Affairs of the Nation

Sue Gray

Affairs of the Nation

SUE GRAY STILL TO RUN UK?

THE MOST powerful woman in Britain – according to various British sources – is Sue Gray and she has now emerged as British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer’s chief of... 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

CONSULATE’S OSCAR PERFORMANCE

THERE IS one possible result at Sunday’s Oscars that may not be top of the wish list for film funding agency Screen Ireland. While the media coverage has focused on... Read more »
Brendan Mullin

Affairs of the Nation

BRENDAN MULLIN SCORES

INTERESTING TO see a judgment for the sum of €163,000 being registered against a property development company by one Brendan Mullin – former Ireland and Lions star outside centre. The... Read more »

Affairs of the Nation

Trevor White

Affairs of the Nation

LITTLE MUSEUM, BIG BRANDS

CLEVER TREVOR WHITE, director of the Little Museum of Dublin, exudes ethical concern for children, climate and other issues as manifest in various ways. Last September White commissioned Irish women’s... Read more »
Catherine Murphy

Affairs of the Nation

MODEST ANNE HARRIS

THE HEROISM attributed to TD Catherine Murphy by Anne Harris in the Irish Times this week was a study in selfless endeavour untainted by any egotism or self-interest by the... Read more »
Prince Khaled bin Sultan al-Saud

Affairs of the Nation

PRINCE KHALED’S IRISH JET

GOLDHAWK WAS interested to see that a colourful Saudi prince, Khaled, who owns the most expensive house in the UK, is currently embroiled in litigation with a company registered in... 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

ROBERT QUIRKE’S MALTESE MOOLAH

THE Comptroller and Auditor General’s scathing report into the farce surrounding HSE spending on ventilators in the early days of the Covid pandemic reminded Goldhawk of his old pal, Robert... Read more »
Irish Far-Right Gemma O'Doherty

Affairs of the Nation

TRICOLOURS AND THE FAR RIGHT

SOME OF the boneheads running the Irish far-right scene have stumbled on the contradictions of cosying up to right-wing extremists and criminals from Blighty such as Tommy Robinson – real... Read more »
Kerry Fires Eamon Ryan

Affairs of the Nation

BURNING ISSUE

If an outsider were to land in rural Ireland for the first time in recent weeks, what would be their enduring impression of the ‘emerald isle’? Most likely, they would... Read more »

Pillars of Society

Edward Horgan

Pillars of Society

PROFILE: EDWARD HORGAN

RECENTLY ACQUITTED of criminal damage to a US navy warplane in Shannon Airport six years ago, the 77-year-old ex-military officer, commandant Edward Horgan, must... Read more »

The Young Bloods

Naomi O'Leary

The Young Bloods

YOUNG BLOODS: NAOMI O’LEARY

THERE’S A new breed of journalist stalking the land – confident, ambitious and committed, with their eyes set firmly on the future. Naomi O’Leary,... Read more »

Fit to Print?

Irish Times Palestine Shireen Abu Akleh

Fit to Print?

‘IRISH TIMES’ CENSORSHIP

THE RECENT statement to the Irish Times from various TDs and senators proposing a peace dialogue in Ukraine was responded to by a sack full of letters, which were overwhelmingly... 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?

EILIS O’HANLON’S ‘INTERNALISED LOATHING’

THE JOINT committee on children, equality, disability, integration and youth held a discussion on “integration and refugee issues” in the Dáil last month, which attracted the malign attention of some... Read more »
Dana

Fit to Print?

DANA V VIRGIN MEDIA

ONE OF the last defamation actions in the raft of such cases undertaken by Dana following the acquittal on all charges of child abuse against her brother, John Brown, in... Read more »

Last Refuge

Brigadier General Philip Brennan

Last Refuge

GREEN PARTY DROPS TRIPLE LOCK

THE FIANNA FÁIL leader and Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, will be pleased with Cabinet colleague Eamon Ryan, who recently persuaded his now-domesticated Green Party members to adapt to modern realities –... Read more »
Janice Boylan Irish Military Mali Coolock Says No IFP Hermann Kelly Timmy Dooley Aontú Mal O’Hara Fintan O’Toole Josepha Madigan Eoghan Harris Ukraine War Micheál Martin Middle East Philip Ryan Seán Clancy Simon Coveney Hugo MacNeill Mountbatten Neasa Hourigan Green Party Martin NPT Ivana Bacik Independents Limerick Hospital Overcrowding Barry Cowen

Last Refuge

MICHEÁL MARTIN’S NUCLEAR RECORD

THE 2023 Conference on Disarmament in Geneva last month heard Tánaiste and foreign affairs minister Micheál Martin denounce Russia for its recent pronouncements on nuclear weapons. Days earlier Martin boasted:... Read more »
Sinn Féin Russia Mary Lou McDonald

Last Refuge

SINN FÉIN FLEES TO CENTRE

A RECENT statement by left-wing TDs and senators, excluding Sinn Féin, in the Irish Times made the ever so provocative suggestion that Ireland should use its neutral status to call... Read more »

Hush Hush

Martin McGuinness

Hush Hush

SWIFT JUSTICE?

FOLLOWING THE shooting of detective chief inspector John Caldwell at Omagh last month, PSNI chief constable Simon Byrne was quite bullish in his claims of how the PSNI would bring... Read more »

Bog Cuttings

Bog-Cuttings-Defaul

Bog Cuttings

BOG CUTTINGS

‘NOT A TAXI SERVICE’ AN INTOXICATED Tullamore man who walked into his local Garda station to ask for a lift found himself arrested instead. Speaking to Tullamore District Court, Sergeant... Read more »

Fowl Emissions

Writing the Earth John Fitzgerald

Fowl Emissions

‘GOUGING’ THE EARTH

‘Writing the Earth’ is the catchy title of a programme starting this week at the Irish Writers’ Centre in Dublin, which brings writers and scientists together to explore climate and... Read more »
Luke Holland Climate Denial John Fagan Wolf Europe David Quinn Duncan Stewart Data Centre Carbon Emissions Conor Skehan Chris Hazzard

Fowl Emissions

BERNARD LOONEY’S CLIMATE FIGHT

The Healy-Raes aren’t the only famous Kerry men with a knack for spouting nonsense on climate. The head of oil giant BP, Bernard Looney, who is originally from Kenmare, warned... Read more »

The Hot Air Brigade

Una Mullally

The Hot Air Brigade

THE HOT AIR BRIGADE

When Cairns’ name is mentioned, the first things I always hear – from people of all political affiliations – are almost effusively positive sentiments; “I love her!”, “she’s so great!”,... Read more »

High Society

High Society

Kiernan Cochrane Lauren Whelan

High Society

LAUREN WHELAN’S MANAGERS

RTÉ WAS undoubtedly hoping to attract some of TikTok star Lauren Whelan’s 1.6 million followers when it posted her off to Donegal to acquire... 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

JEANNE BAARS’ BELLAIR SALE

GOLDHAWK NOTES that the sprawling Bellair Estate outside Ballycumber village in Co Offaly has been sold, a year after coming on the market with... Read more »

High Society

Domini Kemp

High Society

DOMINI KEMP’S NEW RECIPE

THE OPENING of a new Rathmines restaurant called Lottie’s on the site of Fiona McHugh’s shuttered Lenehans eatery is the second venture for Domini Kemp’s Valence Hospitality group, where she... Read more »

Behind the Scenes

Rachel West

Behind the Scenes

ARTS COUNCIL EXIT

THERE WERE some significant developments in the Arts Council last month, including the sudden exit of council officer Rachel West, probably best known for her stint as head of theatre... 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

TERRY MCMAHON’S BROADSIDE

IN THE glut of recent Oscars-inspired media coverage of Irish cinema, fans of Goldhawk will be familiar with the absence of references to Irish performers’ battle to get the same... Read more »

Sport of Kings

Denis Hogan

Sport of Kings

DENIS HOGAN’S GAMBLE

IT IS three years since that controversial race in Dundalk in 2020 when the Denis Hogan-trained stable mates Tony the Gent and Yuften finished first and second in a claiming... 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

REUBEN BROTHERS CLOSING IN

THE NEWS that UK outfit Arena Racing Company (ARC) is in advanced negotiations to buy Dundalk racecourse could have interesting implications for the landscape of Irish racecourses if the deal... Read more »
Joseph O'Brien

Sport of Kings

O’BRIEN’S AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE

HAVING PLUNDERED two of Australia’s most iconic races – the Melbourne Cup and the Cox Plate – in recent years, Joseph O’Brien has shipped a strong team down under for... Read more »

Reviews

The Dry

Reviews

THE DRY – RTÉ ONE

AS THE nepo-baby debate continues online, it’s ironic that RTÉ’s latest comedy-drama, The Dry, arrives courtesy of writer Nancy Harris, scion of one-time Sindo royalty Anne and Eoghan Harris. While... Read more »

Moneybags

Moneybags

Darragh Lyons

Moneybags

MALIN CORP’S SHARES CONTINUE TO BE UNDERRATED BY MARKET

DARRAGH LYONS has the valuable quality, as far as Malin Corp shareholders are concerned, of being boring. After the rollercoaster ride during Kelly Martin’s... Read more »

Moneybags

Smurfit Kappa Group Tony Smurfit

Moneybags

SMURFIT KAPPA’S CRAZY PROFITS COMING UNDER PRESSURE

OVER THREE years after Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) copped a huge fine for its role in a price-fixing cartel in the cardboard box market... Read more »

Brief Cases

Brian Ormond

Brief Cases

BRIAN ORMOND’S MISSTEP

BARELY A year after benefiting from oodles of free advertising in the Irish media, courtesy of gushing articles about Brian Ormond’s move into the footwear business, one of the companies... Read more »
Irish Pharmacy Union Dermot Twomey

Brief Cases

PHARMACISTS’ FINANCIAL HEADACHE

IN RECENT weeks Dermot Twomey’s Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has been getting its fair share of attention, most notably as a result of the high-profile shortage of many medicines. No... Read more »
Duncan Stewart

Brief Cases

DUNCAN STEWART’S MANY HATS

WITH THE critically acclaimed Eco Eye television series jettisoned by RTÉ (see The Phoenix 24/2/23), it may not be too long before presenter and climate activist Duncan Stewart is back... Read more »
CMC Glencore Cerrejón coal mine

Brief Cases

CERREJÓN’S IRISH MINING COMPANY CALLS IT A DAY

THE IRISH-registered company that has been the sole marketer of coal from the controversial giant Cerrejón mine on the Colombia-Venezuela border has just been wound up. Not surprisingly, there was... Read more »