Subscribe Now
October 23 - November 05, 2020
Affairs of the Nation
CRYING WOULFE
THE JUDICIARY’S ineffectual attempt to deal with their esteemed new Supreme Court member, Seamus Woulfe, following his double bogey on the 19th hole at Clifden has itself run into the... Read more »
GOODBYE GIRLCREW
SO FAREWELL then GirlCrew, whose female-focused networking app never gained the traction required to become a big player in the social media maelstrom. The trio behind GirlCrew are Pamela Newenham,... Read more »
FERGAL KEANE’S PPE CONTACTS
WITH NO sign of Covid-19 going away any time soon it, the state will be spending big on personal protection equipment (PPE) for some time to come. It doesn’t look... Read more »
Sponsored Content
Gold’s accelerationbrings the metal back to the front pages
Gold’s acceleration through the $3,000 barrier has brought the yellow metal back to the front pages of financial newspapers and magazines in recent weeks. While there was an initial... Read more »
MCDOWELL’S SILENCE
THE INFORMATIVE and provocative columns in the Irish Times by Senator Michael McDowell indicate a man who has rarely shied away from confrontation with vested interests and powerful lobby groups.... Read more »
McNAMARA’S NEW BAND WAGGON
IT MIGHT be temporary, but the public mood is in favour of stern government measures against Covid, although that does not seem to deter Nphet sceptic, Michael McNamara TD. Former... Read more »
IAN BAILEY AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
ATTORNEY GENERAL, Paul Gallagher has crossed Ian Bailey several times since the garda tried to pin the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier on him 24 years ago. He will... Read more »
WEE CARE’S BIG BUCKS
NO DOUBT the suits at RTÉ paid particular interest to a Court of Appeal ruling rejecting the unusual request by a most profitable crèche operation to have its accounts ‘censored’... Read more »
FLANAGAN’S CRYING GAME
NEWSTALK SHOWED great alacrity in interviewing former justice minister, Charlie ‘BlackandTanagain’ Flanagan about his attack on Unquiet Graves, the documentary about collusion (was Newstalk’s enthusiasm simply down to it being... Read more »
DINNY’S AUSSIE DEAL
THE ONGOING High Court jousting concerning former Independent News and Media (INM) chairman Leslie Buckley has cast a spotlight on that strange deal involving the sale of the media group’s... Read more »
Pillars of Society
PROFILE: STEPHEN DONNELLY
STEPHEN DONNELLY is a unifying force in Irish politics in that he manages to unite government and opposition politicians as well as many political... Read more »
The Young Bloods
YOUNG BLOOD: TARA GILSENAN
POLITICAL LEADERSHIP is tough but it’s especially tough at the head of a responsible moderate political party trying to keep his youth wing in... Read more »
Forestry as a Smart Investment for 2025 and Beyond
As global markets continue to face uncertainty, many investors are seeking stable and reliable options that offer strong returns and long-term growth potential. In 2025, Green Belt Ltd is... Read more »
Fit to Print?
IAN BAILEY AND THE MEDIA
MEDIA COVERAGE of the garda’s strenuous efforts to put Ian Bailey in the frame for Sophie Toscan du Plantier’s murder in 1996 initially relied on garda briefings which were faithfully... Read more »
IRISH TIMES ETHICS
A CLASSIC Irish Times device was deployed last week when the paper of record published a full page advertisement promoting herd immunity and the simultaneous protection of the vulnerable. The... Read more »
PROTESTER UNMASKED
GALWAY BAY FM received a flood of complaints following a 19-minute interview-cum-debate with Darragh O’Flaherty, a far-right warrior with anti-immigrant views. The interview followed a recent “anti-mask” protest in the... Read more »
Last Refuge
REGINA TO OUST FARRELL IN FINGAL
“I CAN’T wait to get stuck in and do my best to fight for Fingal alongside Alan (Farrell),” said former minister, Regina Doherty, who has moved to Dublin Fingal after... Read more »
GREEN HANDLERS FOR HIRE
THOSE IRRESPONSIBLE leftists in the Green Party who seem to think they can change (save, even?) the world, cavilled predictably at the appointment of two joint chiefs of staff —... Read more »
GREEN STRIFE CONTINUES
GREEN PARTY chairperson and Dublin Lord Mayor, Hazel Chu’s casual remark, “You can never rule these things out,” when asked if she might join the Social Democrats underlines the ongoing... Read more »
Hush Hush
MORE LICENSE TO KILL
THE NEW and even more aggressive agent-handling legislation about to be passed in Great Britain has major implications for Ireland MI5 agents and UK Special Branch spies are active in... Read more »
GONZAGA BLACKOUT
ONLY THAT uncouth, insensitive tabloid, the The Sun, reported that the former principal of Gonzaga College, Patrick Potts — the first non-Jesuit to occupy the Post — who died recently... Read more »
Bog Cuttings
BOG CUTTINGS
“Little Nobody” A garda sergeant was verbally abused by a motorist in Cork city when he told him not to park on double yellow lines. Sergeant Mark Keating told Cork... Read more »
Fowl Emissions
WEAK CLIMATE BILL
Earlier this year, the Green Party fought a running battle with its internal dissenters when pushing through its endorsement of the Programme for Government. After all, this is a climate... Read more »
RTÉ’S NEW SPONSOR
These are tough times for broadcasters, with advertising revenue hard to come by. However, there was still a sharp intake of breath at the news that RTÉ had agreed a... Read more »
The Hot Air Brigade
THE HOT AIR BRIGADE
I can have a laugh. And then I can talk about feminism. But I can also get covered in shit by Keith Lemon if I want to, because I’m multifaceted... Read more »
High Society
PETER STAPLETON’S PRICE CUT
TOP REAL estate player Peter Stapleton has knocked a few bob off the asking price for his granite-clad ‘Old Vicarage’ Blackrock, Co Dublin. Happily... Read more »
MARTIN NAUGHTON’S MOOLAH
WHAT A coincidence that a full page advert should appear in the Sunday Times last weekend on the same days as the paper published... Read more »
CATHERINE FITZGERALD’S GARDEN GIG
THERE WAS plenty of excited media coverage last weekend of the relationship between Dominic West and his missus, Catherine FitzGerald, following the former’s thoroughly photographed Roman Holiday with actress Lily... Read more »
Dublin Unites to Promote Foreign Investment and Economic Growth
Dublin has long been a hub for global business. But now, a new campaign, “Invested in Dublin: Local Ambition, Global Success”, is showing the world exactly why Dublin is... Read more »
Behind the Scenes
JOHN GORMLEY’S NEXT ROLE?
AT LONG last, culture minister Catherine Martin has advertised the board vacancies left unfilled since March at Desiree Finnegan’s Screen Ireland (SI). Indeed, Martin has gone one further, advertising four... Read more »
RAAP RAPPED
THERE WAS an interesting little ruling published last week linked to the bitter dispute between Recorded Artists Actors Performers (RAAP) and Phonographic Performance (Ireland), who represent performing artists and the... Read more »
Sport of Kings
AIDAN O’BRIEN’S MIX UP
THERE WERE red faces in the Ballydoyle camp after it emerged that Aidan O’Brien’s two runners in the prestigious Group 1 Fillies Mile at Newmarket were saddled up incorrectly by... Read more »
COLIN KEANE’S NEXT RIDE?
FORMER CHAMPION jockey Colin Keane’s bid to regain his title this year is providing an exciting narrative to this flat season, as he has come from a 10-winner deficit to... Read more »
SHARK ATTACKS JOCKEY
JOHN HANLON’S good season hit a hurdle last month at Listowel when one of his horses, Comporta, was deemed by the race day stewards not to have run his merits.... Read more »
Reviews
LODGING WITH LUCY – VIRGIN ONE
THE CATEGORY that Lodging With Lucy belongs in is truly the preserve of the damned: a reality series deemed surplus to requirements by RTE. Though by 2016 the programme had... Read more »
Moneybags
END OF THE ROAD FOR PETRONEFT INVESTORS?
PETRONEFT HAS utterly failed to deliver. Having raised big bucks from investors in 2006 on the basis of impressive production projections and stated proven... Read more »
OUTSIDE ABBEY SHAREHOLDERS CONTINUE TO SUFFER
CHARLIE GALLAGHER continues to retain €100m cash inside Abbey plc rather than buying assets or paying it out to the shareholders by way of... Read more »
Irish National Opera Placing Irish culture On The World Stage
Irish National Opera continues to expand its impact by showcasing outstanding performances across Ireland and internationally. Since its inception in 2018, INO has presented 184 live performances in 35... Read more »
Brief Cases
CAULDERBANKS’ TIME EXTENSION
ONE OF Donegal’s biggest waste collectors, DM Waste (DMW), has benefited from a planning decision by Donegal County Council. The decision saved some blushes at the council given that DMW... Read more »
DEIRDRE SOMERS’ NEW HAT
GOOD TO see Deirdre Somers keeping busy since she stepped down from the top job in the Irish Stock Exchange, but her appointment to a British company called Aquis Exchange... Read more »
BYE BYE BUTLER’S
THE BUSINESS casualties of Covid-19 continue to pile up and it turns out even the backing of assorted Chinese millionaires won’t save the day. Butlers Townhouse on Lansdowne Road, D4... Read more »
DERMOT SMURFIT’S ‘NEXT STAGE’
IT’S BEEN a tough few months for the shareholders of GAN, Dermot Smurfit’s internet gambling company, and the Smurfits are busy putting on the gloss. Fans of Goldhawk will recall... Read more »
PALMARIANS’ PLANNING PROBLEM
There was mixed news in Lusk, Co Dublin, for His Holiness Pope Peter III – to the initiated, Markus Josef Odermatt – in his battle to build a church for... Read more »
VAN MORRISON’S SOUND FIGURES
DUMPY AND grumpy little songster Van Morrison is getting worse reviews than normal thanks to his protest songs against the Covid-19 lockdown. Goldhawk hasn’t yet heard the songs, including ‘Born to... Read more »
Gold’s $3,000 Breakthrough: A Financial Call to Arms
GOLD’S EXPLOSIVE surge past $3,000 per ounce last week is more than just a price milestone – it’s a wake-up call. We are entering the centre of an economic... Read more »
Popular Stories
LOTTIE RYAN’S RADIO SILENCE
RADIO STATION 2FM unveiled yet another new schedule (yawn) to a largely ...
CHARLES NOELL III SELLS UP
THE SQUIRE of Ardbraccan House in Co Meath, US moneybags Charles E ...
PRESENCE PAY DAY
PR QUEENS Joanne Byrne and Sinéad Ryan are winding up their successful ...
ART ATTACK
COVERAGE OF the arts took a bit of a hit this week ...
MARY CANNON’S JOINT
AN IMPRESSIVE looking timber-clad pile on the salubrious Claremont Road in Howth ...
CATHERINE FULVIO’S HIDDEN RECIPE
SO-CALLED celebrity chef Catherine Fulvio’s latest dish was an undercooked offering served ...
CHELTENHAM CHALLENGES
THERE WERE plenty of interesting match-ups at Cheltenham last week, notably reigning ...
POOR PATRICK MULLINS
AMATEUR RIDER Patrick Mullins has had a few recent setbacks in his ...
NIALL DOYLE’S NEXT GIG?
AS GOLDHAWK revealed (see The Phoenix 7/3/25), Niall Doyle, the long-time head ...
MORE ARTS COUNCIL CONSULTANTS
AS THE Arts Council prepares for an eventual outing before the Public ...