Caution, Caution, Caution – pretty much how you should respond to any news about Coronavirus these days, because the simple fact is that there’s so much we don’t know. And probably the biggest thing we don’t know is this: How many people are actually infected, and don’t know, and have never been tested, because they […]
Keelings employs over 2,000 people. Over the past century it has transformed from being a prosperous north county Dublin family farm which in 1926 began to concentrate on fruit and veg wholesale and export. It is now a vast enterprise with branches in 42 countries. One of its successful ventures has been to buy fruit, […]
One of the most remarkable achievements of the Irish government in the Covid-19 crisis has been its ability to avoid almost any hard questions for any of its actions, even when they’ve made clearly terrible decisions that would end up costing lives. Most media outlets have simply fallen into line and become mouthpieces for the […]
I haven’t written much about Keelings here mainly because I’m a bit of a heretic on the subject, and my views on the underlying issue are totally at odds with those of Ben, and, let’s face it, most of you, the readers. But my own views on the matter aren’t that important. What’s more important […]
77 deaths were reported in Ireland yesterday, comfortably our highest daily total, and, on a per capita basis, almost twice as many deaths per head of population yesterday as reported in the United Kingdom. Their death rate is slowing; ours is accelerating. Amateur statistician Keith Mills has the figures: Following today's awful Irish news, we […]
We have no way of knowing what the final outcome of the Covid–19 Pandemic will be for national economies, for the global economy. Nor do we know the likely impact on freedoms, including freedom of worship and freedom of movement which, until recently, we took for granted. Talk of “Exits” and even the accelerated testing […]
This article will consider the potential for political and public-health mismanagement of the Covid-19 crisis, since confirmation of the first case in Ireland on 29/2/2020 to the time of writing 12/4/2020. I will begin with a brief outline of some of what is known about the Covid-19 virus, and what is known about Coronaviridae in […]
The coverage given to Trump is by design of course, as journalists the world-over try to dig his grave ahead of November’s election, but the dereliction of duty in holding our own political class to account is inexcusable.
As a former Gaelscoil Principal, I am very aware of the challenges that families are confronted with as they try to meet rising educational costs while maintaining a good standard of healthy living for their children. This is a situation that is almost certainly going to get much more difficult in the coming months and […]
In light of the Irish media’s widespread praise for yesterday’s Sunday Times article outlining the failures of the British Government, it might be worth taking a look at events in a similar timeframe closer to home. “38 days when Britain sleepwalked into disaster”, was the headline of the Sunday Times piece. Here’s what was happening […]
Alcohol Action Ireland has a name that makes you think it’s run by, and operated by, concerned citizens who are worried about the public health risks of too much drinking. When it appears in the media, as it did yesterday, you, the ordinary person, are supposed to think that you’re hearing from a group of […]
The burdens of high office are great indeed. Yesterday, as the UK media were salivating over a hard-hitting report in the Sunday Times into mistakes made by Boris Johnson’s Government, Ireland’s flagship Sunday Newspaper was publishing this interview with Simon Harris. Behold, the standard of questioning Irish politicians can expect to face, these days: Two […]