Affairs of the Nation

Leo Varadkar

Affairs of the Nation

LEO VARADKAR’S ELECTION TIMELINE

MEDIA hints of Fine Gael’s plan to cut and run to the country this year are spot on and while lacking detail they reflect a specific strategy being discussed not... Read more »
Aine Moriaty

Affairs of the Nation

The taxman and the film awards

THE MOSTLY low wattage audience at last week’s IFTAs awards bash at the Mansion House may have been surprised by host Deirdre O’Kane’s “trailer” joke when referring to Traveller actor... Read more »
Colm Murphy

Affairs of the Nation

MURPHY’S LAW V LAW SOCIETY

THE mother of all legal battles between the Law Society and former solicitor Colm Murphy is due in the High Court in April following two decades of litigation. Between 1999... Read more »

Affairs of the Nation

Niall McGarry Maximum Media

Affairs of the Nation

Niall McGarry’s turnover

FLASHY entrepreneur Niall McGarry was in his usual confident mood recently when he announced that the Irish end of Maximum Media operation was expected to record turnover of €8m for... Read more »
article-default

Affairs of the Nation

REDMOND’S RECORDING

INTERESTING to see controversial Independent councillor Keith Redmond playing a central role in an investigation of waste operators by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). The waste industry has... Read more »
Paul Kehoe

Affairs of the Nation

Warmongers

“PESCO also has absolutely nothing to do with the creation of an EU army. Nothing in the treaties provides for the creation of an EU army.” So said Junior Minister... Read more »

Pillars of Society

Mary McAleese

Pillars of Society

Profile: Mary McAleese

THE VATICAN’S boycott of former President of Ireland and devout Catholic feminist Mary McAleese – The Outsider as her unofficial biographer Justine McCarthy christened... Read more »

The Young Bloods

Carol Nolan

The Young Bloods

Young Blood: Carol Nolan TD

CAROL NOLAN’S 2016 election win for Sinn Féin in the three-seat Offaly constituency was a surprise. There will be another one if she hangs... Read more »

Fit to Print?

David McWilliams

Fit to Print?

David McWilliams’s double dip

IT’S a hard job getting new material – but rehashing your own is a bit cheeky. Financial superstar hack David McWilliams – “ranked 10th most influential economist in the world”,... Read more »
Rónán Mullen

Fit to Print?

ALIVE! AND KICKING

BOTH sides in the abortion referendum have exhorted their foot soldiers to be respectful and moderate in tone when arguing the case for Yes or No. However, Catholic special forces... Read more »
Eoghan Harris

Fit to Print?

Leo’s Loyal Fan

“DURING the Fine Gael leadership campaign I supported Leo Varadkar and strongly opposed Simon Coveney.” So claimed Eoghan Harris recently in his Sindo column in a revisionist exercise that would... Read more »

Last Refuge

Michael Ring

Last Refuge

RINGER THREATENS TO GO INDEPENDENT

ONLY when Enda Kenny became Fine Gael leader and then Taoiseach did he manage to best his Mayo running mate, Michael Ring, at general elections in Mayo. Now Ringer, Rural... Read more »
Alan Kelly

Last Refuge

AK47 Ultimatum

IT IS just under five months since Deputy Alan Kelly gave Labour leader Brendan Howlin “less than” six months to either shape up or ship out. That deadline means Howlin... Read more »
Noeleen Reilly

Last Refuge

SINN FEIN DISSIDENT IS IN DEMAND

SINN FÉIN’S latest political casualty, Cllr Noeleen Reilly, will be a loss to the party and will doubtless take a chunk of first preference votes from sitting TD Dessie Ellis... Read more »

Student Life

Clare McCarthy

Student Life

Clare McCarthy’s comeback

CONGRATULATIONS to Trinners student Clare McCarthy who has just been reinstated as chair of Trinity Publications on a technicality. Fans of Goldhawk will recall that McCarthy was removed from her... Read more »

Fowl Play

Paul Dean

Fowl Play

Joe Schmidt’s tactics

THE long-standing love-in between the IRFU and rugby journalists reportedly came to an abrupt end a fortnight ago when Irish coach Joe Schmidt cancelled the traditional post-match press huddle after... Read more »

Fowl Emissions

Denis Naughten

Fowl Emissions

MERLIN NAUGHTEN

IT’S NO secret that wishful thinking remains the main policy weapon the government deploys when it comes to hitting tough international commitments on climate change. What’s less well understood is... Read more »
article-default

Fowl Emissions

Sacred Cows

The government’s new national development plan had that “one for everyone in the audience” feel, including a lavish commitment to spending €22bn, or a fifth of total budget, on tackling... Read more »

Bird's Eye View

Leo Varadkar and Theresa May

Bird's Eye View

DUP-TORY DEADLOCK

FOR THE second time in two months, Theresa May turned up to seal a deal only for the DUP to whip it off the table. The first occasion, on December... Read more »

Foreign Frolics

John Halligan

Foreign Frolics

PYONGYANG REVISITED

SOME interesting coincidences around the proposed visit to North Korea by ministers John Halligan, Shane Ross and Finian McGrath have been clocked by members of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ). Last... Read more »

The Hot Air Brigade

Pippa O'Connor

The Hot Air Brigade

The Hot Air Brigade

I must own a hundred pair of denim jeans, each serving their different purpose. Fashionista and designer Pippa O’Connor quoted on her website, Submitted by reader We’re the new Iniesta... Read more »

High Society

High Society

Amanda Brunker

High Society

TICKLED PINK IN AVOCA

ACCORDING TO a puff piece by Sean Gallagher in the Sindo last weekend, social media and selfies have led to a boom for cosmetic... Read more »

High Society

article-default

High Society

Serious Profits

WITH THE death of Alan Potts last year and Rich Ricci becoming more cautious with his spending, there was a worry that the boutique... Read more »

High Society

Rebecca and Alistair Tidey

High Society

Alistair Tidey’s sale

AN IMPRESSIVE house on Merrion Square has gone on the market with a hefty €3.5m price tag, although it looks like the owners here will drop a few bob, having... Read more »

Behind the Scenes

Anne Clarke

Behind the Scenes

LITTLE DRAMA AT THEATRE AWARDS

THIS WEEKEND in the National Concert Hall, the theatre industry’s glitterati will dutifully assemble for the Irish Times Theatre Awards. The 20-year-old ritual gives the luvvies an excuse to glam... Read more »
article-default

Behind the Scenes

US Arts Dosh

WITH THE long delayed $62m Irish Arts Centre project in New York again under the spotlight, it was interesting to see the response from Culture Minister Josepha Madigan to SF’s... Read more »

Sport of Kings

Gary O'Brien

Sport of Kings

AFTER AT THE RACES

THE FALLOUT following the recent shock news that At The Races will cease to broadcast Irish racing on its channel is continuing to have an impact and there are set... Read more »
Bryan Cooper

Sport of Kings

BRYAN COOPER’S RARE RIDES

BRYAN COOPER’S latest retainer looks to have come to an end after a very brief association. In November last year, Cooper got drafted in to ride all the UK-trained horses... Read more »
Min at Dublin Racing Festival

Sport of Kings

DENIS EGAN’S LATE LATE SHOW

THE ACTING stewards at the Dublin Racing Festival came in for quite a bit of flak over their failure to investigate the poor performance of some high profile Willie Mullins... Read more »

Reviews

Cathy Belton

Reviews

THE APPROACH – PROJECT ARTS CENTRE

AT THE turn of the millennium, Mark O’Rowe’s ultra-violent plays exploded like a fat line of speed up the nostrils of the Irish theatre establishment. The likes of Howie the... Read more »
Chris Walley and Alex Murphy

Reviews

THE YOUNG OFFENDERS – RTE 2

BASED ON writer-director Peter Foott’s underwhelming but uber-popular 2016 movie of the same name, The Young Offenders is a co-production between RTÉ and the Beeb’s online yoof channel, BBC Three.... Read more »
In White Ink

Books

IN WHITE INK – ELSKE RAHILL (APOLLO LILLIPUT)

THIS COLLECTION of 11 short stories follows Elske Rahill’s 2013 debut novel Between Dog and Wold. The French-based Irish writer specialises in exploring many of those disquieting moments that people... Read more »

Moneybags

Moneybags

Martin Kelly

Moneybags

Kelly Martin cashes in at Malin

MALIN CORP, the life sciences group floated in 2015, is one of the strangest corporate entities ever to feature on the Irish Stock Exchange,... Read more »

Moneybags

Tony Smurfit

Moneybags

Shareholders boxed in at Smurfit Kappa

SMURFIT KAPPA is the biggest cardboard box company outside of North America – and the biggest in Europe and South America. It is obvious... Read more »

Brief Cases

Pearse Phelan

Brief Cases

Dr Pearse Phelan’s Midas touch

A COMPANY called Midas Health and Sports Ltd has just called in the liquidator after the operation went downhill. The principal here is colourful entrepreneur Dr Pearse Phelan but creditors... Read more »
Chris Shiel

Brief Cases

Chris Shiel’s Star Wars gig

CONGRATULATIONS to Galway high-flier Chris Shiel whose aviation company, 21st Century Aviation Ltd, had a bumper 2017. Shiel is best known for an ill-fated 2015 tender for a state contract... Read more »
Greg Kavanagh

Brief Cases

Greg Kavanagh’s Ballycrag bother

INTERESTING to see the taxman getting tough with Arklow developer Greg Kavanagh’s property empire. In a second Kavanagh-related scrap in as many months, the taxman has moved to wind up... Read more »
The holiday home in Kiltoom

Brief Cases

Cormac Lohan’s holiday home

ROSCOMMON solicitor Cormac Lohan had a tax judgment for over €124,000 registered against him at the end of January. Lohan, who practises as Lohan & Co Solicitors in Athlone, Co... Read more »
Nick Munier and Alanna Feeney

Brief Cases

Nick Munier’s taxing year

FORMER celebrity restaurant impresario Nick Munier had a judgment for close to €80,000 registered against him at the beginning of February. It’s been a tough start to the year for... Read more »
article-default

Brief Cases

Peter Reaney’s ‘religious beliefs’

ANOTHER setback for colourful Mayo businessman and blogger Peter Reaney. Originally a plasterer by trade, Reaney dipped into property development in 2006 when he purchased a site in Ballaghaderreen, Co... Read more »
article-default

Brief Cases

Drinks on House

A COMPANY called Sykes Hotel Group (SHG) Ltd has just been hit with a judgment for €30,000 over unpaid rates – a familiar story for the outfit. SHG – owned... Read more »