Beginning with denial and ending with acceptance, the five stages of grief proposed by Swiss-American psychologist Ellizabeth Kubler-Ross made her famous during her lifetime and even became a staple of popular culture. Sometimes one almost wonders, watching the Irish reaction to one event after another, whether she would have been tempted to slot ‘Brit-bashing’ somewhere […]
God bless Vanessa Hudgens. Right across the media people are looking for content that isn’t utterly depressing, or isn’t about the bloody so-called “curve”, or “social distancing”. And let me tell you, it’s a bleak, bleak landscape for content right now. And then along comes a good-looking Hollywood starlet to say something absolutely outrageous. It’s […]
Most of the praise for the Taoiseach’s well-delivered speech to the nation last night has focused on his reassuring tone and calm embodiment of national determination. Those things, are, of course, entirely subjective. For myself, I thought it was very good – his finest hour in fact, not that there’s much competition for that particular […]
The British Prime Minister, Boris Johnston, has rapidly changed the coronavirus strategy for Britain as a new expert report warned the country might experience up to 250,000 deaths if the the current course of action was continued. The new report is said to be the main reason for the swift and significant change in strategy […]
It’s been a rough couple of days for the British Prime Minister. First, there was the unfortunate announcement from his Government’s scientific advisors that they had, erm, under-estimated the scale of the Coronavirus problem by a magnitude of thousands of potential deaths, because, well, they’d been modelling an entirely different disease: The UK only realised […]
For anyone interested, as softies like me are, in wildlife conservation and protection, the People’s Republic of China has long been the world’s greatest and most abominable villain. Nearly all of the poaching of endangered species in Africa, for example, is carried out to meet the demands of the Chinese market. Rhinoceros are regularly shot, […]
Dublin Fire Brigade has reported cases of arson around the Finglas area in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, citing school closures and youths with too much time on their hands as a possible motive. In a tweet yesterday morning, the fire department said: “Keeping youngsters, not so young and old-enough-to-know-betters entertained will be a […]
One senior NHS official told the Guardian that the figures mean up to half a million people could die, if the expected mortality rate of 1% materialises in Europe.
The HSE has disputed a “fake news” message making the rounds on WhatsApp about the covid-19 virus. The message claims that using drugs like difene and ibuprofen makes covid-19 symptoms worse, and proposes the use of physiotherapy as a treatment for the disease. It claims to be supported by a “specialist” at Cork University Hospital. […]
The Italians are singing to each other across empty streets, so famous Offaly “singing pub” JJ Houghs has released a video of the ‘Irish version’ of how to show solidarity as COVID-19 locks down the country. The Banagher hostelry is as much loved for it hilarious videos and chat as it is for the unique […]
As Ireland attempts to avoid the devastating impact of Covid-19 experienced in Italy, Pope Francis was meanwhile spotted walking deserted Roman streets to churches where people historically prayed for an end to plagues besetting the country.
Just when many of us have become virtual prisoners in our own homes to help fight Covid-19, authorities have decided that they might start releasing actual prisoners from actual prisons during the crisis. First those with three and then those with six months left on their sentences would be released, say authorities, and maybe even […]