Albino Luciani, Cardinal Patriarch of Venice, was elected as Pope John Paul I on this day, August 26th, in 1978. Born in 1912, John Paul I was 65 years old at the time of his election, and in poor health. Though a popular choice amongst the Cardinals at the time of his election, he had […]
The kind of audio you must listen to two or three times because you don’t really believe he said it the first time. But say it, he did: Phil Hogan finally telling the truth as he explains how two tier Ireland really works "If they knew I was a commissioner or politician the Gardai wouldn't […]
“So will they be sent home if they refuse to wear the mask?”, asked Richard Downes on Prime Time last night. “Yes absolutely, everybody is expected to wear the mask” replied the Minister for Education, Norma Foley. Good news, if, like me, you are the husband of a teacher, or indeed if you are a […]
Several interesting things happened on August 25th. Most prominently, the date saw the liberation of Paris by the Allies in 1944. But that tale pales into insignificance beside the story of Hugh Glass and the Grizzly Bear. Hugh Glass was an American frontiersman, who lived most of his life in that lawless wilderness of the […]
To lose one agriculture minister might be regarded as a misfortune. To lose two, the IFA might have said to the Taoiseach last night, is just rank carelessness: Cullinan said: “We are very concerned about the disruption caused by the loss of two Ministers for Agriculture since the new government was formed, and reports that […]
Confession: I cannot figure out for the life of me what readers will make of this. On the one hand, it’s one in the eye for west brit lackeys like me, and presumably the membership of Fine Gael, who’s favourite part of the year is when “Rule Britannia” comes on at the end of the […]
It is important, generally, to try and not get personal when it comes to the people who govern us. For the most part, they are doing their best. Being wrong, as they regularly are is a human fault, not one that is specific to one party, or one person. Politicians want to be remembered well, […]
The International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) exists to hear appeals on the decisions of the International Protection Officer on applications for protection in the state. In plain English, it’s the body which decides whether an asylum seeker is properly entitled to asylum in the state. People appearing before it, then, have a right to expect […]
Vice President Joe Biden accepted the Democratic nomination for President of the United States last night, and has now been formally ratified as President Trump’s opponent for the election, scheduled for November 3rd. Here are his full remarks: Biden promised that his first action if he is elected president will be to “get control of […]
They’ve all gone mad, haven’t they? Just think: there’s an alternative universe out there somewhere in which Fianna Fáil members had sense and told Micheál Martin that going into coalition was a dumb idea. In that universe, Dara Calleary is presently leader of Fianna Fáil, and leader of the opposition, watching his poll numbers grow […]
The Democratic National Convention, which will, tomorrow night, nominate Joe Biden to replace Donald Trump, is well underway. And last night, Bill Clinton gave a typically Bill Clinton speech. Preceded, of course, by a typically Bill Clinton headline: New photos show Bill Clinton getting massage from Epstein accuser https://t.co/g6hObcblMt pic.twitter.com/lSiRoNJfuU — New York Post (@nypost) […]
They should really have extended this invitation to the Taoiseach, too, since he’s the one who made the decision: Following this evening’s unexpected announcement the GAA invites Dr Ronan Glynn and NPHET to present the empirical evidence which informed the requirement for the Association to curtail its activities. The Association will tonight be issuing an […]