Ireland’s maternity services are once again under the spotlight, as an overwhelming number of callers to RTE Radio One’s Liveline described difficult experiences of the system. Women told of being dismissed and humiliated, and a minority told of severe injuries to them or their baby. They were all over the country and they had given birth [...]
One of the slogans adorning pro-repeal t shirts before the referendum was ‘In Awe of Mná’, and following the astonishing result of Friday’s referendum on the 8th amendment, it’s clear that slogan was prescient. Yes campaigners at the count in Cork city. Photo: Fiona Corcoran We are all in awe of mná. Politicians, particularly, [...]
Happy birthday to my son, Ferdia. It’s been one hell of a year since this little boy burst into the world in rather a rush, kicking and curious and ready for action. https://www.instagram.com/p/BZEw7MqB6Sn/?taken-by=deshocks My beautiful blond boy has turned me into the kind of mother I always laughed at. My husband says he knew almost [...]
Lying down in a dimly lit, pleasantly scented room while someone gently rubs your feet is something everyone should do at least once in their life, and if that happens to be during pregnancy, so much for the better. You may not be able to have a pedicure during your first trimester - some spas and [...]
What's a red line issue to you? For me, in this election, it was the 8th Amendment. I didn't give a preference to candidates who didn't support repeal. For others before the last election, I imagine marriage equality was one. If the 8th Amendment is repealed, I expect it to remain a red line issue for me. [...]
Rosie-the-Riveter (Photo credit: SBT4NOW) This week, Fianna Fáil launched a plan to get more women involved in the party. Senator Averil Power, one of the party’s two female Oireachtas members, launched the plan with party leader Micheál Martin and Niamh Gallagher of Women for Election, a non-partisan training body that is focussed on improving [...]
I was on RTÉ Frontline #rtefl as tweeters know it, last night, talking about the Presidency (from the audience). It was an interesting discussion but disappointing in that of the four candidates present, two won't be in the race after Sunday. I was quite impressed with Fergus Finlay. Full thoughts in this weeks editorial, [...]
Back to life, back to reality. Back to the here and now, yeah. Wise words from 1980s soul singers En Vogue, who played the Cork Opera House last October to a crowd of nostalgic, almost middle-aged fans. And particularly applicable to what will happen after tomorrow’s day of reckoning. Since the election was called, [...]
On my way to UCC yesterday to meet Alastair Campbell I had a most interesting chat with the taxi driver who brought me. I was expecting serious political discussion and judgement of the political parties’ electoral prospects at the event, but not before it. But like many of the voters I met on the [...]
This is my editorial from 28 October. What must WT Cosgrave think now of his errant grandson? Allegedly backhanding a few bob to pollute the state his grandfather helped create, and shamed, almost twenty years later, with the ignominy of a corruption charge. What must deValera think of his grandson the minister? Éamon Ó [...]
