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GOLDHAWK was not surprised this week to see publicity-shy millionaire Derek Richardson seeking to have injunction proceedings against him thrown out by the High Court. He has managed to build up his very healthy fortune, most of it while based in sunny Monaco, without attracting too much attention – which is just the way he… Read more »

AS The Phoenix reported (see edition, 30/6/2016) former consultant, businessman and PR smoothie Fintan Drury underwent an apparent Pauline conversion from businessman to refugee advocate. Just some of the corporate feathers in Drury’s cap were his board membership of Anglo Irish Bank, chair of Paddy Power and chair of the RTÉ Authority. And Fintan’s close… Read more »

IS there not something very questionable behind the extraordinary arrest, imprisonment and personal humiliation of the president of the European Olympic Council and board member of the small (12) International Olympic Committee at the height of the Olympic Games in Rio last week? Pat Hickey may, or may not, have been implicated in a relatively… Read more »

IAN BAILEY’S request that the Director of Public Prosecution reconsider its decision not to prosecute him for the alleged murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier 20 years ago must be a first in legal history. But then, the Irish authorities’ obeisance in handing the French its entire case file on the murder and the (non)… Read more »

FOLLOWING Eoghan Harris’s recent attack on Ibrahim Halawa – jailed for three years and facing a possible death penalty in Egypt – Sindo writer Rachel Lavin gave Egyptian Ambassador Soha Gendi a platform recently to answer claims from Amnesty International and Ibrahim’s sister, Somaia. Gendi, Lavin explained, refutes the claim that Ibrahim was protesting against… Read more »

DIARMUID MARTIN has been isolated from his 25 episcopal colleagues in alleging the existence of a gay culture in Maynooth. But he has the backing of the most powerful leader in Christendom — none other than the Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis. In very publicly withdrawing his three students at St Patrick’s College and sending… Read more »

WHAT AN interesting family the Sherlock clan from Louth are. Cora Sherlock is one of the most strident spokespersons for the pro-life movement, but her brothers, Leo and Enda, are also fascinating characters with firm opinions of their own. Leo Sherlock is perhaps the better known of the two brothers, having set up The Liberal.ie,… Read more »

DUBLIN Lord Mayor Brendan Carr expressed unalloyed “joy” at his recent elevation as well as much gratitude to not only his own Labour Party but also Sinn Féin and the Greens for placing such “faith and trust” in bestowing this “great honour” upon him. And the “first citizen” had a special message on the front… Read more »

John Boreland Raymond McCord LAST SUNDAY night a notorious UDA gangster John Boreland (47) was shot dead. It was a botched murder attempt on Boreland and his fellow extortionist Andre Shoukri two years ago, that set the current phase of UDA factionalism in train. Boreland and Shoukri were targeted because of a takeover bid of… Read more »

THE strangled diplomatic language coming out of the Taoiseach’s office about the sudden transfer back to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of second secretary Rory Montgomery marks yet another coup for Martin Fraser, secretary general at the Taoiseach’s office. The creation in early 2015 of a special committee to deal with Brexit saw a… Read more »

DEAR me, what a stern judgment was delivered recently by Mr Justice Michael Moriarty (he of the tribunal of the same name) in an embarrassing action taken by a solicitor alleging bullying and harassment against her solicitor employer in Castlebar. Mona Jackson, a late entrant to the legal profession (in her mid-50s, as the judge… Read more »

AS Irish Independent readers can probably tell, Fine Gael ministers are very cross with their one time party colleague, Shane Ross. Last month, Indo editor Fionnan Sheahan wrote an angry article headlined “Attorney General severely undermined by Shane Ross, the Boris Johnson of Government”. Apparently, Ross “craves the power but has no desire to accept… Read more »