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stuart-gilhooly

STUART GILHOOLY’S HARD TACKLES

Date: December 1, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

DUBLIN SOLICITOR Stuart Gilhooly must be a relieved man that the retrial of former footballer Ched Evans – jailed for rape in 2012 – led to a not guilty verdict. It certainly made it easier for Gilhooly to take over as president of the Law Society of Ireland, where he now has Shane Ross in… Read more »

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Pádraig Ó Céidigh

PÁDRAIG Ó CÉIDIGH’S HOT SEAT

Date: December 1, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

THE VERY busy Pádraig Ó Céidigh finds himself in the hot seat as the water charges issue returns to the fore. He has been appointed chairman of the Oireachtas committee set up to examine the report of the Kevin Duffy chaired Commission on Water Charges. Although an independent senator, he is no stranger to political… Read more »

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judge-gerard-hogan

‘UNWITTING VICTIM’ JOHN SPENCER

Date: December 1, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

LAST MONTH’S Court of Appeal victory by Nenagh legal eagle John Spencer over Anglo Irish Bank/IBRC in relation to a 2005 investment scheme represents a damning indictment of the bank’s behaviour. Anglo got a serious bloody nose from Judge Gerard Hogan when he overturned Judge Caroline Costello’s previous dismissal of Spencer’s claim. Spencer is one… Read more »

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daily-mail

Sorry, Paddy

Date: December 1, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

THE carefully honed Irish edition of the Daily Mail avoids the sort of paddy bashing still purveyed by sections of the British media – including its own British edition. Last Friday saw the Irish edition’s comment slot filled with a whimsical column about the joys of kite flying and petty bureaucrats banning the practice in… Read more »

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james-reilly

BATTLE CONTINUES FOR SoS VICTIMS

Date: December 1, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

THE campaign to adequately compensate women who endured the “barbaric” practice of symphysiotomy have endured an onslaught by a most interesting alliance of The Irish Times, the Catholic think tank, the Iona Institute and professional representatives of the gynaecologists who carried out the practice. This saga began politically with the former health ministser James Reilly… Read more »

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Pat Hickey

PAT HICKEY HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

Date: December 1, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

GOLDHAWK’S SPIES in Brazil tell him that the €400,000 bail bond for Pat Hickey has arrived in Rio and is awaiting processing. It looks like the beleaguered temporarily-stepped-aside president of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) will be back home well in time for Christmas. If so, he will get to witness first hand the… Read more »

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Legal eagles’ cost

Date: December 1, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

FRAUD SQUAD inquiries into allegations made by Kenmare solicitor Colm Murphy against Law Society members may or may not come to anything. But the mounting costs of his multiple actions against the society – for improper behaviour and other transgressions – will amount to more than a hill of beans for one side or another…. Read more »

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WHO’LL BLINK FIRST AT INM?

Date: December 1, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

FEW TEARS will be shed among senior editorial heads at Independent News & Media (INM) if chief executive Robert Pitt is a victim of the board’s row over the proposed acquisition of Newstalk radio station. Pitt enjoyed the support of INM chairman Leslie Buckley when… Read more »

jillian-godsil

The Hot Air Brigade

Date: December 1, 2016 - The Hot Air Brigade

“I began a new chapter where I posited that a young man with a six-pack and an even longer appendage might distract me from the clamour of unwelcome thoughts through the night. Here I would become fit and loved at the same time – what an idea I craved.” Jillian Godsil attends a “three-day personal… Read more »

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martin-mcguinness

FIANNA FÁIL INVADES THE NORTH

Date: December 1, 2016 - Bird's Eye View

LAST WEEK Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness issued a joint statement listing all the aspects of administration where they were forging ahead. It was greeted with a raspberry by commentators and ignored by the public at large. The statement revealed to all that Martin and Arlene, Marlene to irreverent bloggers in the north, couldn’t agree… Read more »

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marcella-corcoran-kennedy

BLUESHIRT BAR LOBBY(ISTS)

Date: December 1, 2016 - Last Refuge

THERE is more than one Fine Gael faction working against the Alcohol Bill being steered through the Oireachtas by junior health minster Marcella Corcoran Kennedy. Forces within and without the House are organising to neuter the bill and Corcoran Kennedy will be hoping senior cabinet members stand up to it. Media reports speak of a… Read more »

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Tom Curran IFA

TOM CURRAN STAYS PUT

Date: December 1, 2016 - Last Refuge

TWO recently announced employment decisions of great import – one agricultural, the other political – have caused no little apprehension at Fine Gaels Mount Street HQ. On the one hand, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) announced the appointment of its new director general, Damian McDonald. The IFA also let it be known that the new… Read more »

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On the button

Date: December 1, 2016 - Last Refuge

OUTRIGHT opposition to the recent Dublin City Council budget from People Before Profit’s three councillors as well as a blood and thunder speech from their leader, John Lyons, did not prevent next year’s budget being passed last month. But despite their trenchant opposition, the PBP revolutionaries unwittingly assisted their opponents – the ‘sell-out’ Sinn Féin… Read more »

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Mark Garrett

LABOUR HANDLERS FLEE TO PRIVATE SECTOR

Date: December 1, 2016 - Last Refuge

LABOUR’S 30 or so defeated TDs as well as the 80-plus councillors who lost their seats in 2014 have spent much time venting their outrage on Eamon Gilmore, Joan Burton and other ministers for leading them to political and personal disaster. Their ire will hardly be assuaged by the subsequent good fortune of those unelected… Read more »

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conor-brady

CONOR BRADY SPILLS THE BEANS

Date: December 1, 2016 - Fit to Print?

A CLASSIC, obfuscating Irish Times editorial last week condemned Sinn Féin’s bill to insert neutrality into the constitution as “tilting at windmills”. The newspaper that has published more articles criticising Irish neutrality than any other media in recent years dismissed recent moves towards an EU army as mere discussions about “peace keeping and humanitarian missions”…. Read more »

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dee-forbes

Forbes no fool

Date: December 1, 2016 - Fit to Print?

IS RTÉ director general Dee Forbes’s outsourcing of kiddies’ programmes really as cack-handed and insensitive as most seem to believe? Or is Forbes deliberately provoking communications minister Denis Naughten and the government because of their refusal to deliver the station a licence fee increase? Many RTÉ staffers believe the exodus from the station of public-service-conscious… Read more »

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brendan-howlin

Brendan Howlin

Date: December 1, 2016 - Pillars of Society

LEADER of the smallest Labour Party in its century long existence, Brendan Howlin must now have a keen understanding of the phrase, Be careful what you wish for. At 3% in the latest poll (which way does the 3% margin of error work here?) and with just seven TDs the party is eclipsed by more… Read more »

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donald-trump

POST TRUMP CLIMATE

Date: December 1, 2016 - Fowl Emissions

THE VICTORY of Donald Trump in the US election is bad news on many fronts with the Republican Party scrambling to make America great again for billionaires, bigots and xenophobes. But one aspect of the legacy of a Trump presidency is likely to be measured in millennia: not years, namely, its ongoing war on science,… Read more »

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Bog Cuttings

Bog Cuttings

Date: December 1, 2016 - Bog Cuttings

Navan Man’s Holiday Habits EARN A CURFEW A NAVAN man has been ordered by a judge to stay off the streets on bank holidays for the next 12 months after pleading guilty to being drunk and breaching the peace. Stephen O’Leary, Abbeygrove, Navan, committed the offences on St Stephen’s Day and St Patrick’s Day last,… Read more »

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donald-trump

Niall Breslin

Date: December 1, 2016 - The Young Bloods

The Irish media is involved in a love affair with Niall Breslin (36) and his music, personal life and television gigs have helped the Mullingar Renaissance man build a high profile over the best part of a decade. Latterly, though, Bressie has grabbed the spotlight through his reinvention as a mental health advocate, becoming the… Read more »

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lee-kruger

GREG BRODERICK’S GIFT HORSE

Date: December 1, 2016 - High Society

HAVING BEEN the subject of much negative comment when he headed off to Rio to compete (unsuccessfully) in the Olympics on board wonder horse MHS Going Global, showjumper Greg Broderick is smiling now, following the horse’s sale for a reported U12m. The real winner is majority owner Lee Kruger but Greg can now stick another… Read more »

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shane-ryan

Shane Ryan’s moolah

Date: December 1, 2016 - High Society

THERE HAS been much focus in recent months on the high flying activities of Declan Ryan whose airline investments have been generating soaring returns. Meanwhile, younger brother Shane is keeping the head down but also turning a profit. Declan Ryan was in the news last week when it emerged that he had purchased the palatial… Read more »

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pippa-o-connor

PIPPA O’CONNOR’S PROFITS

Date: December 1, 2016 - High Society

IN THE goldfish bowl that is Ireland, celebrity couples are the big thing now with the likes of Rosanna Davison and Wesley Quirke (Wesanna) and Brian O’Driscoll and Amy Huberman (HuberBod) generating oodles of copy for the social pages. Right near the top of this list is model-turned-blogger-turned-designer Pippa O’Connor and TV presenter Brian Ormond… Read more »

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hell-at-the-gates

HELL AT THE GATES – JOHN LEE AND DANIEL MCDONNELL (MERCIER)

Date: December 1, 2016 - BooksReviews

THIS BOOK is yet another addition to the painfully long list of inside stories on the financial crisis and the near collapse of the banking system. It would have been more of a must-read back in 2012 or 2013. The book’s principal focus is the politics and relationships between key Fianna Fáil players at the… Read more »

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THE WONDER - EMMA DONOGHUE (PICADOR)

THE WONDER – EMMA DONOGHUE (PICADOR)

Date: December 1, 2016 - BooksReviews

ALTHOUGH she has mainly written historical fiction, Emma Donoghue is best known for her 2010 novel Room, which sold over a million copies. Donoghue has developed something of a specialty in writing about people held in traumatic confinement and this latest book too is inspired by events from the past. Set in the Irish midlands… Read more »

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history

THE IRELAND TRILOGY – PEACOCK THEATRE

Date: December 1, 2016 - ReviewsTheatre

IN THE last few years, a changing of the guard has accelerated in Irish theatre. New troupes working away for the last decade are graduating from low-budget shows to main stages, supplanting our best-known independent companies.The exciting transition shows depth and talent. But not all the up-and-comers are ready for that graduation just yet. THEATREclub,… Read more »

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jacqueline-hall

NEW NGI FACES

Date: December 1, 2016 - Behind the Scenes

AFTER A predictable delay, arts minister Heather Humphreys finally got around to appointing new directors of the National Gallery of Ireland (NGI). There have been vacancies at the NGI stretching back nine months to when the term of then chairman, Michael Cush SC, came to an end. Other vacancies arose around this time and, as… Read more »

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article-default

LIAM COLLINS TAKING LIBERTIES

Date: December 1, 2016 - Behind the Scenes

IN THE Sindo last weekend, hack Liam Collins used his Zozimus column to put the boot into “the high-minded literati” who criticised publisher Sean O’Keeffe of Liberties Press, highlighting poor Sean’s lack of support from the Arts Council and pointing out that O’Keeffe “intends to trade out of his troubles and eventually pay what is… Read more »

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Morgan O'Sullivan

Date: December 1, 2016 - Behind the Scenes

THE LEGAL action by Winfried Hannemacher’s W2 Filmproduktion action against Octagon Films’ Morgan O’Sullivan and James Flynn (see The Phoenix 1/7/16) is due back in the Four Goldmines next week. This case features one of the five companies that made it into a scheme that provided access to the public coffers as well as backing… Read more »

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peter-brant

WILDENSTEIN SAVES THE DAY

Date: December 1, 2016 - Sport of Kings

A LOT of Irish breeders are taking a bit of a hammering at the moment. This was evident at Goffs foal and breeding stock sale when the first few days of trade made for uncomfortable viewing. Less than half the foals offered over the first three days found a new home, with things only picking… Read more »

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jim-bolger

BOLGER’S STRANGE STRATEGY

Date: December 1, 2016 - Sport of Kings

JIM BOLGER has generally tended to put his money where his mouth is. His early belief and investment in the stallion prowess of Galileo is the major reason why his breeding and training business surged in the last 10 years. Bolger, however, has adopted an unusual strategy this year by sending around 40 of his… Read more »

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Dermot-Desmond

NO BRAINER FOR DESMOND

Date: December 1, 2016 - Sport of Kings

DERMOT DESMOND has never been a prolific owner of racehorses despite his staggering wealth but he seems to be dipping his toe in slightly more these days. Desmond enjoyed some success a number of years ago with the Ted Walsh-trained Commanche Court, who won a Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham and an Irish Grand National. Desmond… Read more »

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Meta Osborne

TURF CLUB TASK FORCE DISBANDED

Date: December 1, 2016 - Sport of Kings

THE TURF Club’s anti-doping task force is no more, having been disbanded following the latest meeting of its 16-strong squad. The task force was chaired by Meta Osborne and the panel included Denis Egan and Brian Kavanagh – chief executives of the Turf Club and Horse Racing Ireland respectively. It now appears that any further… Read more »

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Eimear-Mulhern-e1480548948873 (1)

Bloodstock blues for Goffs

Date: December 1, 2016 - Moneybags

THIS YEAR is the 150th anniversary of Robert J Goff & Co, the Irish bloodstock auctioneer founded in 1866 by the Myerscough family. Having weathered the economic storm, bloodstock sales rings have been buzzing again in recent times, but there has been a sudden reverse this year and Goffs, after a disappointing previous 12 months,… Read more »

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liam-kavanagh

Deadline approaching for ‘The Irish Times’

Date: December 1, 2016 - Moneybags

GIVEN THAT the publisher of The Irish Times – The Irish Times Ltd (ITL) – is owned by a trust, it is not allowed to pay out dividends but rather should reinvest any surplus funds to make the company self-sustaining. In the past, management’s investment decisions have proved uninspiring verging on disastrous. Now chief executive… Read more »

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ganley-declan

Declan Ganley’s month to forget

Date: December 1, 2016 - Briefcases

DECLAN Ganley has had a bad month. In early November, his Rivada Networks technology company was knocked out of the tendering process to build a $7bn mobile network in Mexico after the company’s bid was deemed “non-solvent”. Closer to home, his Libertas Institute Ltd has just filed annual accounts that make for bleak reading. The… Read more »

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