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Mark Durkan

GOODBYE MUIRSHEEN DURKAN?

Date: April 4, 2019 - Last Refuge

FINE GAEL’S supposed coup in recruiting former SDLP leader, Mark ‘Muirsheen’ Durkan, as their Dublin Euro candidate looks like bombing, despite Leo Varadkar’s initial hubris in putting one over on Micheál Martin and Fianna Fail. Meanwhile, the southern parties are cannibalising the SDLP, a party… Read more »

Noel Rock

KEEPING UP WITH NOEL ROCK

Date: April 4, 2019 - Last Refuge

IT’S NOT often that a backbench TD makes three of his own party’s government ministers, including the Taoiseach, look foolish and out of touch, but Fine Gael Tory boy, Noel Rock, managed the trick recently. Rock faces a battle to retain his seat in the re-drawn Dublin North-West constituency whose voters care more about soccer… Read more »

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Alice Mary Higgins

LEFT, LEFT AND LEFT AGAIN

Date: April 4, 2019 - Last Refuge

THREE OF the four Dublin EU seats are predictable with Fine Gael’s Frances Fitzgerald, Fianna Fail’s Barry Andrews and Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan widely expected to win out. But the battle for the fourth seat, which is expected to go to an ‘Independent’ or non-Republican Left politician (Independent, Nessa Childers won it in 2014), sees… Read more »

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Anne Rabbitte

RUN RABBITTE RUN FOR DÁIL AND EU

Date: April 4, 2019 - Last Refuge

RUNNING TWO candidates in the Midlands-North-West (MNW) European constituency in 2014 split the Fianna Fail vote (between Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher and Thomas Byrne), causing no little angst and recrimination at the time. FF’s EU candidate, Barry Andrews, cited this precedent as the reason why… Read more »

Diageo Dana An Garda Síochána IT Trust No Stone Unturned Irish Times Black Friday Vicky Conway

INM EXITERS

Date: April 4, 2019 - Fit to Print?

VETERAN EDITOR, Colm MacGinty, has just exited from the Sunday World and is to be followed this month by Sunday Independent executive editor (operations) Campbell Spray. Both were mould breakers in their own way. Shortly after he took over as Worst editor in the nineties, MacGinty declined to publish ‘the Bonking Blueshirt’ — a story… Read more »

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Jeremy Corbyn

CORBYN AND JIMMY SAVILE

Date: April 4, 2019 - Fit to Print?

A FRISSON ran through the RTÉ newsroom shortly after 7am last Thursday, following the usual Morning Ireland slot, It Says in the Papers by John S Doyle. Doyle described the Times Ireland photo coverage of Tory leadership contenders and their keep-fit techniques, referencing its depiction of Michael Gove jogging in shorts and Boris Johnson biking… Read more »

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Brid Smith

REVOLVING DOORS

Date: April 4, 2019 - Fowl Emissions

As the saga of Brid Smith’s Climate Emergency Measures Bill – to ban new oil and gas exploration licences – drags on, Goldhawk has been perusing the lobbying register (www.lobbying.ie). This shows that a small army of “public affairs consultants” for oil firms, IBEC, Port of Cork, Kildare Chamber and others have been queuing up… Read more »

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Bog-Cuttings-Default

BOG CUTTINGS

Date: April 4, 2019 - Bog Cuttings

Garda was no hurler on the ditch “IT WASN’T a swim job. It was a paddle job,” said Judge Patrick Durcan at Kilrush District Court upon hearing of local man Anthony Sweeney’s attempted escape from garda custody by crossing a river. The court heard that Sweeney was in the custody area of the courthouse when… Read more »

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Consuelo O’Connor

CIARÁN MURRAY’S HOUSES

Date: April 4, 2019 - High Society

IT WAS pointed out in The Irish Times recently that former Icon plc boss Ciarán Murray and his wife, Denise Ronan, managed to purchase four homes in Ballsbridge since 2010, which may well be a record. Fans of Goldhawk will recall (see The Phoenix 5/5/17) that having bought a house in the exclusive Ailesbury Wood… Read more »

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RICHARD BRUTON’S TO DO LIST

Date: April 4, 2019 - Fowl Emissions

When Enda Kenny set up the Citizens’ Assembly in 2016, it was to be an exercise in democracy, or perhaps in can-kicking. It wasn’t meant to change much. Three years on, abortion is legally available in Ireland. And now an Oireachtas Committee – created as a direct result of the Assembly – has delivered an… Read more »

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Lisselan House

SPRING CLEAN AT LISSELAN HOUSE

Date: April 4, 2019 - High Society

A YEAR after Colette Twomey – the woman behind Clonakilty Black Pudding – snapped up the splendid Lisselan House outside Clonakilty, Co Cork, the company that previously operated the sprawling estate has been quietly wound up under a new name. The good news is that millions of euro of losses have been accounted for. There… Read more »

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Josepha Madigan

JOSEPHA’S BURSARIES MK II

Date: April 4, 2019 - Behind the Scenes

THIS MONTH, applications close for the ‘Markievicz bursaries’ (mark II) and it promises to be pretty competitive given that the potential field has doubled in size. What is interesting about the decision to open up the €20,000 a head bursaries to applicants of the male persuasion is the lack of serious analysis of any potential… Read more »

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Mel Gibson

THE TAXMAN COMETH… EVENTUALLY

Date: April 4, 2019 - Behind the Scenes

BACK IN November 2014, Goldhawk put a few queries to Revenue as the country’s film luvvies were wishing farewell to the old ‘investor’ form of Section 481 tax relief while looking for opportunity in the incoming new corporation tax credit version of the scheme. In the case of co-productions involving other jurisdictions, Goldhawk asked how… Read more »

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Jim Bolger

BOLGER’S BLAST OFF

Date: April 4, 2019 - Sport of Kings

NAAS RACECOURSE welcomed the Irish flat season back recently and while there was the usual domination by the ‘establishment’, there were also examples of how the ordinary punter can mix it with the big boys. After a disappointing 2018, when both winners and prize money were his lowest since 2012, Jim Bolger began the season… Read more »

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James Gough

HEAVY GOING AT AIRO AGM

Date: April 4, 2019 - Sport of Kings

THE ASSOCIATION of Irish Racehorse Owners (AIRO) held their AGM last week, and the going was far from good. There could be changes afoot here. The beleaguered association, run by the low profile Aidan Burns, has been the brunt of some bad press recently, primarily as a a result of Jimmy Gough’s decision to initiate… Read more »

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Brendan Duke Adrian Murray Mick Bailey

RICH RICCI’S PR COUP

Date: April 4, 2019 - Sport of Kings

RICH RICCI has pulled off something of a PR coup after personally teaming up with BetVictor to honour antepost bets that had been voided as a result of the £15m sale of Betbright to 888. Ricci had come under intense pressure when the sale of Betbright was announced and although 888 stepped in to honour… Read more »

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Mick O'Leary

MICK O’LEARY’S CAST OFFS

Date: April 4, 2019 - Sport of Kings

MICK O’LEARY has never been one to miss a marketing opportunity in his professional life and it looks like his racing arm will exploit an interesting angle in the build up to the Aintree Grand National. Gigginstown House Stud will look to shift both Outlander… Read more »

Peter Jackson

PADDY POWER’S US BET MAY NOT PAY OFF

Date: April 4, 2019 - Moneybags

AFTER PEAKING at a crazy €136 back in February 2016, it has been a pretty bumpy ride at Paddy Power Betfair (PPB), especially for Gary McGann, who was appointed chairman in August 2016. Moneybags previously warned (see The Phoenix 20/5/2016) that Paddy Power shares were “trading on a pro-forma p/e multiple of 50, a rating… Read more »

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Gavin Slark

WILL GRAFTON TAKE OUT CRH’S EUROPEAN BUSINESS?

Date: April 4, 2019 - Moneybags

SINCE TAKING over as CEO at Grafton Group in 2011, Gavin Slark has too partially fulfilled former boss Mike Chadwick’s ambition to lessen the company’s dependence on the British Isles by expanding into mainland Europe, building up significant footprints in Belgium and The Netherlands. Now though he needs to pull off a deal of serious… Read more »

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Roger O’Sullivan

O’SULLIVAN’S DAMAGED FLEET

Date: April 4, 2019 - Briefcases

SPARE A thought for Roger O’Sullivan and his scuppered hospitality, catering and tourism vehicle, Ignition, which is being wound up. The group was based in the Galway seaside village of Salthill. Included in O’Sullivan’s group was the well-established ‘landmark’ Salthill restaurant, The Galleon, and two newer sister eateries, Salt Restaurant and Salt Café. All three… Read more »

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Ciaran Desmond

DESMOND’S MANY TALENTS

Date: April 4, 2019 - Briefcases

THE LEGAL eagle at the centre of a high profile court case – featuring allegations that Nolan Transport was defrauded of €7m – has had trouble before. Goldhawk can reveal that Ciaran Desmond had his practising certificate withdrawn by the Chartered Accountants Regulatory Board (CARB)… Read more »

Hot Water Brigade default

PEEL AVIATION’S CRASH LANDING

Date: April 4, 2019 - Briefcases

INTERESTING TO spot a High Court winding up petition last week in relation to a company called Peel Aviation Ltd. It has taken the petitioners almost two years to get to this point and it is difficult to know if there can be any assets available. In May 2017, Chicago-registered Corporate Aircraft Funding LLC had… Read more »

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Peter Charleton

PHILIP DORAN’S LOAN

Date: April 4, 2019 - Briefcases

THE SUPREME Court has sent a near ten year legal dust-up back to the High Court. The dispute between plaintiff, Damien Stapleton, and defendant, Phillip Doran, revolves around €300,000 loaned to Doran by Stapleton back in 2008. Doran claims the money was for his now defunct packaging company Easiwrap Limited, while Stapleton argues the money… Read more »

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Jay Bourke

JAY’S FIRE REGULATIONS

Date: April 4, 2019 - Briefcases

Goldhawk’s old friend Jay Bourke has been in the news again. His new bar, Penny Lane, didn’t open as planned last week after failing to comply with fire regulations. Regular readers will recall Bourke’s disqualification from the directorship of any company due to various tax issues with his bar Shebeen Chic (see The Phoenix 28/7/17)…. Read more »

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Hot Water Brigade default

TAX BILL FOR CIVIL SERVANTS

Date: April 4, 2019 - Briefcases

SPARE a thought for Deirdre Costello and Catriona Kelly who were hit with judgments of €110,000 each by the dreaded taxman. The pair have the same address at Lea Road, Portarlington, Co. Laois and are described as “civil servants”. Kelly and Costello were directors and owners of a sewage and refuse disposal company called, Aralee… Read more »

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Hot Water Brigade default

SAILING FOR LABARDIE FISHER

Date: April 4, 2019 - Briefcases

Goldhawk can reveal that the fishermen at the centre of a high profile defamation case have decided to pull in their nets and cash in. The two Cork natives, Leonard Hynes and Pat O’Mahony, remain engaged in a High Court stand-off with the The Guardian newspaper. Last month, liquidator John Russell was installed at Labardie… Read more »

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Frances Ruane

MORE DRAMA AT THE ABBEY

Date: March 21, 2019 - Affairs of the Nation

WHEN GOLDHAWK profiled the Abbey Theatre’s joint director, Graham McLaren, earlier this year (see The Phoenix, 25/1/19) the Abbey was under heavy fire. While the chair, Frances Ruane (ex-ESRI director), publicly backed her director, Goldhawk noted that “the final act is still to be written”…. Read more »

Dermot Desmond

DERMOT DESMOND’S BUMPY RIDE

Date: March 21, 2019 - Affairs of the Nation

THERE WAS plenty of excitement last week surrounding shares in Datalex, the airline technology company (sorry, “leading provider of digital commerce solutions to global travel retailers”) that had shocked the stock market in January with a drastic profit warning. Among those upset at the time was the largest shareholder by far, Dermot Desmond, who is… Read more »

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Sean Fleming

PROFILE: SEÁN FLEMING

Date: March 21, 2019 - Pillars of Society

WHAT IS it about the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that has provoked such a backlash from ministers, government TDs, Leinster House and the permanent government? The previous PAC chairman, Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness, built a political career as a fearsome interrogator before giving way to former FF frontbencher Seán Fleming after… Read more »

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Hozier

YOUNG BLOOD: HOZIER

Date: March 21, 2019 - The Young Bloods

Expressing oneself while offending as few people as possible is a key trait of modern pop stars and Hozier is no exception. In an era of sanitised corporate rock and roll stars, the six-foot-five gangly frame of Bray local Andrew Hozier-Byrne has been cleaning up – with a little help from Caroline Downey and Denis… Read more »

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BAD SPORTS AT TRINNERS

Date: March 21, 2019 - Affairs of the Nation

A spectacular row is on the boil in Trinity College Dublin where the University Times (UT), newspaper of the Trinners Student Union, is being accused of bugging a student’s apartment. Trinity News (TN), the independent on-campus paper, has called for UT editor Eleanor O’Mahony’s resignation… Read more »

Sophie Toscan du Plantier

IAN BAILEY: TRIAL BY ERROR

Date: March 21, 2019 - Affairs of the Nation

A FRENCH FARCE will shortly (late May) follow the Irish farce that was the Garda campaign to charge Ian Bailey with the 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. The trial of Bailey in absentia is due to proceed in late May in Paris and… Read more »

Dearbhail McDonald

FERTILITY SHOCK – RTÉ 1

Date: March 21, 2019 - ReviewsTV

DEARBHAIL MCDONALD is group business editor at Independent News and Media, but in recent times has been developing her brand beyond the confines of the business pages. A regular on the speaking circuit, McDonald’s most high-profile outing has concerned the freezing of her eggs. This decision was outlined in detail at an Institute of Directors… Read more »

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Bernie Butler

BERNIE BUTLER’S ENERGY BALLS

Date: March 21, 2019 - High Society

AT LAST week’s DMX Dublin marketing conference in the Aviva stadium, the great and good gave their tuppence worth, including the likes of former Ireland rugby captain Jamie Heaslip. Also speaking at the event were two of the principals in the high-profile Good4U health foods business – managing director Bernie Butler and her daughter, Laura… Read more »

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Nicky Woulfe

LIMERICK POSTER BOY

Date: March 21, 2019 - Affairs of the Nation

LIMERICK’S St Paddy’s Day celebrations cost the city council €30,000, leaving just €60,000 in the municipal allocation for such ventures, but ambitious local DJ, Nicky Woulfe, is looking for half of this for his music memorabilia museum. Woulfe knows a bit about PR and media – his wife, Cathy O’Halloran, is RTÉ’s Mid-West correspondent –… Read more »

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3706-FP

VOL 37 NO 06

Date: March 21, 2019 -

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