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Micheál Martin

TWO LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES LOOMING?

Date: August 23, 2018 - Last Refuge

THE Fianna Fáil offer – or capitulation to Leo Varadkar’s offer of a 2020 summer election – to extend the confidence and supply agreement (CSA) for another budget (in October 2019) has implications for two party leaders. One is Labour’s Brendan Howlin and the other is FF’s Micheál Martin. The central stratagem behind selecting Howlin… Read more »

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Leo Varadkar

LEO VARADKAR EXPOSÉ!

Date: August 23, 2018 - Fit to Print?

THE Sunday Independent recently splashed a story across its front page and inside page about relations between Leo Varadkar and health minister Simon Harris headlined, “Leo Varadkar: I had a ‘strange relationship’ with Simon Harris”. The story was based on the hardly blinding revelation that some Fine Gael ministers wanted Vlad to sack Harris from… Read more »

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Diageo Dana An Garda Síochána IT Trust No Stone Unturned Irish Times Black Friday Vicky Conway

MICKEY HARTE VS RTÉ

Date: August 23, 2018 - Fit to Print?

IF RTÉ was unaware of just how some in the GAA, especially in nordie counties, viewed the station over the last 20 years or so, then Mickey Harte, All-Ireland football finalist Tyrone manager, brought it home to them very recently. New head of RTÉ sports, Declan McBennett, is a South Armagh GAA man whose culture… Read more »

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Simon Harris

SIMON AND SARAH

Date: August 23, 2018 - Fit to Print?

THE LATEST recruit from media to the government spin machine is Irish Times political reporter Sarah Bardon, who will work for health minister Simon Harris. This is an astute career choice by Bardon as Harris must surely be a good mid- to long-term bet for the Fine Gael leadership and the taoiseach’s job. Bardon can… Read more »

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Sean Kelly

TRUMP SAVES GAS TERMINAL

Date: August 23, 2018 - Fowl Emissions

DONALD TRUMP is the latest addition to the list of entities conspiring to help bring to life Tralee businessman Paddy Power’s dream of turning the unspoiled shores of the Shannon Estuary in Kerry into a giant liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal. Munster MEP Seán Kelly – a long-standing champion of the project – excitedly… Read more »

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WEED KILLER BEES

Date: August 23, 2018 - Fowl Emissions

IN THE wake of a California court’s ruling that Monsanto should pay school janitor Dewayne Johnson $289m dollars, on the basis its Roundup weedkiller had caused his terminal cancer, Irish Times readers were reassured by Bobby Miller, chairman of farming body Irish Grain Growers. Miller explained that Irish farmers’ use of glyphosate (Roundup) was limited… Read more »

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Bog Cuttings

BOG CUTTINGS

Date: August 23, 2018 - Bog Cuttings

A costly hotel stay A FERMANAGH man, who pleaded guilty to obtaining services dishonestly after he failed to pay bills in two local hotels totalling £5,700, has received a suspended sentence. In one incident, David Daly, Drumcask, Swalinbar, had been challenged by staff to pay an outstanding bill at the Enniskillen Hotel. He said he… Read more »

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Caitriona Fottrell

FAMOUS FIVE FOR IRELAND FUNDS

Date: August 23, 2018 - High Society

WHILE FORMER prez Mary McAleese has been taking pot-shots at the Catholic hierarchy ahead of the Papal visit, she has also become one of the new movers and shakers on The Ireland Funds, which has connections to the fundraising campaign for the Pope Francis shindig. The outspoken politician-turned-theologian has maintained a high profile over the… Read more »

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Consuelo O’Connor

GERRY HOULIHAN’S CASTLE PROFITS

Date: August 23, 2018 - High Society

WITH MUCH of the media focused on the proposed sale of the Tifco hotel group, it turns out that last year was another bumper one for the Houlihan family, who control the Clontarf Castle Hotel in north Dublin. The founder of the DID Electrical chain and his family shared over €1m in dividends, while the… Read more »

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Sinead Moriaty

NEW FACES ON MERRION SQUARE

Date: August 23, 2018 - Behind the Scenes

MINISTER FOR Culture Josepha Madigan has got around to making some overdue appointments to the Arts Council. It won’t be long before she is called into action again and a new regime will soon be in place on Merrion Square. The news names on the board are scribbler Sinead Moriarty, artist Mark O’Kelly and choreographer… Read more »

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Mary O'Kennedy

MARY O’KENNEDY’S NEW GIG

Date: August 23, 2018 - Behind the Scenes

THE LATEST addition to the Arts Council’s payroll is fundraising consultant Mary O’Kennedy. She has landed a contract to try and whip assorted cash-strapped arts organisations into shape by tapping moneybags for much-needed funds. The ‘Raise’ programme was introduced five years ago by the Merrion Square Mafia to make arts organisations more self-sufficient (ie cope… Read more »

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The Trick to Time

THE TRICK TO TIME – KIT DE WAAL (VIKING)

Date: August 23, 2018 - BooksReviews

THIS SECOND novel by Kit de Waal follows her bestselling 2016 debut, My Name is Leon, the story of a vulnerable young boy in the British foster care system. The new book alternates between Wexford in the 1960s, Birmingham in the 1970s and a present-day English coastal town where the central character Mona has a… Read more »

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Tony Martin

MARTIN’S BASE ON THE MARKET

Date: August 23, 2018 - Sport of Kings

Tony Martin’s trying season could take a turn for the worse next month if Arodstown Stables, his current training base, sells at auction. The 80-acre state-of-the-art training complex is set to go under the hammer with Coonan’s in the Glenroyal Hotel in Maynooth on September 5. Martin has been training there for the last decade… Read more »

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Brendan Duke Adrian Murray Mick Bailey

TESTING TIMES AT THE TOTE

Date: August 23, 2018 - Sport of Kings

When Horse Racing Ireland announced its half-year statistics last month, it did so before the Galway festival – a week that serves as a bellwether for the health of some sectors of the industry. While the agricultural or production side of racing is in reasonable shape (and by that we mean the breeding and selling… Read more »

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Rich Ricci

ANYONE FOR KOREA?

Date: August 23, 2018 - Sport of Kings

Willie Mullins has never been afraid to push the boundaries. He famously sent Blackstairmountain to Japan to plunder over €½m by winning the Nakayama Grand Jump in 2013 and he has also hit the crossbar on a few occasions in the Melbourne Cup. It now appears the perennial champion jumps trainer has his sights set… Read more »

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Bernard Byrne

BERNARD BYRNE NEEDS TO STOP THE ROT AT AIB

Date: August 23, 2018 - Moneybags

THERE HAS been a lot of change at AIB in recent years, but the bank is currently in a sticky situation despite the apparently booming economy. Earnings are falling and competition is intensifying. Unless the loan book can be grown significantly over the next few years, there is little in prospect for the shareholders other… Read more »

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Walton Court

PAUL RAFFERTY’S MARINA MIGRAINES

Date: August 23, 2018 - Brief Cases

GOLDHAWK spotted a €78,000 judgment registered recently against Walton Court Ltd by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. This turns out to be the company behind the 18th century Walton Court estate, a swish holiday cottage complex overlooking Oysterhaven Bay in West Cork. Owned by Paul and Janis Rafferty, the couple have been… Read more »

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Hot Water Brigade default

DOM CARNEY’S BANKRUPTCY SUMMONS

Date: August 23, 2018 - Brief Cases

MORE hard cheese for Rebel County entrepreneur Dom Carney, whose scrap with a vulture fund was back in the High Court recently. Ennis Property Finance, a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs, is petitioning the High Court to have Carney declared bankrupt on foot of an unpaid judgment. Brother and sister duo Dom and Niamh Carney are… Read more »

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Ken McMoreland

KEN MCMORELAND’S DEBT PILE

Date: August 23, 2018 - Brief Cases

IT’S the end of the line for hapless accountant and property speculator Ken McMoreland, who has just been declared bankrupt in the High Court. McMoreland had his eye wiped during the crash and, according to his statement of affairs, he owed a stomach-churning €38m to unsecured creditors. The former high-flier had just €5,000 in the… Read more »

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Hot Water Brigade default

DECLAN DOYLE’S TAXING MATTERS

Date: August 23, 2018 - Brief Cases

SPARE a thought for North County Dublin businessman Declan Doyle, who has just been whacked by the taxman for €72,000. This probably relates to the €70,000 that his company, Comlee Ltd, owed in tax – according to its 2014 accounts – when the Revenue successfully petitioned the High Court to have the entity wound up… Read more »

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Hot Water Brigade default

WATERFORD: NO-FLY ZONE

Date: August 23, 2018 - Brief Cases

TURBULENCE abounds in the latest accounts filed by Waterford Regional Airport plc. The future of the troubled airport is still in jeopardy, despite receiving €375,000 in emergency funding courtesy of transport minister Shane Ross, whose Independent Alliance colleague, local TD John Halligan, has been particularly exercised about the saga. Waterford has been without commercial flights… Read more »

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Hot Water Brigade default

DROGHEDA LEISURE’S HEAVY LOSSES

Date: August 23, 2018 - Brief Cases

GOLDHAWK spotted a set of accounts filed by Drogheda Leisure Facilities (DLF) Ltd recently. This is the troubled property vehicle that owned the Drogheda Leisure Centre and Broadcasting House, where radio station LMFM is headquartered and where AIB appointed receivers last year. Shareholders here include high-fliers like former Fyffes director Eugene Caulfield, ex Bord na… Read more »

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Judge Marie Baker

BAKERS BRUISE THE VULTURE

Date: August 23, 2018 - Brief Cases

CONGRATULATIONS are in order to Cork brothers Michael and Tony Harrington, who had a win of sorts in the High Court against a vulture fund recently. The retired bakers were each awarded E20,000 in damages in their case against Gulland Property Finance – a vulture fund subsidiary of US giants CarVal – and Stephen Tennant,… Read more »

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Click.ie website

RAY NORTON’S NEW VENTURE

Date: August 23, 2018 - Brief Cases

INTERESTING to see Goldhawk’s old pal Ray Norton’s name pop up in relation to the ongoing saga of Cantec Office Solutions Ltd. This is the tech retailer that traded as Click.ie before it suddenly collapsed into liquidation last April, leaving hundreds of angry customers empty handed and creditors out of pocket to the tune of… Read more »

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Drew Harris

DREW HARRIS: OMERTA

Date: August 9, 2018 - Affairs of the Nation

A MOTION from Donegal County Council urged the government last week to cancel the appointment of Drew Harris as garda commissioner because of his “close working relationship with the British security service, MI5”. The motion also referred to last year’s Belfast High Court judgment (that is under appeal) stating that the then PSNI assistant chief… Read more »

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Alan Kelly

AK47 SALVO AGAINST HOWLIN

Date: August 9, 2018 - Last Refuge

BRENDAN HOWLIN fought back against a flurry of statements from various councillors and other Labour Party members demanding his replacement as party leader last week. And he will have clocked the sequencing involved as well as the encouragement of Alan ‘AK47’ Kelly’s speech writer and handler, Declan Walsh. On July 31 Kelly launched a tirade… Read more »

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Michael O'Leary

PROFILE: MICHAEL O’LEARY

Date: August 9, 2018 - Pillars of Society

THIS WEEK, strike action has been scheduled at Ryanair bases in Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Sweden and The Netherlands. This represents the apex in the current industrial relations turmoil at the troubled airline and the man experiencing the most turbulence is loaded chief executive Michael O’Leary. Much of the blame for the current uneasy state of… Read more »

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Emmet Kirwan

YOUNG BLOOD: EMMET KIRWAN

Date: August 9, 2018 - The Young Bloods

Opinionated actor and writer Emmett Kirwan (38) is fast becoming one of the most recognisable faces in Irish theatre. Making his silver screen debut as a leading man this summer with Dublin Oldschool, an adaptation of his award-winning play of the same name, the outspoken artist has proved to be a minor success at the… Read more »

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Noel Whelan

WHELAN SPURNS PRESIDENCY

Date: August 9, 2018 - Fit to Print?

WHAT an interesting sequence of statements emanated from barrister, Irish Times columnist, ex-Fianna Fáil election candidate and putative presidential candidate Noel Whelan in the last month or so. On June 29 Whelan told IT readers that Micheál Martin’s statement of support for Michael D Higgins’s return to the Áras had cleverly blocked off a Fianna… Read more »

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Rachel Allen

RACHEL ALLEN’S SURPRISE DISH

Date: August 9, 2018 - Affairs of the Nation

WHILE CELEBRITY chef Rachel Allen is off to Italy next month to film with the BBC Good Food Channel, back in Cork ‘Rachel’s’ restaurant has served up a surprise dish. The restaurant, called Rachel’s, on Washington Street opened to a blaze of local publicity on Paddy’s Day last year, with Allen very much to the… Read more »

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Keiran Mulvey

KIERAN MULVEY’S JOURNEY

Date: August 9, 2018 - Affairs of the Nation

FORMER Workers’ Party member and trade union leader Kieran Mulvey may be a little embarrassed at the tardiness of INM in accepting his appointment to join the board. INM’s board has argued that Mulvey’s appointment as Denis O’Brien’s nominee must be balanced by the appointment of an independent director. From the WP and teachers’ union… Read more »

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Paul Blanchfield

PAUL BLANCHFIELD’S CLOSED VAULTS

Date: August 9, 2018 - Affairs of the Nation

THE APPOINTMENT of an examiner to Frontier Entertainment Ltd must come as a shock to the company’s founder – broadcaster-turned-investor Paul Blanchfield – who recently announced that his €5m tourist attraction in Dublin’s Liberties, The Vaults, was preparing to open its doors. The project has been heavily backed with public funds, but its creditors are… Read more »

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Keith Spencer

KEITH SPENCER’S COURT DATE

Date: August 9, 2018 - Affairs of the Nation

HIGH-FLYING barrister Keith Spencer BL will have to wait until October to see what Judge Seamus Noonan has in store for him after some document alterations at the High Court last month left the beak rather nonplussed. Spencer has been plying his wares in the courts for over a decade and has been doing rather… Read more »

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Susan Bergin Marlowe Mullingar Film Studio RTÉ Self-Employment

MICHAEL STARRETT’S SUCCESSOR

Date: August 9, 2018 - Behind the Scenes

WITH HERITAGE Council chief executive Michael Starrett retiring after a whopping 22 years in situ, the search is on for a new candidate to fill the job. Mazars, the management consultants of choice for the culture sector, has been hired to source Starrett’s successor and so there is plenty of management speak on offer. Apparently,… Read more »

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3616-FP

Vol 36 No 16

Date: August 9, 2018 -

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MACGILL SCHOOL’S ANTI-NEUTRALITY LINE-UP

Date: August 9, 2018 - Affairs of the Nation

THE UPROAR over the male-dominated panel of speakers at Joe Mulholland’s MacGill Summer School was not replicated when the gender-neutral but anti-neutrality list of speakers on “Making Europe More Secure” was revealed. The UCD Centre for War Studies lists Ben Tonra as Professor of International Relations, which says as much as one needs to know… Read more »

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