Affairs of the Nation

feargus-flood

Affairs of the Nation

FLOOD/MAHON TRIBUNAL WIPE-OUT

THE fiasco that is the Mahon Tribunal has now climaxed with virtually all findings of culpability against previously named parties being dumped. Estimates of the tribunal’s cost – so far... Read more »
Denis-OBrien

Affairs of the Nation

DENIS O’BRIEN IN THE GOLDMINES

WHAT now for the media mogul Denis O’Brien and Red Flag, the PR firm that Denis has chased through the courts for alleged defamation and conspiracy via that elusive USB... Read more »
MaryRobinson01

Affairs of the Nation

MARY ROBINSON’S NEW DIRECTORS

AS PLANS proceed for Mary Robinson’s multi-million euro shrine in Ballina, she had beefed up the board of her new foundation with some familiar faces. It will be recalled (see... Read more »

Affairs of the Nation

kate-feeney

Affairs of the Nation

LABOUR’S SENATE GENDER DEFICIT

LABOUR’S horrendous general election, coupled with its equally abysmal local election results, mean that its Seanad voting franchise – councillors and newly elected TDs as well as outgoing senators –... Read more »
Kieran Rose

Affairs of the Nation

KIERAN ROSE’S CAMPAIGN

CONGRATULATIONS to wily NUI Seanad candidate and impressive self-promoter Kieran Rose. The Dublin City Council senior planner has managed to attract oodles of coverage in the run-up to his first... Read more »
Richard Bruton

Affairs of the Nation

REFERENDUM ON EU-US TRADE DEAL?

THE Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP), the trade and investment-protection deal between the EU and the US, threatens to undermine national sovereignties, domestic law and living standards across Europe... Read more »
bob-gunkel

Affairs of the Nation

“CURIOUS AND UNSETTLING” IN CORK

A RETIRED chartered engineer, William Bailey, has just won an important and interesting legal battle in the Court of Appeal concerning an unauthorised multi-million euro wind farm outside Dunmanway, Co... Read more »

Pillars of Society

Michael Healy-Rae

Pillars of Society

Michael & Danny Healy-Rae

When the 32nd Dáil first met for the first time a fortnight ago, the real show in town that day appeared to be Healy-Rae brothers,... Read more »

The Young Bloods

Jack Chambers

The Young Bloods

Jack Chambers

TWENTY-five year-old Jack Chambers, the newly elected Fianna Fáil TD for Brian Lenihan’s old constituency of Dublin West (and the youngest TD elected in... Read more »

Fit to Print?

Miriam O’Callaghan

Fit to Print?

SINN FÉIN LIBEL LOOT

THE media onslaught against Sinn Féin has not been entirely without consequence but it is RTÉ, not the Irish Independent, that faces High Court actions from two SF members. When... Read more »
Caroline Downey

Fit to Print?

MCD BLACKLIST CRITIC

A WELL written review of musicians like “bestubbled young guitar strummer, Hozier” – too well written – by music critic Ed Power for The Sunday Times recently has resulted in... Read more »
sunday-business-post

Fit to Print?

Business Post vacancies

THE departure of Pat Leahy from the Sunday Business Post to The Irish Times (his deputy political editor title indicating that he will succeed the soon to retire IT political... Read more »

Last Refuge

Frank Flannery

Last Refuge

WASTED WEST WINGERS

HAVE former advisers, Fine Gael’s Frank Flannery and would-be Fianna Fáil handler, Noel Whelan, over-extended themselves just a tad? Flannery, in particular, has gone way beyond his current station in... Read more »
LisaChambers

Last Refuge

Lisa Chambers’s appeal

IF Micheál Martin experienced a bitter sweet moment at Mary Hanafin’s election defeat in Dún Laoghaire he was gratified by the victory of his Mayo candidate, Lisa Chambers. And he... Read more »
RIchard Boyd Barrett

Last Refuge

FAR LEFT: FIRST ITEM

THE ‘united front’ of AAA/PBP aka, the SP (Paul Murphy) and SWP (Richard Boyd Barrett), have six TDs between them, three each, whereas it was 2-1 to the SP in... Read more »
Simon Coveney

Last Refuge

SIMON COVENEY MOVES TO SUCCESSION SLOT

SIMON COVENEY is now playing a central role in Fine Gael’s efforts to construct a rainbow coalition and is acting in tandem with Enda Kenny in talks with the Independents.... Read more »

Bog Cuttings

bog cuttings

Bog Cuttings

Bog Cuttings

CROSSBOW ATTACK AFTER MAN KNOCKED OUT OF WHEELCHAIR A MAN who fell out of his wheelchair during a scuffle later shot someone with a crossbow, a court has heard. Thomas... Read more »

Fowl Emissions

Fowl Emissions

FRACKING NORTH AND SOUTH

THE “end of the fossil fuel era” was the favoured description for December’s historic agreement at the COP21 climate summit in Paris, as nearly 200 world leaders pledged to transition... Read more »

Bird's Eye View

Amal Clooney

Bird's Eye View

VILLIERS FACES ANGRY JUDGE

LATE this week, Northern Secretary Theresa Villiers was due to present an affidavit to Belfast’s High Court explaining the British government’s delay in submitting documents and information the court has... Read more »

Foreign Frolics

DonaldTrump

Foreign Frolics

DONALD TRUMP’S MEDIA REGIME

By David Crisp DONALD Trump’s most recent assault on the First Amendment came in a speech in Texas last Friday, during which the tycoon promised to rewrite libel laws to... Read more »

The Hot Air Brigade

shane-mcgowan

The Hot Air Brigade

The Hot Air Brigade

We’re restoring a national treasure with Shane. It’s like someone presents you with the Book of Kells and says “Here you go, this needs restoration.” Dentist Darragh Mulrooney on restoring... Read more »

High Society

High Society

Peter Reynolds

High Society

SELLING BALLYMACOLL STUD

THERE COULD be some interesting runners at the starting gate if the famous Ballymacoll Stud finds itself on the market in the next year,... Read more »

High Society

charles-noell

High Society

CHARLES NOELL’S INVESTMENT

THE SQUIRE of Ardbraccan House estate in Co Meath, US moneybags Charles E Noells III, has got the thumbs up from Meath County Council... Read more »

High Society

Norma Smurfit

High Society

NORMA SMURFIT’S ACTIVITIES

IT LOOKS like Norma Smurfit has managed to upset Dublin City Councillor Mannix Flynn with her proposal that a ‘pavilion’ for the diaspora be erected in the heart of Dublin’s... Read more »

Behind the Scenes

kathleen-holohan

Behind the Scenes

A VISUAL CHALLENGE

THERE HAVE been a number of comings and goings in Carlow’s arts sector in recent weeks, with changes at the Éigse Carlow Arts Festival and a new member appointed to... Read more »
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Behind the Scenes

KCLR Sue Nunn

THE SUNDAY TIMES got a frosty reception when it lobbed in some queries about a dispute between radio station KCLR in Carlow/Kilkenny and its former presenter, Sue Nunn, who has... Read more »
Iain Glen

Behind the Scenes

WATCHING THE DETECTIVES

THE RETURN of author Ken Bruen’s Jack Taylor detective series to Galway has largely gone under the radar, perhaps because of the series’ chequered production history in the city and... Read more »

Sport of Kings

Padraig McManus

Sport of Kings

WAITING ON CURRAGH’S NEW BOSS

THE SEARCH for a new chief executive at the Curragh racecourse continues and there is still no sign of white smoke emanating from Joe Keeling’s Horse Racing Ireland (HRI)headquarters at... Read more »
Kieren Fallon

Sport of Kings

KIEREN FALLON’S RETURN

THE ERRANT Kieren Fallon, who has not been sighted on a British or Irish racetrack for over six months, has resurfaced in County Kildare, where he started his racing career... Read more »
Joseph O’Brien

Sport of Kings

JOSEPH O’BRIEN’S NEW JOB

AS WAS widely reported in the racing press, after months of speculation, Twitter statements and course changes, heir to the O’Brien fiefdom, Joseph O’Brien, has called an end to his... Read more »
Paddy Power

Sport of Kings

IRISH BOOKIES UNDER THE WHIP

THE HEAT is being turned up on the betting sector in Ireland. Big time gambling has found itself under the spotlight in recent weeks, including the once Teflon-coated Paddy Power,... Read more »
Brian O’Catháin

Sport of Kings

Petroceltic shareholders caught in the crossfire

THE PURCHASE of 69% of Petroceltic’s $230m borrowings two weeks ago, combined with the appointment of Michael McAteer of Grant Thornton as examiner to the group the week before, means... Read more »

Reviews

plough-and-the-stars

Reviews

THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS – ABBEY THEATRE

NO MATTER what, Sean O’Casey’s Plough was going to be the natural dramatic centrepiece of this year. One of our definitive documents about the Easter Rising, it captures the pain... Read more »
sing-street

Movies

SING STREET – DIRECTED BY JOHN CARNEY

JOHN CARNEY’S obsession with music and film and films about music continues in Sing Street. It is fair to say that this is his most accomplished film so far, building... Read more »
the-drowned-detective

Books

THE DROWNED DETECTIVE – NEIL JORDAN (BLOOMSBURY)

  THE OPENING chapter of Neil Jordan’s first novel since 2011 appears to be in keeping with the conventional fast-paced crime thriller. Jonathan, the narrator, is an English private investigator... Read more »

Moneybags

Moneybags

Bernard Byrne

Moneybags

AIB’s profits boosted €1bn by accounting strategy

COMING OUT of the recent economic turmoil, AIB appears to be making a dramatically greater improvement than Bank of Ireland (BoI), declaring a huge... Read more »

Brief Cases

mark-kershaw

Brief Cases

Mark Kershaw Crashes Out

MOTOR RACING enthusiast and socialite Mark Kershaw was a prominent feature in the gossip pages during the Celtic Tiger boom years, thanks to his association with various fashion models, but... Read more »
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Brief Cases

John Sherlock’s Tax Trouble

A DUBLIN solicitor who made a tax settlement in 2014 for a hefty €405,000 has landed in yet more trouble with the Taxman. Last month, the Revenue registered a judgment... Read more »
GregKavanagh

Brief Cases

Greg Kavanagh’s Business Associate

PROPERTY whizzkid Greg Kavanagh got plenty of positive media coverage last week, with reports that his New Generation Homes vehicle is set to pull in €400m from the sale of... Read more »
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Brief Cases

Motorway Insecurity

TWO DIRECTORS of a security firm are facing the possibility of being disqualified from acting as directors, with the company’s liquidator alleging around €800,000 of company funds has been misappropriated.... Read more »

Brief Cases

Acc V Paul McPhillips

FANS of Goldhawk will recall the adventures of Cavan businessman Paul McPhillips, a heavily-indebted property investor who has been engaged in a protracted battle with ACC Bank (see The Phoenix... Read more »
article default

Brief Cases

Baking Problem

FRENCH CHEF Olivier Quenet is best known as the owner of the popular French restaurant, La Maison, at Castle Street, D2, although in the past he has invested in various... Read more »
Con Murphy

Brief Cases

Con Murphy’s Crash Landing

SPARE A THOUGHT for travel agent Con Murphy (also known as John Murphy), who crash landed this month when he was convicted of stealing money from a children’s charity, The... Read more »