New Zealand is an island nation of about 5 million people. It is a western liberal democracy with public infrastructure and an advanced market economy. Like Ireland, New Zealand sits just off the coast of another larger island (admittedly about 4,000km off the coast, but we live in a globalised world) with which it is […]
The great heathen army that invaded England (and Ireland) in 865AD came, according to legend, in response to the execution of Ragnar Lothbrook by King Aelle of Northhumbria. Whether that is true, or false, it was the largest invasion that these islands had seen since Roman Times. For 45 years the Vikings dominated Northern England, […]
The annual Desmond Greaves summer school is normally held in late August or early September. It is probably unlikely to go ahead this year with the current restrictions in place, but it has been for long a key event in the calendar of the Irish left. One wonders what Greaves himself might have thought of […]
It seems like RTE has gone all 1968 on our ass. Not only have they guilt-bombed us now for months over our white supremacy and slavery associations, but now it seems the national broadcaster thinks that abolishing the police is something they should give a “platform” to. On Tuesday, the national broadcaster posted a piece […]
For most Irish people, child benefit is sacrosanct and should not be interfered with. Many families rely on the monthly payment to pay for basic costs, and, since the state has long-since scrapped child tax credits, child benefit has long been viewed as an essential contribution to the significant cost to families of rearing the […]
Ireland has been slower than most other EU countries to re-open its borders to inward travel. A certain narrative is taking root, endorsed by prominent voices in the scientific community as well as in Dáil Éireann, to the effect that we should spare no effort in keeping Ireland “Covid-free.” This narrative has radicalized our thinking around […]
In the last few days we learned that the Department of Social Protection has been busy tracking down people who have had the temerity to take a holiday while in receipt of Covid-19 welfare support – and punishing them by cutting off that payment. 104 people have had their Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) stopped “as […]
The development group which was reported to be in talks with the Irish government regarding the possibility of building a city for Hong Kongers in Ireland, has now confirmed that the discussion is ongoing. While the Department of Foreign Affairs seemed to downplay the possibility, Mark Lutter, the Chief Strategy Officer for the Victoria Harbor […]
A Report from Hotline.ie, which is Ireland’s national centre for monitoring activities related to online child sexual abuse and exploitation, is set to reveal that the rate of reported child sexual abuse material is at its highest level here since 1999, with a year-on-year increase of 79% on 2018 figures. According to the Law Society Gazette, […]
A stunning story from Ben Haugh in the Times at the weekend: Six locations in Ireland were discussed by government officials as possible sites for a new autonomous city named Nextpolis proposed by a wealthy Hong Kong businessman, The Times can reveal. The Department of Foreign Affairs has been in contact with the Victoria Harbour […]
Tipperary TD, Mattie McGrath, has strongly criticised the government for what he described as its failure to fight for Ireland when negotiating the European Covid-19 recovery deal “We’re the good boys in Europe. We’re the lackeys. We accept everything and nod” Deputy McGrath told the Dáil. He said that other countries had demanded write downs […]
Yes, this would be the same Michael Lowry who, according to the Moriarty Tribunal, made untrue statements in the course of its investigation, which found that he corruptly secured the largest single contract in the history of the state for Denis O’Brien, and received bribes for doing so. Still, it is never too late to […]