Affairs of the Nation

Paschal Donohoe

Affairs of the Nation

DONOHOE: HOLD THE BACK PAGE!

THE EFFORTS by Paschal Donohoe, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to resist an exposé of his dodgy election returns was initially supplemented by a remarkably nonchalant response from the media,... Read more »
Budget Jack Chambers Nicki Minaj B’Tselem Phil Hogan UCD IRTA DIGI Katy Brown Rory Godson Pallonji Mistry Shark Hanlon Frances Ruane Taste of Dublin Listowel Writers’ Week Paddy Curran Harvey Norman Anton Savage Paul Hourican Enda O’Coineen PfP Red C Poll IFTA Ben Gilroy Luke Comer Sue Spence Fingleton Aubrey McCarthy Matt Cooper Parker Green Danny McConnell Gayle Killilea Maura Derivan Ed Honohan INS Arts Council EDAF Emuse Rosslare Golf Club Mairead Casey Colm O’Rourke Stephen Connolly Peter Aiken John Malone Tom Barry Anthony Halpin Ian Kehoe Kevin Bakhurst Geraldine O’Leary Dennis Horgan RUSI Gareth McAllister Ryevale House Joe Macken RUC Omagh Patrick Connolly Paddy Cosgrave The Ditch Newstalk Fake Tan Fred Logue Ian Paisley Sean O’Riordan Margaret Sweeney Jay Bourke Ellie Kisyombe Francesca McDonagh Ted Cunningham National Space Centre An Irish Goodbye Oscar Robert Quirke Ciara Kelly Executive Women Gathering Doug Taylor Florian Haufe Robbie Henshaw Bill Shipsey Breaking the Silence L’Ecrivain Ronan McNally National Lottery Michael Roche Energy Action Balls.ie Newspapers VAT Abbey Theatre Patricia Madden Irish Banking Culture Board Randox Aoife Gallagher Book Dalai Lama Trinity Trevor White RTÉ Chairperson Shane Houlihan Noel Smyth IKC Bob Geldof Landlord Ireland Neutrality Ukraine

Affairs of the Nation

ROBBIE HENSHAW’S VITAMINS

RUGBY INTERNATIONAL Robbie Henshaw, who is set to return from injury, featured heavily at the weekend in the run-up to the start of the Six Nations. Most happy with the... Read more »
Budget Jack Chambers Nicki Minaj B’Tselem Phil Hogan UCD IRTA DIGI Katy Brown Rory Godson Pallonji Mistry Shark Hanlon Frances Ruane Taste of Dublin Listowel Writers’ Week Paddy Curran Harvey Norman Anton Savage Paul Hourican Enda O’Coineen PfP Red C Poll IFTA Ben Gilroy Luke Comer Sue Spence Fingleton Aubrey McCarthy Matt Cooper Parker Green Danny McConnell Gayle Killilea Maura Derivan Ed Honohan INS Arts Council EDAF Emuse Rosslare Golf Club Mairead Casey Colm O’Rourke Stephen Connolly Peter Aiken John Malone Tom Barry Anthony Halpin Ian Kehoe Kevin Bakhurst Geraldine O’Leary Dennis Horgan RUSI Gareth McAllister Ryevale House Joe Macken RUC Omagh Patrick Connolly Paddy Cosgrave The Ditch Newstalk Fake Tan Fred Logue Ian Paisley Sean O’Riordan Margaret Sweeney Jay Bourke Ellie Kisyombe Francesca McDonagh Ted Cunningham National Space Centre An Irish Goodbye Oscar Robert Quirke Ciara Kelly Executive Women Gathering Doug Taylor Florian Haufe Robbie Henshaw Bill Shipsey Breaking the Silence L’Ecrivain Ronan McNally National Lottery Michael Roche Energy Action Balls.ie Newspapers VAT Abbey Theatre Patricia Madden Irish Banking Culture Board Randox Aoife Gallagher Book Dalai Lama Trinity Trevor White RTÉ Chairperson Shane Houlihan Noel Smyth IKC Bob Geldof Landlord Ireland Neutrality Ukraine

Affairs of the Nation

AMNESTY FOR BILL SHIPSEY?

INTERESTING TO see that Art for Amnesty (AfA), fronted by ex-legal eagle Bill Shipsey, has advised the Companies Office of a name change to Art for Human Rights. This is... Read more »

Affairs of the Nation

Kevin Higgins

Affairs of the Nation

CANCELLING KEVIN HIGGINS

THE COMPLIMENTARY obits to the late poet Kevin Higgins last weekend did not quite do justice to the bard’s talent and wit. Nor did they depict the full extent of... Read more »
Suzanne Laurie

Affairs of the Nation

SUZANNE LAURIE’S INSTITUTE

WHILE THE health and wellness sector has been thriving in recent years, a Dublin-registered company, owned by Suzanne Laurie and Laurence Dann, that has been providing courses in this field... Read more »
Drew Harris Far Right Ireland

Affairs of the Nation

GARDA AND HARD RIGHT

GARDA COMMISSIONER Drew Harris OBE grabbed the headlines this month when he described some of those involved in the anti-refugee protests as having a “sinister agenda… their motives are not... Read more »
Michael Halford

Affairs of the Nation

HANDICAPPING MICHAEL HALFORD

GOLDHAWK WAS surprised to spot that a company called Copper Beech Racing Ltd has just collapsed into liquidation. This is the business established by well-known racehorse trainer Michael Halford, who... Read more »
Charlie McConalogue

Affairs of the Nation

FOOD ‘VISIONARY’ McCONALOGUE

WITH PRESSURE growing on all sectors to find ways to meet their legally binding emissions reduction targets, recent research conducted by the Irish Farmers Journal offered a rare, easy win... Read more »
Pat O'Boyle Noel Smyth

Affairs of the Nation

NO BONE FOR NOEL SMYTH

REGIME CHANGE came to the Irish Kennel Club (IKC) earlier this month and this could be bad news for Goldhawk’s old pal, Noel Smyth. The board elections saw long-term president... Read more »

Pillars of Society

Ross Fanning

Pillars of Society

PROFILE: ROSSA FANNING

THE LATEST hot-shot lawyer to be appointed Attorney General is Rossa Fanning SC, one of the top commercial barristers in the Four Courts and... Read more »

The Young Bloods

Una Healy (left), David Haye and Sian Osborne

The Young Bloods

YOUNG BLOOD: UNA HEALY

Reports that Una Healy is in a ‘throuple’ relationship with former heavyweight boxing champion David Haye and model Sian Osborne certainly helped to boost... Read more »

Fit to Print?

Pat Leahy Donohoe Expense

Fit to Print?

MEEK MEDIA AND PASCHAL DONOHOE

THE INITIALLY tardy attitude of most media to allegations that Paschal Donohoe’s breached election expenses rules is hard to explain (see p3). Surely the January 1 deadline for the implementation... Read more »
Ivan Yates Nell McCafferty RTÉ Lord Laird Intro Matchmaking NewsBrands Martin McGuinness Dún Laoghaire Pat Leahy Cormac Lucey John Cooney Irish Journalism Awards Steve Aiken Anton Savage John Downing Lucinda Creighton Marina Sologub Eilis O'Hanlon Ian Kehoe Danny McConnell Sindo O'Connor Mediahuis Stephen Collins Book Justine McCarthy Rewriting the Troubles Lynn Ruane Sinn Féin

Fit to Print?

SIMON CARSWELL’S SILVER MEDALS

IRISH EXAMINER political editor Danny McConnell took the job as Business Post editor ahead of Simon Carswell, the public affairs editor and former Washington correspondent of the Irish Times, who... Read more »
Eoghan Harris

Fit to Print?

OFF WITH HIS HEAD!

CONSPIRACY THEORISTS believe an imposter may have used Eoghan Harris’s identity on social media to launch an attack on the British royal family for collaborating with the republican movement. This,... Read more »

Last Refuge

Barry Cowen

Last Refuge

PUSSY CAT BARRY COWEN

MEDIA SURPRISE at the new model Barry Cowen’s merciful attitude to beleaguered Blueshirt minister Paschal Donohoe – normally a legitimate target in Cowen’s eyes – may or may not have... Read more »
Micheál Martin 2024 Election

Last Refuge

GENERAL ELECTION TIMING

LEO VARADKAR’S stated preference for a general election to be held in the autumn of 2024 has not gone down well inside Fianna Fáil, especially in the parliamentary party, where... Read more »
Leo Varadkar

Last Refuge

VARADKAR’S SECOND COMING

LAST WEEKEND’S Behaviour and Attitudes/Sunday Times (B&A/ST) poll, showing Fianna Fáil six points ahead of Fine Gael (25-19), reflects the difference between B&A/ST poll ratings of FF/FG compared to all... Read more »
Maria Bailey

Last Refuge

MARIA BAILEY COMEBACK?

FORMER FINE GAEL TD Maria Bailey paid off a few scores in Simon Carswell’s Irish Times piece at the weekend, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar the main target, although junior minister... Read more »

Hush Hush

Herman Kelly East Wall Protests

Hush Hush

ALTERNATIVE PATRIOTS

On JANUARY 12, 11 protests – eight in Dublin – were organised against the provision of accommodation for immigrants in Ireland. The plan was to cause major traffic disruption by... Read more »

Bog Cuttings

Bog-Cuttings-Defaul

Bog Cuttings

BOG CUTTINGS

TRAFFIC JAM A 42-YEAR-OLD man appeared before Cork District Court charged with public intoxication after being found by gardaí, on November 17, blocking two lanes of traffic in Cork city.... Read more »

Fowl Emissions

Charlie McConalogue Citizens’ Assembly Biodiversity

Fowl Emissions

‘NAZI SHOW TRIALS’

IRELAND’S BIODIVERSITY crisis is so severe it now requires a “societal response”, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Citizens’ Assembly (CA) at the weekend. “This will benefit not just the people... Read more »
Climate Disinformation Coillte Climate Action EU Livestock NDC Claude Etchelamendy Ed Brophy Richard Boyd-Barrett Kish Dale Crammond Frank Mitloehner Shell Greenwashing Meta Data Centres Ireland

Fowl Emissions

BOYD-BARETT AND THE NIMBYS

WILL THE 2020s become the decade that Ireland finally takes its place as a major player in renewable energy? Not if the nimbys have anything to do with it. Plans... Read more »

The Hot Air Brigade

Peter Burke

The Hot Air Brigade

THE HOT AIR BRIGADE

He’s the pre-eminent politician of our generation, internationally and both domestically. Fine Gael TD Peter Burke gives thanks to FG colleague Paschal Donohoe, Prime Time, RTÉ One Winter trees are... Read more »

High Society

High Society

Brendan McDowell

High Society

BRENDAN McDOWELL’S £2M DIVIDEND

NO DOUBT cosmetics czar Brendan McDowell is glued to the latest series of Love Island, given his company’s marketing links to some of the... Read more »

High Society

IHT CHL The Lion in Winter Racing Royalty Le Brocquy City of Troy Fitzwilliam Square AIRO Dermot Smurfit Ballinacarrig Park Club Cosgrave Fitzpatrick Keith Jameson National Gallery Collection Marissa Carter VG Tom Higgins Neil Jordan Laura Bonner Paul Ward Variety Jones Dtat Eathos Sharon Keegan Angela Scanlon Desmond Canouan Bellair Estate Bobby Flay John O’Conor Portrait of Omai Eibhlín Ní Chonghaile Wedding NGI Board Rachel Flynn JP McMahon Ash Quinn Pamela Laird Abdullah Al Naboodah Boundless Ocean

High Society

JOHN O’CONOR’S SUCCESSOR

WHILE PIANIST John O’Conor is currently delivering his residency at the Glen Gould School of Toronto’s Royal Conservatory, the hunt is on back home... Read more »

High Society

Siobhan Byrne

High Society

SIOBHAN’S BANSHEE WEBINAR

MAYBE IT’S because Sunday Times editor Nóirín Hegarty previously worked for Lonely Planet but readers will have noticed a tendency of stories in the ‘news’ section of the paper to... Read more »

Behind the Scenes

Desiree Finnegan Ireland Film Tax Credit

Behind the Scenes

DÉSIRÉE FINNEGAN’S DIVIDEND

ON JANUARY 20 Désirée Finnegan’s Screen Ireland (SI) finally published its 108-page report on the Section 481 film tax credit, entitled: The Cultural Dividend Generated by Ireland’s Section 481 Film... Read more »
Tailored Films Screen Ireland Perspectives DCCI Crescine Tarka Russell Lara Hickey Reality Check Sarah McInerney Irish Movies Paul Murray Arts Council Dublin Theatre Festival TWU Macdara Kelleher Richard Boyd Barrett DADC Cillian Murphy Terry McMahon Media Commission Ireland Kerlin Gallery Creative Ireland Section 481 Christine O’Donovan RTÉ Storyland NMI Board Vacancies IASCA Ossie Kilkenny RTÉ Original Programmes

Behind the Scenes

KERLIN’S SMILING DIRECTORS

ART-LOVING moneybags Paddy McKillen has been busy fighting legal actions in recent times courtesy of his increasingly fraught relationship with the Qatari royal Al Thani family. Separately, the Irishman has... Read more »

Sport of Kings

Tim Husbands

Sport of Kings

HUSBANDS’S HEADACHE

LEOPARDSTOWN BOSS Tim Husbands may still be basking in the glow of a successful Christmas festival, when over 60,000 race-goers attended over the four days, but the focus has moved... Read more »
Ed Dunlop David Dunsdon Sarah Lynam Rebecca May Wayne Hassett Eoin O'Brien Michael Burke Aine O’Connor Ashroe Diamond Thomand O’Mara Peter Keatley Timmy Hyde Coolmore All About Sunday Colin Keane Ronan Whelan JP McManus Jessica Harrington Dundalk Racecourse Paul Hensey Irish National Hunt Horse-racing Doping Paddy Walsh Tom Kelly Suspension

Sport of Kings

PAUL HENSEY’S POLITICAL CHALLENGE

CLEARLY THE lure back to Ireland was too strong to resist for Paul Hensey, with the news that he is to take over from the retiring Paddy Walsh as head... Read more »
John Magnier High Definition

Sport of Kings

DERRICK SMITH’S STRATEGY

WHEN THE former Aidan O’Brien-trained and Coolmore-owned High Definition was sold to bloodstock agent Mark McStay at Tattersalls last October for £350,000, it was reported that the high-class colt would... Read more »

Moneybags

Moneybags

Dalton Philips

Moneybags

THE ONLY WAY IS UP FOR GREENCORE

HAVING DISAPPOINTED the unfortunate Greencore shareholders over his 13-year reign, Paddy Coveney parachuted out of Greencore and left behind a company that is a... Read more »

Moneybags

Cathal Friel

Moneybags

CATHAL FRIEL DELIVERS AGAIN AT AMRYT

CATHAL FRIEL has plenty of followers who are impressed by his entrepreneurship and optimism. His Raglan Capital supported John Craven’s Cove Energy, which was... Read more »

Brief Cases

Arne Vigeland

Brief Cases

ARNE VIGELAND’S IRISH ANGLE

NEXT WEEK will see a creditors’ meeting held for a company called SJI Equities Ltd, which is owned by a Norwegian investor named Arne Vigeland. This company had starred as... Read more »
Joan Fitzpatrick Kite Medical

Brief Cases

KITE MEDICAL’S CRASH LANDING

WHAT AT one stage looked like one of Ireland’s more promising medtech start-ups, Kite Medical Ltd, is now to be wound up after failing to secure long-term financing to complete... Read more »
Pat O’Flynn Solvotrin

Brief Cases

PAT O’FLYNN’S SUPPLEMENT BOOST

PAT O’FLYNN’S iron-absorption supplements company Solvotrin Therapeutics continues to attract the big bucks, with a business expansion scheme (BES) fund the latest to come on board here to join the... Read more »
Paul Murphy Curragh Racecourse Ltd

Brief Cases

BOWLER HATS’ BARGAIN AT THE CURRAGH

WHILE THE state-backed Curragh racecourse has been haemorrhaging money – the 2021 accounts filed before Christmas show that Curragh Racecourse Ltd dropped €4m that year and accumulated losses hit €22.3m... Read more »