By now, readers will be familiar with the single strongest argument against Ireland’s impending level five lockdown: Cases are rising, yes, but hospitalisations, and deaths, remain low, notwithstanding the thirteen fatalities reported yesterday. Is the low number of deaths and hospitalisations, as some argue, a glitch? Or is it part of a wider pattern that’s […]
There’s probably been no more contentious subject in Ireland over the past six months or so than the question of mandatory facemasks. There are bigger questions, sure, on which the population is more evenly divided – lockdown or no lockdown; schools open, or schools closed; the infernal debate about “wet pubs”, and so on. But […]
As the country moves into level 5 restrictions once again, the rules are clear for everybody: Shops and businesses are closing. The Dáil continues to sit in the National Convention Centre, so that they can socially distance. Mass is too dangerous to be said. Going further than five kilometres from your own home is to […]
Look, maybe it’s just me being a sap, but there has been something wonderfully moving about the efforts of the people of Dingle to find their friend, mascot, and tourist-friendly local attraction over the past few days. Nothing less than a naval task force was assembled at the end of the Dingle Peninsula to search […]
An interesting bit of polling courtesy of Ireland Thinks and the Mail on Sunday: 🚨Poll🚨Ireland Thinks/Mail on Sunday Question: Should the country move to Level 5 restrictions? Yes: 51%No: 41%Undecided: 9% (Yes I know that it adds up to 101%, but that is what is reported. 🙃) 17th October 2020 — Ireland Votes | #Vote2024 […]
Like a lot of centre left parties around the world, Jacinda Ardern’s New Zealand Labour Party entered the recent New Zealand election pledging to raise taxes on the rich. At first glance, New Zealand Labour and it’s leader is everything the Irish left dreams of having here in Ireland – a young, unabashedly liberal, female […]
Last night, at around midnight, the absolute capstone on this dreadful year popped up on my facebook page, as it did on facebook pages around the country: A message from a facebook page in Dingle devoted to Fungie the Dolphin, saying that the poor chap had probably kicked the bucket. “Well”, I thought”, “Flip”. Except […]
Some necessary background, before we get into the story: Yesterday, an advert appeared in the Irish Times, setting out some facts and figures in relation to Covid 19 in Ireland. The advert did not provide all the facts, nor did it seek to put them in context. As an advert, it was very clearly trying […]
“Government ban household visits”, blared the Irish Examiner, last night, as the latest round of futile covid restrictions were announced: Government ban household visits – except for compassionate or essential reasons https://t.co/WSRGeVB06R — Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) October 14, 2020 Futile is a good word, here. The “restrictions” announced last night are not really restrictions at […]
The New York Post is the third largest domestic newspaper in the United States by circulation. It’s a tabloid, founded in 1801, and could best be described as sort of an American equivalent to The Sun. A tabloid, but a real newspaper – not comedy publication like, say, the National Enquirer. Yesterday it ran a […]
A fairly extraordinary statement for any politician to make, this, but worth reading, in the context of the ongoing mud-flinging match that is the US Presidential election: My thoughts on the current state of our politics: pic.twitter.com/oYY4zlX6ZP — Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) October 13, 2020 He’s right, of course – it is terrible. Whether one is […]
What’s the point of giving every student in the country €250 in the budget? The pubs are closed, after all. But nonetheless, that’s what the Government is doing, apparently: NEW: In budget third level students to be given €250 each to help meet the cost of this year. Total cost €50m. Details to be worked […]