It’s a truth rarely acknowledged in Irish politics that, well, the truth is rarely acknowledged in Irish politics. Families are ‘hardworking’, even those who aren’t. All pensioners are lonely and impoverished. The middle classes are ‘squeezed’, even when they demonstrably are well able to afford two cars and three holidays a year. The over 70s [...]
On Monday evening I was in Dublin to attend RTÉ's The Frontline as a participant from the audience. The show was about the Presidency and my contribution was about the absurdity of the political hoops prospective candidates must jump through, before they ever get to our ballot papers. Our only directly elected national representative [...]
In the last 24 hours, I have heard three different people say: "I'd hate to live with a Chink. They smell, you know." "His children? [referring to well-known Irish man of mixed race] You'll find them in the zoo." "He's foreign, but he's gorgeous. It's ok, I checked, he's not Polish." Edit: Is this [...]
AIB's announcement earlier this week that 2,000 of its staff will lose their jobs this year due to financial constraints was overshadowed by the surprising revelation that the bank will consider writing off debts for some mortgage holders. The plans are not set in stone yet but according to the bank's executive chairman David [...]
‘Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle’. This quote from the Greek philosopher Plato, is an apt one for the times we live in. Hurt, angry, upset, betrayed people who are worried and frustrated lash out, and lashing out at other people in the same predicament can only ever make [...]
This is my editorial from Thursday 26 August. Apologies for delay updating!We all have those moments in our lives that stand apart as landmarks. They might be a way of remembering a loved one or idyllic period, or they might be the marker of a turning point or an 'annus horribilis'. While they are moments that [...]
The news today about McElhinney's of Athboy is really heartwarming. Unusual for business news to be "heartwarming", but this is a through-and-through good news story. I'm not too acquainted with the finer points of the deal, but from what I gather, after going into voluntary liquidation, the company did a deal with another Irish company - [...]
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