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Norma Smurfit

NORMA SMURFIT’S ACTIVITIES

Date: March 24, 2016 - High Society

IT LOOKS like Norma Smurfit has managed to upset Dublin City Councillor Mannix Flynn with her proposal that a ‘pavilion’ for the diaspora be erected in the heart of Dublin’s Merrion Square. The high profile fund raiser wants to help pay the cost of building the €2m structure and gift it to the city, but… Read more »

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charles-noell

CHARLES NOELL’S INVESTMENT

Date: March 24, 2016 - High Society

THE SQUIRE of Ardbraccan House estate in Co Meath, US moneybags Charles E Noells III, has got the thumbs up from Meath County Council for a significant upgrading of the waste water treatment facilities on the sprawling 120 acre estate. Elsewhere, he has been throwing around plenty of his dollars. It will be recalled that… Read more »

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Peter Reynolds

SELLING BALLYMACOLL STUD

Date: March 24, 2016 - High Society

THERE COULD be some interesting runners at the starting gate if the famous Ballymacoll Stud finds itself on the market in the next year, as has been speculated. Having been put firmly on the map by the flamboyant Dorothy Paget in the 1950s, the Co Meath stud outside Dunboyne was picked up for IR£250,000 by… Read more »

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bog cuttings

Bog Cuttings

Date: March 24, 2016 - Bog Cuttings

CROSSBOW ATTACK AFTER MAN KNOCKED OUT OF WHEELCHAIR A MAN who fell out of his wheelchair during a scuffle later shot someone with a crossbow, a court has heard. Thomas Scarlett (36), of Ballynagard Crescent, pleaded guilty to common assault on December 23, 2014. A co-accused, 63-year-old Ivan James Hetherington, of Drumleck Drive, also admitted… Read more »

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FRACKING NORTH AND SOUTH

Date: March 24, 2016 - Fowl Emissions

THE “end of the fossil fuel era” was the favoured description for December’s historic agreement at the COP21 climate summit in Paris, as nearly 200 world leaders pledged to transition rapidly to renewable energy. Whatever this might mean for functioning oil and gas fields, the idea of fracking to find new reserves must now surely… Read more »

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sunday-business-post

Business Post vacancies

Date: March 24, 2016 - Fit to Print?

THE departure of Pat Leahy from the Sunday Business Post to The Irish Times (his deputy political editor title indicating that he will succeed the soon to retire IT political editor, Stephen Collins) has left two vacancies at the Post – political editor and deputy editor of the paper. Post political correspondent Michael Brennan will… Read more »

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Caroline Downey

MCD BLACKLIST CRITIC

Date: March 24, 2016 - Fit to Print?

A WELL written review of musicians like “bestubbled young guitar strummer, Hozier” – too well written – by music critic Ed Power for The Sunday Times recently has resulted in the freelance journalist being blacklisted by MCD Productions. Commenting about the current wave of Irish songsters, Power described them as, “a demographic that regards blandness… Read more »

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Miriam O’Callaghan

SINN FÉIN LIBEL LOOT

Date: March 24, 2016 - Fit to Print?

THE media onslaught against Sinn Féin has not been entirely without consequence but it is RTÉ, not the Irish Independent, that faces High Court actions from two SF members. When Murrium O’Callaghan squared up to Gerry Adams in the party leaders’ debate shortly before the election, she demanded to know about the republican “cronies” that… Read more »

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RIchard Boyd Barrett

FAR LEFT: FIRST ITEM

Date: March 24, 2016 - Last Refuge

THE ‘united front’ of AAA/PBP aka, the SP (Paul Murphy) and SWP (Richard Boyd Barrett), have six TDs between them, three each, whereas it was 2-1 to the SP in 2011. Through gritted teeth, the two bitter rivals are determined to stay together, even if it is only to secure speaking rights, which are likely… Read more »

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LisaChambers

Lisa Chambers’s appeal

Date: March 24, 2016 - Last Refuge

IF Micheál Martin experienced a bitter sweet moment at Mary Hanafin’s election defeat in Dún Laoghaire he was gratified by the victory of his Mayo candidate, Lisa Chambers. And he may also have experienced another moment, this time of relief, when Mary told RTÉ after her election defeat that she would not be seeking a… Read more »

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Frank Flannery

WASTED WEST WINGERS

Date: March 24, 2016 - Last Refuge

HAVE former advisers, Fine Gael’s Frank Flannery and would-be Fianna Fáil handler, Noel Whelan, over-extended themselves just a tad? Flannery, in particular, has gone way beyond his current station in political life as when he told The Sunday Times a fortnight after the election that it was time for FG to clear out the leadership,… Read more »

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Amal Clooney

VILLIERS FACES ANGRY JUDGE

Date: March 24, 2016 - Bird's Eye View

LATE this week, Northern Secretary Theresa Villiers was due to present an affidavit to Belfast’s High Court explaining the British government’s delay in submitting documents and information the court has ordered, which deal with the cases of the 12 so-called ‘Hooded Men’ who suffered ‘Deep Interrogation’ in 1971. Failure to produce the material could result… Read more »

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DonaldTrump

DONALD TRUMP’S MEDIA REGIME

Date: March 24, 2016 - Foreign Frolics

By David Crisp DONALD Trump’s most recent assault on the First Amendment came in a speech in Texas last Friday, during which the tycoon promised to rewrite libel laws to make it so that when reporters “write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money.” The record… Read more »

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shane-mcgowan

The Hot Air Brigade

Date: March 24, 2016 - The Hot Air Brigade

We’re restoring a national treasure with Shane. It’s like someone presents you with the Book of Kells and says “Here you go, this needs restoration.” Dentist Darragh Mulrooney on restoring Shane MacGowan’s teeth, in the TV documentary, Shane MacGowan: A Wreck Reborn From her irreverent early work to ‘volunteering her breasts’ for DruidShakespeare and on… Read more »

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Richard Bruton

REFERENDUM ON EU-US TRADE DEAL?

Date: March 24, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

THE Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP), the trade and investment-protection deal between the EU and the US, threatens to undermine national sovereignties, domestic law and living standards across Europe with its unprecedented corporate power-grab. It has sparked huge public outcry and demonstrations across Europe. Parts of Irish civil society have been up in arms… Read more »

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Kieran Rose

KIERAN ROSE’S CAMPAIGN

Date: March 24, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

CONGRATULATIONS to wily NUI Seanad candidate and impressive self-promoter Kieran Rose. The Dublin City Council senior planner has managed to attract oodles of coverage in the run-up to his first attempt at election to the Senate. Rose has recently clashed very publicly with environment minister, Alan Kelly, over the significantly reduced apartment quality standards introduced… Read more »

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kate-feeney

LABOUR’S SENATE GENDER DEFICIT

Date: March 24, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

LABOUR’S horrendous general election, coupled with its equally abysmal local election results, mean that its Seanad voting franchise – councillors and newly elected TDs as well as outgoing senators – is significantly diminished. The first casualty of this small voting base has been Labour’s preoccupation with gender equality, and its two nominees for the Seanad… Read more »

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MaryRobinson01

MARY ROBINSON’S NEW DIRECTORS

Date: March 24, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

AS PLANS proceed for Mary Robinson’s multi-million euro shrine in Ballina, she had beefed up the board of her new foundation with some familiar faces. It will be recalled (see The Phoenix 15/1/16) that the budget for the Mary Robinson Centre is around €8.5m, with a significant chunk coming from the taxpayer via the Department… Read more »

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Denis-OBrien

DENIS O’BRIEN IN THE GOLDMINES

Date: March 24, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

WHAT now for the media mogul Denis O’Brien and Red Flag, the PR firm that Denis has chased through the courts for alleged defamation and conspiracy via that elusive USB stick containing files on him. On October 16, 2015, Judge Colm Mac Eochaidh ordered that the USB stick be delivered “forthwith” to O’Brien’s solicitors, Eames… Read more »

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feargus-flood

FLOOD/MAHON TRIBUNAL WIPE-OUT

Date: March 24, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

THE fiasco that is the Mahon Tribunal has now climaxed with virtually all findings of culpability against previously named parties being dumped. Estimates of the tribunal’s cost – so far – range between €160m circa to €300m, and yet there is no forum for scrutiny of this unprecedented legal debacle. There is no better example… Read more »

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bob-gunkel

“CURIOUS AND UNSETTLING” IN CORK

Date: March 24, 2016 - Affairs of the Nation

A RETIRED chartered engineer, William Bailey, has just won an important and interesting legal battle in the Court of Appeal concerning an unauthorised multi-million euro wind farm outside Dunmanway, Co Cork. A star player here turns out to be former senior planner with Cork County Council, Bob Gunkel, who worked on the controversial planning application… Read more »

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Simon Coveney

SIMON COVENEY MOVES TO SUCCESSION SLOT

Date: March 24, 2016 - Last Refuge

SIMON COVENEY is now playing a central role in Fine Gael’s efforts to construct a rainbow coalition and is acting in tandem with Enda Kenny in talks with the Independents. This happened partly by accident and partly because Coveney and Simon Harris have shown a purposeful intent that others appear to lack. Kenny has assembled… Read more »

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Michael Healy-Rae

Michael & Danny Healy-Rae

Date: March 24, 2016 - Pillars of Society

When the 32nd Dáil first met for the first time a fortnight ago, the real show in town that day appeared to be Healy-Rae brothers, Michael and Danny, throwing a mini concert on the bonnet of a jeep outside Leinster House. The duo from Kilgarvan in Kerry made history by becoming the first siblings to represent the… Read more »

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Jack Chambers

Jack Chambers

Date: March 24, 2016 - The Young Bloods

TWENTY-five year-old Jack Chambers, the newly elected Fianna Fáil TD for Brian Lenihan’s old constituency of Dublin West (and the youngest TD elected in last month’s general election) is not exactly in sync with the ‘left-of-centre’ image projected by party leader, Micheál Martin. He’s young, clean and biddable, but is very much in the new… Read more »

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Vol. 34 No. 05

Vol. 34 No. 05

Date: March 10, 2016 -

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article default

Giraffe’s Neck in the Sand

Date: March 9, 2016 - Briefcases

GIRAFFE Childcare – the company behind crèche chain, Giraffe, which featured in the RTE exposé on crèches in 2013 – has taken its eye off the ball, as the company is currently facing the threat of being struck off by the Companies Registration Office (CRO). Giraffe was listed for strike off last month for failing… Read more »

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david-coleman

David Coleman’s Appeal

Date: March 9, 2016 - Briefcases

SOME bad news for solicitor and property developer David Coleman, a founding partner in the well-known law firm, Lavelle Coleman, which was split up in 2014. Coleman, who is now the managing partner in his firm, Coleman Legal Partners, has been personally involved in a number of legal disputes in recent years in connection with… Read more »

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Eversheds Ponders Libel Action

Eversheds Ponders Libel Action

Date: March 9, 2016 - Briefcases

EVERSHEDS, the Dublin-based law firm, is the latest to join the lengthy list of entities that have recently lodged legal proceedings against supermarket giant, Dunnes Stores, over alleged bad debts. Dunnes Stores boss Margaret Heffernan loves a legal dust-up and in the last year or so, a number of landlords have issued proceedings against her… Read more »

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oisin-hanrahan

Oisin Hanrahan’s Settlement

Date: March 9, 2016 - Briefcases

HIGHFLYING US-based businessman Oisin Hanrahan has one less legal squabble to worry about now that a pesky court case taken against him and the company he founded, Handy, has been settled. There was plenty of mud thrown in the dispute, which was taken by two unhappy former workers of Handy, the online booking company for… Read more »

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stephen-cheung

Stephen Cheung’s Conviction

Date: March 9, 2016 - Briefcases

LOOKS like the game is up for former liquidator Stephen Cheung, who was accused of stealing around €450,000 from various companies he was the liquidator of over a period from 2009-2013. Cheung – whose liquidator firm was Cheung Consulting – was charged last year with 18 counts under the Theft and Fraud Act, which related… Read more »

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karl-mulvee

Karl Mulvee Gets Squeezed

Date: March 9, 2016 - Briefcases

DUBLIN businessman Karl Mulvee has been adept at generating positive press for his juicing business, Pure Green, although this wasn’t enough to make the business a success and the company behind it, Streamhall Ltd, collapsed into liquidation last month. Presumably, a closure order served on Pure Green by the HSE in 2014 didn’t help. The… Read more »

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ivan-menezes

Only takeover talk justifies Diageo’s rating

Date: March 9, 2016 - Moneybags

SINCE Ivan Menezes got the top job at Diageo in July 2013, taking over the reins from the hugely successful Paul Walsh, the chief executive has failed to impress. Rather than build on Walsh’s impressive record, Menezes has delivered falling earnings. Moreover, both he and the chairman who appointed him, Franz Humer, have effectively ignored… Read more »

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siun-ni-raghallaigh

LIGHTS, CAMERA, BUBBLE

Date: March 9, 2016 - Behind the Scenes

TO ALL appearances, it’s full steam ahead for John Kelleher, Siún ní Raghallaigh and Ossie Kilkenny’s Troy Studios play at the former Dell plant in Limerick, whether or not Michael Noonan gets back into the finance ministry. That said, there are signs of a ‘bubble’ of sorts developing, inflated by the amount of soft public… Read more »

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article default

COUNCIL’S “CONCERN”

Date: March 9, 2016 - Behind the Scenes

WHILE THE backlash against the Abbey Theatre’s testosterone-fuelled 1916 centenary programme – ‘Waking The Nation’ – was well-ventilated, it turns out that the members of the Arts Council had their own backlash after learning of Fiach MacConghail’s wrangling of U½m from the Department of Arts for the controversial programme Initially, the Abbey had been counting… Read more »

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article default

Secret Gallops

Date: March 9, 2016 - Sport of Kings

SECRECY continues to surround the traditional after racing gallops held last week at the state-owned Leopardstown racecourse for horses engaged to run at Cheltenham. While racetracks in England are more than happy to inform the public of the identity of the nags taking part in their pre-festival trials, Brian Kavanagh’s Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) prefers… Read more »

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bernard-caldwell

NEW TRACK FOR 2016 AWARDS

Date: March 9, 2016 - Sport of Kings

AFTER CRITICISM regarding the lack of balance on the judging panel handing out the cash prizes and gongs at the Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum-sponsored Godolphin Stable Staff Awards last year (see The Phoenix 23/4/15), Joe Keeling’s Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) has responded by moving the €70,000 publicity vehicle to the Dunraven Arms in Co Limerick…. Read more »

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