An absolutely astonishing report in the Irish Times this morning. No, scratch that. A report in the Irish Times that really should be astonishing, but of course, isn’t: Senior figures in Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil believe they can progress to negotiations on a coalition government with the Green Party on the basis of the […]
The phrase ‘missing Mass’ used to refer to non-attendance at Sunday Mass and was a serious omission for any Catholic. If it was habitual it could lead to a call from the local priest. Today that would be represented as clerical policing rather than an act of pastoral outreach. In fact, in a homogeneous religious […]
One of the most shocking elements of the global response to Covid-19 has been the involuntary confinement of entire populations to their homes – barring certain exceptional activities such as essential shopping, exercise, and medical attention. Lockdown measures of this sort are usually associated with wartime, and should not be taken lightly, not only because […]
“A change in scientific opinion”, trumpets the Irish Times: “Pressure has increased on the Government to require that face masks be worn routinely by the public to contain the Covid-19 virus, in line with a change in scientific opinion in favour of the measure. Scientists and TDs have called for the change based on indication […]
Just under a week after RTE’s veteran reporter, Tommie Gorman, told the viewing public that Ireland was doing so well compared to Britain because the English “lacked people of the stature of Tony Holohan and Paul Reid”, RTE is getting a treat from the Government. What a good boy: GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE of public service […]
The race is on to produce a COVID-19 vaccine: teams are working hard and fast across the world. We all long to see a vaccine in record time – but must, of course, have an eye to ethics too. Debates on vaccine ethics tend to focus on risks, whether to participants in clinical trials, or […]
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 […]