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VOL 41 NO 22

Date: November 2, 2023 -

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Budget Jack Chambers Nicki Minaj B’Tselem Phil Hogan UCD IRTA DIGI Katy Brown Rory Godson Pallonji Mistry Shark Hanlon Frances Ruane Taste of Dublin Listowel Writers’ Week Paddy Curran Harvey Norman Anton Savage Paul Hourican Enda O’Coineen PfP Red C Poll IFTA Ben Gilroy Luke Comer Sue Spence Fingleton Aubrey McCarthy Matt Cooper Parker Green Danny McConnell Gayle Killilea Maura Derivan Ed Honohan INS Arts Council EDAF Emuse Rosslare Golf Club Mairead Casey Colm O’Rourke Stephen Connolly Peter Aiken John Malone Tom Barry Anthony Halpin Ian Kehoe Kevin Bakhurst Geraldine O’Leary Dennis Horgan RUSI Gareth McAllister Ryevale House Joe Macken RUC Omagh Patrick Connolly Paddy Cosgrave The Ditch Newstalk Fake Tan Fred Logue Ian Paisley Sean O’Riordan Margaret Sweeney Jay Bourke Ellie Kisyombe Francesca McDonagh Ted Cunningham National Space Centre An Irish Goodbye Oscar Robert Quirke Ciara Kelly Executive Women Gathering Doug Taylor Florian Haufe Robbie Henshaw Bill Shipsey Breaking the Silence L’Ecrivain Ronan McNally National Lottery Michael Roche Energy Action Balls.ie Newspapers VAT Abbey Theatre Patricia Madden Irish Banking Culture Board Randox Aoife Gallagher Book Dalai Lama Trinity Trevor White RTÉ Chairperson Shane Houlihan Noel Smyth IKC Bob Geldof Landlord Ireland Neutrality Ukraine

NOT EMUSED

Date: November 2, 2023 - Affairs of the Nation

THE FINAL page has been turned on the story of the multimillion-euro collapse of Irish TV tech outfit Emuse. Liquidator Joseph Walsh has called the final creditors’ meeting for the company, which has featured some familiar faces down the years. Emuse was set up at the end of 1998 by former college lecturer Patrick Rainsford… Read more »

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DEMOCRATIC WEST

Date: November 2, 2023 - Affairs of the Nation

A FAVOURITE argument of Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin is that the Russians have a stranglehold over Irish foreign policy because they can block any motion on the UN Security Council with their power of veto. The triple requirement for sending Irish troops abroad is… Read more »

Peter Vandermeersch Mediahuis Newsbrands Ireland

MEDIA WAR ERUPTS

Date: November 2, 2023 - Affairs of the Nation

PHOENIX READERS will be familiar with the secession of Belgian multinational Mediahuis – the biggest media group in Ireland by far – from Newsbrands Ireland, the newspaper lobby group that for many years also organised an annual journalism awards contest. Mediahuis Ireland boss Peter Vandermeersch was mightily peed off at the “unfair” treatment meted out… Read more »

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STORMIN’ NORMAN’S HEADLINES

Date: November 2, 2023 - Affairs of the Nation

FAIR PLAY to Stormin’ Norman Crowley – he has the promotion of his Cool Planet brand down to a fine art. The latest example of his ability to generate headlines came in the Sindo last weekend, which ran a piece headlined: “Cool Planet aims to… Read more »

DODGY DUBLIN DECLARATION

Date: November 2, 2023 - Affairs of the Nation

IN OCTOBER 2022 Teagasc, the state agriculture research agency, hosted a conference of meat industry activists. Arising from this, the so-called ‘Dublin Declaration’ was issued. Since then, this one-page declaration has proved an invaluable industry lobbying tool. The conference was opened by minister of state (and beef farmer) Martin Heydon, with European commissioner Mairead McGuinness… Read more »

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PALESTINIAN REPUBLICAN LINKS

Date: November 2, 2023 - Hush Hush

In the last month Irish politicians from Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and even Labour have walked a fine line as they condemned the co-ordinated attacks by Palestinian militants on Israel, while at the same time showing solidarity with the population… Read more »

THE HOT AIR BRIGADE

Date: November 2, 2023 - The Hot Air Brigade

The resignation this week of Web Summit chief executive Paddy Cosgrave somehow managed to be both startling and utterly predictable at the same time, not unlike Cosgrave himself. He’s always been an energetic creative dynamo with a contrarian bent. Karlin Lillington, Irish Times Bono talks about the cycle of creating, degenerating and regenerating as a… Read more »

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LOMBARD SMITES ZEALOTS

Date: November 2, 2023 - Fowl Emissions

Environmental “zealots” are putting lives at risk by objecting to flood defences, declared Fine Gael senator Tim Lombard in the wake of the catastrophe that hit Midleton last month. The implication of the Cork man’s Old Testament slur was that the town would have been… Read more »

ZUCKERBERG’S SUNSHINE

Date: November 2, 2023 - Fowl Emissions

The prospect of our homes, schools, cars and more being powered by the sun’s clean energy is one genuinely feel-good story that should help drive the green transition. Last year Irish-owned company Highfield Energy powered up two huge solar farms in Meath and Wexford, with a combined peak capacity of 276MW. All good so far…. Read more »

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MARTIN’S NON-POLICY ON NORTH

Date: November 2, 2023 - Northwind

In 2018 Theresa May appointed Karen Bradley – one of her dimmest politicians – as northern secretary. Apparently, Bradley was the only MP who would voluntarily have tea with the robotic May, who was dreaded among journalists as “the worst lunch in town”. Bradley’s ignorance of the north was staggering and she openly admitted it…. Read more »

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NATO AND ‘IRISH TIMES’ ADULTS

Date: November 2, 2023 - Last Refuge

THERE WERE two types of media reaction to Dame Louise Richardson’s recent report of Micheál Martin’s forum on international security. One was to play it down to virtual non-existence; the other was an angry rant from Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy. Both responses were… Read more »

CLONGOWES WOOD ‘IRREGULARS’

Date: November 2, 2023 - Last Refuge

As the Decade of Centenaries comes to a close there seems to be a bit of unfinished business and even a hint of Civil War recrimination, although mercifully without any gun play. Early last year three former Clongowes Wood College students wrote to then tánaiste… Read more »

ISRAEL’S MEDIA CHAMPIONS

Date: November 2, 2023 - Fit to Print?

THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT’S new columnist, David Quinn, has been regurgitating all the disingenuous clichés about Israel’s critics being anti-Semitic, Hamas using people as human shields and denials that Israel deliberately slaughters civilians. Quinn’s line of attack has continued for two of the last three editions… Read more »

Ivan Yates Nell McCafferty RTÉ Lord Laird Intro Matchmaking NewsBrands Martin McGuinness Dún Laoghaire Pat Leahy Cormac Lucey John Cooney Irish Journalism Awards Steve Aiken Anton Savage John Downing Lucinda Creighton Marina Sologub Eilis O'Hanlon Ian Kehoe Danny McConnell Sindo O'Connor Mediahuis Stephen Collins Book Justine McCarthy Rewriting the Troubles Lynn Ruane Sinn Féin

STEPHEN RAE’S SETTLEMENT

Date: November 2, 2023 - Fit to Print?

A LONG-RUNNING High Court defamation case taken by the former editor-in-chief of Independent News & Media (INM) titles, Stephen Rae, against then Sunday Times journalist Mark Tighe and RTÉ has been settled. Rae objected to reports that concerned comments about his behaviour in controversial editorial matters by INM chairman Leslie Buckley, Denis O’Brien’s man at… Read more »

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BOG CUTTINGS

Date: November 2, 2023 - Bog Cuttings

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM A Letterkenny man who appeared before Letterkenny District Court charged with two public order offences was fined €250 by Judge Éiteáin Cunningham. The first charge related to an incident on Upper Main Street, Letterkenny, which occurred on the afternoon of June 18. Gardaí on patrol observed the defendant, Richard Mawhinney (25) of… Read more »

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ORLAITH McBRIDE’S ARCHIVES

Date: November 2, 2023 - Behind the Scenes

INTERESTING TO see that arts and culture minister Catherine Martin found time last week to drop into the €2.4m pa National Archives of Ireland (NAI) premises on Bishop Street in D8. Certainly, she has not found time to make the long-overdue appointment of members to the National Archives Advisory Council (NAAC), defunct since July of… Read more »

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Tailored Films Screen Ireland Perspectives DCCI Crescine Tarka Russell Lara Hickey Reality Check Sarah McInerney Irish Movies Paul Murray Arts Council Dublin Theatre Festival TWU Macdara Kelleher Richard Boyd Barrett DADC Cillian Murphy Terry McMahon Media Commission Ireland Kerlin Gallery Creative Ireland Section 481 Christine O’Donovan RTÉ Storyland NMI Board Vacancies IASCA Ossie Kilkenny RTÉ Original Programmes

BIENNALE BOO-BOO

Date: November 2, 2023 - Behind the Scenes

IT LOOKS like the Arts Council and Culture Ireland got a little ahead of themselves earlier this year when they advertised for expressions of interest from architect types to represent Ireland at the Venice 2025 biennale exhibition. The promoters were in such a hurry that the advert could not include an overall theme, which remained… Read more »

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O’LEARY TAKES OFF AGAIN

Date: November 2, 2023 - Sport of Kings

THE 2019 claim by Mick O’Leary that he was winding down his huge string of jumps horses and quitting going racing looks a pretty long shot today. While the Ryanair moneybags did move on a lot of his old squad at various horse-in-training sales over the past couple of years, he has also been actively… Read more »

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WHIPPING UP A STORM

Date: November 2, 2023 - Sport of Kings

OISIN MURPHY has made more than a decent fist of rebuilding his career after serving a well-documented 14-month ban from riding that he picked up last year. But he could have done even better. A season total to date of over 160 winners and more than £5m in prize money is testament to his return… Read more »

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RACHEL FLYNN’S CHOCOLATE DROP

Date: November 2, 2023 - High Society

In August last year, Hilliard Lombard and David McKernan’s food investment firm, BiaVest, pumped €700,000 into Nobó, the vegan ice cream and chocolate operation set up by former Vogue magazine digital marketing exec Rachel Flynn and hubby Brian Nolan. It looks like this business has yet to hit the sweet spot. Although it was reported… Read more »

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WRITING WAS ON THE WALL FOR HEALTHBEACON

Date: November 2, 2023 - Moneybags

BACK IN January last year, Moneybags expressed concern about Jim Joyce’s medtech outfit, HealthBeacon, which had just floated off at €5.85 a share (see The Phoenix 14/1/22). Little more than 20 months later the company is in free-fall and its future is very unclear. A lot of small investors have been badly burned in the… Read more »

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BARRYROE OILFIELD SAGA FAR FROM OVER

Date: November 2, 2023 - Moneybags

BEEF-BARON-turned-oil-explorer Larry Goodman knows a good thing when he sees it. His move to gain control of Barryroe Offshore Exploration (BOE) is clearly based on a belief that the wily billionaire can turn the heat up on the government and waltz way with a very nice profit. The other shareholders have been severely bruised but,… Read more »

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NIALL QUINN’S TACTICS

Date: November 2, 2023 - Briefcases

CONGRATULATIONS TO former Irish goal-scoring machine Niall Quinn and his missus, Gillian, who have joined the movers and shakers by purchasing a rather large apartment in the K Club development. There has been rather less for Quinny to celebrate on the business front as losses… Read more »

‘VANISHING TRIANGLE’ SIGHTED

Date: November 2, 2023 - Briefcases

FANS OF Goldhawk will be familiar with Virgin Media TV’s (VMTV) ‘missing’ drama series, The Vanishing Triangle – a six-part effort from Ivan Kavanagh and Annmarie Naughton’s Park Films based on the story of several women, missing and presumed dead, in the Dublin hinterlands (see The Phoenix 8/9/23). It has finally turned up, albeit far… Read more »

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AMNESTY’S CAMPAIGN WOES

Date: November 2, 2023 - Briefcases

GIVEN THE turmoil in the Middle East, it is not surprising that Amnesty International Ireland (AII) has been extra busy, for example through its central role in the Irish Anti-Apartheid Campaign for Palestine, which issued a statement this week calling for “an immediate ceasefire”. Another statement that may concern AII chairwoman Bríd Cannon and her… Read more »

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COLM WU’S TAXING MATTERS

Date: November 2, 2023 - Briefcases

IT LOOKS like 2023 is ending with Goldhawk’s old friend, hospitality operator Colm ‘Bo Vision’ Wu, on the back foot, just as he ended 2022. Next week, no less than four of his many companies are facing winding-up proceedings in the High Court courtesy of the dreaded taxman, who has also just registered a judgment… Read more »

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IRELAND AND PALESTINE NOW

Date: October 19, 2023 - Affairs of the Nation

EXACTLY ONE year ago, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: “Russia’s attacks against [Ukrainian] civilian infrastructure, especially electricity, are war crimes. Cutting off men, women, children of water, electricity and heating with winter coming – these are acts of pure terror. And we… Read more »

PROFILE: MICHAEL MCGRATH

Date: October 19, 2023 - Pillars of Society

TO SUCCEED in political life, observed journalist and political commentator Malcolm Muggeridge, “it is necessary to conform either to the popular image of a bookie or a bishop”. Bookies carefully weigh up the odds of different alternatives before making a decision. Careful calculation is their essence. Bishops are true believers who approach problems already convinced… Read more »

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YOUNG BLOOD: ELLA MAC LENNAN

Date: October 19, 2023 - The Young Bloods

TRINITY’S BRANCH of the radical, left-wing, student activist group Students4Change (S4C) has chosen its new leader. Ella Mac Lennan was recently unanimously elected as chairperson and now faces the challenge of leading this young group in fighting the good fight against the neoliberal agenda and the ghost of Adam Smith. Mac Lennan is only the… Read more »

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DRINKAWARE’S HANGOVER

Date: October 19, 2023 - Affairs of the Nation

GOLDHAWK ALWAYS enjoys reading the annual report of the alcohol-industry-funded charity Drinkaware, and the one just published is as entertaining as always. It emerges in a year that has seen the drinks sector come under fire for exploiting a loophole to facilitate the advertising of brands at sporting events. Also, there was an end this… Read more »

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ALAN SHATTER’S ROMP

Date: October 19, 2023 - Affairs of the Nation

CONGRATULATIONS TO loudmouth former politician Alan Shatter, whose saucy novel has been attracting rather a lot of media attention here. Given that it is a Benny Hill-style legal tale featuring an English town judge who “likes to retire to bed in a nappy and be… Read more »

BRENDAN MULLIN’S TACKLE TECHNIQUE

Date: October 19, 2023 - Briefcases

WHILE ALL eyes have been on Paris for the rugger buggers, former Irish and Lions outside centre Brendan Mullin has been making his own tackles. It is unclear at this stage, however, if he is going to get a result out of his encounter with property developer John G Burns Ltd The last 18 months… Read more »

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McENTEES: MEATH PATRIOTS

Date: October 19, 2023 - Affairs of the Nation

THE McENTEE family has done the county proud in recent years and efforts by two or more of the boys to promote the county football team have been matched by another family member’s efforts in the field of local business. Meath County board chairman Conor… Read more »

SIMON KILROY’S EXOTIC FISH

Date: October 19, 2023 - High Society

ONE OF the most expensive properties to come on the market in recent times is Rarc-an-Ilan, sitting on 0.6 acres of prime Dalkey land on leafy Coliemore Road, overlooking the Irish Sea. The 3,400 sq ft mansion was only built in 1993 after Mick Smurfit’s former right-hand man at the Smurfit cardboard group, Howard Kilroy,… Read more »

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ALAN CLANCY’S GLASS HOUSE

Date: October 19, 2023 - High Society

IT HAS been an eventful 12 months for nightclub and bar owner Alan Clancy, who started off the year by marrying Jacqueline Given, the sister of former Republic of Ireland and Manchester City goalkeeper Shay, and he has been busy expanding his empire ever since. His latest venture turns out to be Dublin’s first ‘glass… Read more »

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