreciate that as president, I cannot interfere in the executive decisions of Government.”
Meanwhile, also yesterday…
At the New York. Library.
President Higgins took part in an interview with journalist and senior writer at the New York Times Dan Barry.
After the interview finished, Zaidie Mayers, the granddaughter of Mr Mayers, approached President Higgins and raised her granddad’s case.
President Higgins said:
“I’ve read about the two people who were on that walk. I’ll see what I can do.”
