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September 20 - October 3, 2024
Affairs of the Nation
APPLE TAX LAWYERS’ PRIVATE FEES
IT IS hard to think of a story whose publication could be more in the public interest than the multi-billion-euro Apple tax charade, involving as it does enormous sums of... Read more »
TICKET FOR TAT
TO DESCRIBE the Nicki Minaj ‘concert’ at Malahide Castle as a debacle would be something of an understatement. The Trinidadian-born rapper left fans waiting in pouring rain for nearly two... Read more »
SUE GRAY: IRELAND’S FRIEND
THE RENEWAL of “friendship” between Britain and Ireland, the Aawrish edition of the Sunday Times recently reported, has much to do with the Irish influence on British Prime Minister Keir... Read more »
Sponsored Content
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 »
ISRAELI ABUSES IGNORED?
RECENT REPORTS of Palestinian detainees being brutalised by Israeli guards, in abuse ranging from beating to sexual torture, have recently been chronicled by the Israeli rights organisation, B’Tselem. Based on... Read more »
REGRESSIVE IRELAND
Things can only get better for Ivana Bacik. With New Labour back in power in London, the Irish Labour leader had to attend a football match at the Aviva Stadium... Read more »
GRÁINNE SEOIGHE’S RIVALS
WHILE THE media fawn over broadcaster Gráinne Seoighe, who is the new Fianna Fáil Dáil candidate in Galway West, rumblings of discontent abound in the party organisation, from Connemara hopefuls... Read more »
NEW RIGHT VIEW ON CHILD ABUSE
THE INVECTIVE of new-right agitators in Ireland, both on the streets and online, is often centred on depicting opponents as “paedos”, “groomers”, “child abusers” etc. The strategy is designed to... Read more »
DREW HARRIS AND MI5
DREW HARRIS became Garda commissioner in 2018, having served as deputy chief constable of the PSNI, 2014-18. His RUC/PSNI duties once involved liaison with MI5. The selection committee for his... Read more »
MEAT AND THE CITY
A year ago this month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a light-hearted tweet featuring a photo of Kim Cattrall of Sex and the City with the tagline: “Ready to... Read more »
Pillars of Society
PROFILE: BRIAN POLLY
MOST OBSERVERS were shocked at the revelations to the Committee for Public Accounts (PAC) by Darragh O’Loughlin, CEO of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board... Read more »
The Young Bloods
YOUNG BLOOD: JOHN CUMMINS
CAN 36-YEAR-OLD senator John Cummins win back a seat for Fine Gael in Waterford, after the party’s wipe-out there in 2020. Heavy transfers from... 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 »
Fit to Print?
ONLY CATHOLICS ABUSE CHILDREN
MOST ABUSE survivors surely could not have been taken in by the restrictive terms of reference in the scoping inquiry to determine the form of a statutory investigation into abuse... Read more »
MATT’S MIGHTY MOOLAH
FILLING IN for Pat Kenny recently on his Newstalk morning show, Ivan Yates titillated listeners with the exciting news that his long-time colleague, Matt Cooper, would shortly be on air... Read more »
Last Refuge
BIG PHIL’S GENDER-BENDER LAW
BIG PHIL HOGAN’S return to the centre of Fine Gael, via its internal election committee, is not without irony as well as a ruthless logic given his formidable back-stage machinations... Read more »
JENNIFER BENDS THE KNEE TO MARTIN
TÁNAISTE AND defence minister Micheál Martin has torn off the epaulettes and snapped the sword of Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, his junior officer or Minister of State at the Department of... Read more »
HARRIS TO WIPE OUT FF IN WICKLOW?
INTERNAL CONVULSIONS in Wicklow Fine Gael, involving competition between two contenders for a place on the general election ticket with Taoiseach Simon Harris and resentment against Eoin O’Duffy-type discipline in... Read more »
WEAPONISING IRISH
THE DUP has once again raised the charge that Sinn Féin is “weaponising” the Irish language, as Belfast City Council issues a draft language policy for consultation with the public.... Read more »
Hush Hush
RTÉ: FIRST CASUALTY
Missing in action, presumed dead, the fate of Dubliner Alex Ryzhuk, a member of the Ukrainian Army’s 3rd Assault Brigade, hit the headlines in late August. Much of the coverage... Read more »
Bog Cuttings
BOG CUTTINGS
‘THAT’S MY HASH’ Cork District Court heard the case of Patrick Fennelly (63), who was charged with a number of public order offences arising from several incidents in May and... Read more »
Fowl Emissions
LOUGH NEAGH OWNER
The Earl of Shaftesbury, a Dorset aristocrat and former DJ who somehow owns the bed of Lough Neagh, has been enjoying considerable kudos from his big announcement in June that... Read more »
MARIE’S UNUSUAL OUTINGS
Marie Donnelly has had some baffling media outings since taking over as Climate Change Advisory Council chair in 2021 but a recent comment on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland was her most... Read more »
The Hot Air Brigade
THE HOT AIR BRIGADE
In Lozère, Sophie felt oxygenated, freed from the claustrophobic city. This untamed place, and the wild creatures that inhabited it, spoke to her soul. She painted rocks, hills and sky,... Read more »
High Society
INTERCEPTING JOHN STEWART
GOFFS SUPREMO Henry Beeby and his team will have their fingers crossed that the free-spending Resolute Racing founder, John Stewart, will get to participate... Read more »
HERBERT PARK’S NEW NEIGHBOUR
LAST WEEK, Ballsbridge residents were greeted with a sign, erected on the ugly fencing fronting the controversial site on the edge of Herbert Park,... 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 »
Behind the Scenes
FESTIVAL CASTING CALL
AFTER 13 years at the helm, Willie White is stepping down as artistic director and CEO of Dublin Theatre Festival (DTF). Would-be applicants have until the day after the curtain... Read more »
A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE
DÉSIRÉE FINNEGAN’S Screen Ireland (SI) has just launched yet another funding initiative, Perspectives, which is intended to provide “a window into experiences and viewpoints that may not have been widely... Read more »
Sport of Kings
STEVE PARKIN’S MOVES
FALLEN ANGEL, the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner and dual Group 1 winner, owned by Steve Parkin, has been sold to continue her racing career with Wathnan Racing. The Too Darn... Read more »
SHARK SLAPPED
FANS OF Goldhawk will recall (see The Phoenix 27/6/24) that a video of an uncovered dead horse in an open builder’s trailer, which was being towed by John ‘Shark’ Hanlon’s... Read more »
Moneybags
AER LINGUS IN FOR A BUMPY RIDE
AFTER THE high-profile industrial relations stand-off at Aer Lingus, the airline is in the bad books of its owner, International Airlines Group (IAG). The... Read more »
ONEVIEW HEALTHCARE IN SEARCH FOR RIGHT MEDICINE
IT WAS considered a surprising move when Darragh Lyons jumped ship from Malin Corp last Christmas, at a time when he seemed to be... 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 »
Brief Cases
JOHN MCGUIRK V THE BROGANS
THE HEATED reaction to the housing of ‘unvetted military-aged men’ has reached fever pitch in recent months, spearheaded by a few key personalities on social media. One such maven of... Read more »
GAY FUTURE COUP
FOXROCK-BASED moneybags Ger O’Leary had plenty to celebrate last month after the part-time racehorse trainer saddled Doyen For A Drink to land Cartmel’s bank holiday Monday EWGA Handicap Hurdle on... Read more »
MARK QUICK’S MANY HATS
IT’S BEEN a challenging few years for entrepreneur Mark Quick, who has dipped his fingers in a great many pies but pulled up relatively few plums lately. His eclectic track... Read more »
NORAH ORBITING ONCE MORE
ONE OF the ventures of Norah Casey is about to enter a new dimension as she gears up for the launch of Planet Woman Travel. Edited by her good self,... Read more »
Dublin Through the Eyes of its Artists at The Oriel Gallery
“Dublin Through the Eyes of its Artists” Exhibition Opens at The Oriel Gallery Dublin, Ireland – Thursday 10th April 2025 The Oriel Gallery is proud to announce the opening... Read more »
Popular Stories
LOTTIE RYAN’S RADIO SILENCE
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SHARON SMURFIT’S DRIVE
GOLF-MAD Sharon Smurfit must have been delighted with the big promotion for ...
SLEVOIR’S LOW-KEY OWNERS
A RECENT update to the Land Registry records show that the impressive ...
CHARLES NOELL III SELLS UP
THE SQUIRE of Ardbraccan House in Co Meath, US moneybags Charles E ...
PAMPERED POOCHES
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PRESENCE PAY DAY
PR QUEENS Joanne Byrne and Sinéad Ryan are winding up their successful ...
DOUG TAYLOR’S FORM BOOK
GOLDHAWK’S OLD pal Doug Taylor must have been watching the action at ...
ICY’S INSIGHTS
ONLINE PUNDIT Icy – aka Gearoid Norris – recently held court through ...
ART ATTACK
COVERAGE OF the arts took a bit of a hit this week ...
ACTING THE MAGGOT
AS ALWAYS, the Oscars garnered plenty of media attention for the stars ...