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THE SUDDEN closure of Clery’s generated plenty of media criticism given the manner in which the hapless staff were treated. Now over in HMV, a rather different winding up has taken place but, once again, the staff found themselves taken by surprise. This is the second time this year that the owner of HMV, Hilco… Read more »

INM’s intended purchase of another raft of regional newspapers is a measure of Denis O’Brien’s apparently well-founded belief that nothing and nobody will put a halt to his media empire building. So, too, is INM’s business strategy as enunciated by its own directors, that media acquisitions are still on the agenda. This, more than any… Read more »

LAST WEEK the Indo was remarkably supportive of Apple in relation to the tax row, which may not be a surprise after last year’s love-in with chief executive Tim Cook. Michael Noonan, however, got an unmerciful hammering from the paper. Last year, Cook had a ball on his visit to Ireland as he strolled around… Read more »

GIVEN that Stephen Donnelly had about as much time for social democracy as Danny Healy-Rae it is hardly surprising that his split from the Social Democrats had little to do with ideology or policy and everything to do with who was top dog in the party. The drift between Donnelly and the other two joint… Read more »

FINE GAEL general secretary Tom Curran must be hoping that a robust and defiant letter sent recently to Sligo councillor Hubert Keaney, as well as ex-TD John Perry, will soften their cough. Keaney and Perry alleged in letters sent to party HQ that Keaney had been warned about his political future should he give evidence… Read more »

B-LIST entertainer Keith Duffy responded like an A-List diva recently to remarks allegedly made by the chief executive of Irish Autism Action (IAA), Brian Murnane. Amid a welter of criticism about the charity’s financial crisis, Murnane was quoted as saying that a reported €8m raised by Duffy for IAA cost the charity €7m. But Duffy,… Read more »

THE little noticed announcement last July by environment minister Simon Coveney of the Constituencies Commission to scrutinise and revise electoral boundaries has dismayed Fine Gael ministers and party HQ. Simon earned brownie points for his astute handling of government coalition formation but it is the next government that HQ is more concerned with now. The… Read more »

“WORLD renowned marriage equality campaigner” was just one of the accolades showered on Ireland’s Yes Equality political director Tiernan Brady by the Australian media when he arrived to assist the Aussies’ own campaign for gay marriage last April. But Tiernan put his foot right in it at a vital stage of July’s Australian general election… Read more »

HOW UNFORTUNATE for the respected O’Callaghan family of Yeoman Stud fame to find themselves caught up in a controversy, following the alleged discovery of illegally held animal remedies on their premises. Three members of the family – Gay, Annette and David O’Callaghan – are among those now facing prosecution in relation to the matter, but… Read more »

THE IRISH Rio Olympics controversy is not going away any time soon, with Pat Hickey – president of the OCI until he stepped aside last month “temporarily” – questioned by the police this week about ticketing allocations. Meanwhile, back in Dublin the race is on to replace Hickey in a not so temporary capacity. While… Read more »