Affairs of the Nation

Affairs of the Nation

DANIELLE’S TWEET

GOLDHAWK was curious to read a report of defamation proceedings by the father of rugby player Paddy Jackson over comments circulated on Twitter by two Dublin women in the wake... Read more »

Affairs of the Nation

MATT DEMPSEY’S CAMPAIGN

BEEF FARMERS make unlikely victims but former editor of the Irish Farmers Journal (IFJ), Matt Dempsey, has fought back against the “virulent vegan” vilification of the poor farmers. Dempsey, a... Read more »
zappone katherine

Affairs of the Nation

FINE GAEL CABINET PUTSCH

IS Fine Gael about to pull off a cabinet coup by recruiting two of the three Independent non-FG members in cabinet? After months of tortuous political wrangling Enda Kenny produced... Read more »
kevin-thornton-showjumper

Affairs of the Nation

KEVIN THORNTON’S ROUGH RIDE

SPARE A thought for Swiss-based Irish showjumper Kevin Thornton who has become the target of a lot of nasty online comment following the death of showjumping horse Flogas Sunset Cruise... Read more »
jean-claude juncker

Affairs of the Nation

SEE NO ARMY, SPEAK NO ARMY

EVERY now and then, some EU leader makes a statement that lets slip the dogs of warlike EU intentions and makes a mockery of Irish political leaders in particular given... Read more »
ibrahim-halawa

Affairs of the Nation

HALAWA ABANDONED BY GOVERNMENT

RESPONSES from both Taoiseach Enda Kenny and foreign minister Charlie Flanagan to Ibrahim Halawa’s effective internment in Egypt – held now for over three years with his ‘trial’ postponed recently... Read more »
judge-deirdre-murphy

Affairs of the Nation

MICHAEL FENLON’S GUN TROUBLE

THE HIGH Court ruled last month that Michael Fenlon, chairman of the National Association of Region Game Councils (NARGC) – the body that represents shooters in Ireland – and three... Read more »
Pierce-and-Mairéad-OReilly

Affairs of the Nation

IRISH TV’S MIXED SIGNALS

THERE HAS been plenty of coverage of the appointment of an examiner to the ‘private’ Teilifís Mhaigh Eo Teo (TME) – the company behind the Irish TV channel established by... Read more »

Fit to Print?

Niamh Horan

Fit to Print?

NO ‘ST’ HACKS IN TABLOID OSCARS

THE side deals and caballing that went on behind the scenes at the News Brands Ireland Journalism Awards 2016 would do credit to a crisis session of the United Nations... Read more »

Last Refuge

OToole-Fintan

Last Refuge

WHEN WILL FINTAN TAKE THE PLUNGE?

THE Social Democrats hold their inaugural national conference this weekend and the main speaker is neither of its two TDs – Catherine Murphy and Roísín Shortall – but Irish Times... Read more »

Fowl Emissions

Fowl Emissions

FOR PEAT’S SAKE!

When it comes to failing on climate dialogue, it would be hard to beat the mess over Ireland’s peat and coal burning power stations, and the Government’s baffling refusal to... Read more »

Bird's Eye View

Bird's Eye View

UUP AND SDLP IN DISARRAY

COLUM EASTWOOD became leader of the SDLP at the party’s annual conference on November 14 last year at the age of 32. Three days later, after 10 weeks of glacial... Read more »

Wigs on the Green

Maura King

Wigs on the Green

BARRISTERS BEARDED

THE energetic and voluble barrister, Maura King has swamped the Bar Council and Law Library with allegations of all manner of deficiencies in the council’s procedures, including the manner in... Read more »
Cool Alan Shatter

Wigs on the Green

Shatter v Kenny

WHO ever knew that Alan Shatter was endowed with such graciousness, munificence even, as evidenced by his intimation that he would not be pursuing the state or anyone else for... Read more »

The Hot Air Brigade

US Flag

The Hot Air Brigade

The Hot Air Brigade – Election Special

“We need to have a love-in with [Trump’s] people as soon as possible.”Bertie Ahern, Irish Mirror, Submitted by reader “What if Trump does a good job as president? Nobody predicting... Read more »

High Society

High Society

ALI BARKER’S BACKERS

RESTAURATEUR Ali Barker has saved one of her companies from being struck off thanks to a last minute filing, which reveals some new investors. Last year, Barker and separated husband,... Read more »
Cyril O’Brien

High Society

CYRIL O’BRIEN’S COSTLY CASTLE

IT’S A case of déjà vu as Cyril O’Brien – the Kerryman who opened The George gay bar in Dublin in 1985, almost 10 years before homosexuality was decriminalised –... Read more »
Cindy Cafolla

High Society

Cindy Cafolla’s lifestyle

ALTHOUGH FORMER ‘Sexiest Legs in Ireland’ Cindy Cafolla suffered something of a fall from grace when the boom here came to an abrupt end, she has been getting on rather... Read more »
Belinda Strudwick

High Society

BELINDA STRUDWICK’S SPORT OF KINGS

THE RACING of thoroughbred horses is a notoriously expensive business and only the wealthy can afford to play the game seriously. One such moneybags is English property developer Roy Strudwick,... Read more »

Behind the Scenes

Dermot-Desmond

Behind the Scenes

ARTS COUNCIL TO MOVE?

A RULING from An Bord Pleanála could herald the exit of the Arts Council from Merrion Square if it is as stuck for space as it claims. At least Dermot... Read more »
jim-sheridan

Behind the Scenes

Jim Sheridan’s bright idea

FILM DIRECTOR Jim Sheridan had an interesting take on the poor critical reaction to his latest film, The Secret Scripture, when he popped up on RTÉ television on Saturday night.... Read more »
Raghnall Ó Floinn

Behind the Scenes

WHAT PRICE PÁDRAIG PEARSE?

GOLDHAWK WAS not surprised to see the upcoming sale of a Padraig Pearse surrender letter generating headlines last weekend. Given its estimate – north of U1m – Adam’s Auctioneers must... Read more »

Sport of Kings

Barry Mahon

Sport of Kings

FROM MAHON snr TO MAHON jnr

THE RACING and bloodstock industry features a lot of family connections. The latest examples include former Galway Racecourse manager John Molony passing the baton to his son, Michael, and a... Read more »
Breeders Cup

Sport of Kings

IRISH EYES ON BREEDERS CUP

THE BREEDERS Cup Classic is traditionally one of the best races in the world and this year’s edition was no different, with Arrogate and California Chrome serving up one of... Read more »

Sport of Kings

TSUI MOVE HITS OXX HARD

JOHN OXX’S ailing training business was dealt another serious blow recently with the news that Chris Tsui and his mother, Ling, have removed all 11 horses they had in training... Read more »
John Hanlon

Sport of Kings

LASIX USE COSTS HANLON €1,500

THE FIRST week of November was busy for the Turf Club. First order of business was the sanctioning of jockeys Kevin Sexton and Danny Grant, who got slapped with lengthy... Read more »

The Hot Water Brigade

Judge-David-Keane

The Hot Water Brigade

Bitter taste for steakhouse directors

SPARE a thought for the directors of the Spur (Liffey Valley) Restaurants Ltd who were restricted from acting as company directors in the High Court at the end of October.... Read more »
David Mahon

The Hot Water Brigade

Grand Master Mahon’s losses

A DONEGAL company called David Mahon Properties Ltd (DMPL) recently filed accounts with the Companies Office after obtaining a filing extension in Donegal District Court. The company is named for... Read more »
Niall Linehan in 1992

The Hot Water Brigade

Niall Linehan hits bum note

GOLDHAWK spotted an interesting company that was wound up in the High Court recently called Balestrand Ltd. The company, with a registered office on Grattan Street in Cork City, is... Read more »