DINNY’S WELL WISHERS
Affairs, 26 February 2021
DENIS O’BRIEN’S exit from the Irish media marks the end of an era when the billionaire’s ownership of numerous print and broadcast entities was just as often a part of the headlines. The likelihood of this outcome was flagged by Goldhawk as far back as 2019, but the news of Communicorp’s sale to Bauer Audio… Read more »
UNA MCGURK TAKES ACTION
Affairs, 25 February 2021
AFTER HER eventful summer of 2020, bolshie legal eagle Una McGurk SC now finds herself off the tribunal established to examine appeals relating to asylum seekers. Separately, she has initiated legal proceedings against her most vocal critics. McGurk found herself in the spotlight last August when she shipped serious criticism after speaking at a rally… Read more »
PAUL TREYVAUD’S TANTRUM
Affairs, Beyond the Pale, 25 February 2021
Outspoken restaurateur, Paul Treyvaud, is enjoying quite a media whirl at present, having announced his decision to open the Kerry restaurant he owns with his brother Mark on July 1st, even if restrictions remain in place. Fed up with the COVID-19 shutdown, although his wife had the virus and her aunt died from it, the… Read more »
DICING WITH KIERAN FINNERTY
Affairs, 24 February 2021
The Smithfield building that once housed the Dice Bar is for sale for €750,000 after the bar’s owner, Kieran Finnerty, decided not to renew its lease. Although potential buyers should should hope for a quick end to the lockdown given that the pub’s Facebook page has declared that it is “worth no more than €600,000… Read more »
SIMON HARRIS’ RAMBLES
Affairs, 23 February 2021
HE MAY not be minister for health any more, but that hasn’t stopped social media star, Simon Harris, from discussing health matters on his Instagram page. The millennial minister likes to go live on Instagram from home on a regular basis to chat about the pandemic to his over 165,000 followers. Clad in his Nike… Read more »
CILL RIALAIG’S CORRECTION
Affairs, Media, 23 February 2021
READERS COULD be forgiven for failing to notice the correction the Sindo carried in relation to the colourful Noelle Campbell-Sharp, which was discreetly tucked into the contents page of the People & Culture supplement. Razor-Sharp was unhappy at being mistakenly referred to as the owner of the Cill Rialaig artists’ retreat in Kerry in an… Read more »
JACK CHAMBERS’ NEW ROLE
Affairs, 23 February 2021
THE NATURE of Jack Chambers’ new role as minister of state for defence remains a curiosity. News of this promotion first appeared in the Sunday Business Post on January 10 which in turn piqued the interest of Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh who could not locate any official confirmation of this appointment. In response to… Read more »
ISAG’S COMMENTATORS
Affairs, 19 February 2021
SOME JOURNOS were confused by a press release sent this week by We Can Be Zero, a campaign launched by the Independent Scientific Advocacy Group (ISAG) earlier this month. The release described ISAG’s predictions around what will happen if the Government continues with its current virus suppression strategy. The perplexing element was that the first… Read more »
ROBBO’S REGRETS
Affairs, 18 February 2021
IT HAS not been a good week for Mary Robinson whose involvement with the Princess Latifa affair has cast a rare critical eye over the former president’s high-level encounters. The world was initially baffled to learn of Robbo’s visit to Dubai at the behest of her “friend” Princess Haya in 2018. Goldhawk has previously pointed… Read more »
TURF GUFF
Affairs, Fowl Emissions, 18 February 2021
WITH THE issue of turf cutting again resurfacing, it seems that political thinking too has been remarkably preserved over time. Guffaws surely echoed down Kildare Street this week when Barry Cowen told the Farming Independent that there “should be no cliff edge for people dependent on turf for fuel and I don’t expect there will”…. Read more »
FRAMING TWINK
Affairs, Media, 18 February 2021
YOU HAVE to hand it to Twink, aka Adele King, who certainly knows how to command the attention of those on high when highlighting her personal gripes. Her penchant for theatrics and adding colour to media outings can be the only justification for the lengthy airing RTÉ’s Liveline gave her this week, which resulted in… Read more »
THE SHEIKH’S IRISH INTERESTS
Affairs, 17 February 2021
CONTRIBUTORS TO last night’s episode of BBC Panorama expressed disbelief that Dubai ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, continues to move among polite society, even as a UK court found that he had kidnapped his own daughter. While Mary Robinson now maintains that she was “misled” in relation to the case of Latifa Al Maktoum, fresh… Read more »
PÁRAIC GALLAGHER’S STANCE
Affairs, 16 February 2021
Despite spending seven years as Newstalk’s political correspondent and three years working in PR, Páraic Gallagher doesn’t seem to have worked out how to avoid ending up in the headlines himself. As the newly-installed special adviser to health minister Stephen Donnelly, the Clare man caused a rumpus when a number of reporters and political correspondents… Read more »
PADDY COSGRAVE’S TIFF
Affairs, 16 February 2021
SUNDAY MAY have been Valentine’s Day, but, alas, love wasn’t in the air between Paddy Cosgrave and the Sunday Business Post. In an article written by Rachel Lavin, it was alleged that Cosgrave has spent €20,000 in the past two months promoting his political opinions on Facebook and Instagram, and that Twitter had intervened to… Read more »
COUNCILS BYPASSED
Affairs, 16 February 2021
DARRAGH O’BRIEN’S plans to undercut future local government decision making with the new Land Development Agency Bill represents the latest attack by his party on city and county councils. Fianna Fáil election manifestos routinely speak to empowering local government, yet the party’s worst centralising instincts always come to the fore. The Housing Minister intends to… Read more »
MORE FF FLIP-FLOP
Affairs, 16 February 2021
NOW THAT the genie is officially out of the bottle, Micheál Martin’s dance around Sinn Féin is likely to be one if not the defining feature of the party he leaves behind in 2022. It is not a case of if Fianna Fáil are prepared to do business with Mary Lou McDonald, but a question… Read more »
MARTIN AND THE MOB
Affairs, 16 February 2021
FIANNA FÁIL’S “evolving” position on Sinn Féin has quickly become a source of great consternation. Signs that Micheál Martin’s party may not provide a bulwark against Mary Lou McDonald’s ascent to power is set to test the loyalty of FF’s remaining supporters. Former Irish Times political editor Stephen Collins was in a downcast mood on… Read more »
MAURA HIGGINS’ FLUTTERS
Affairs, 15 February 2021
LOVE ISLAND star, Maura Higgins, has been widely praised in the media for her” bravery” in sharing a make-up-and-tan-free photo of herself on Instagram. According to La Higgins, she took this step as she wants to empower women to be confident inside and out and “comfortable and proud” in their own skin. “We don’t need… Read more »
PAT HEALY’S HEADACHE
Affairs, Racing, 15 February 2021
THE LISTOWEL race committee members face an anxious time as they assess their battle with the Revenue Commissioners over the company’s status in relation to Corporation Tax. With the odds now favouring the taxman after the appeals commissioner ruled in its favour, the Listowl committee – chaired by top racing photographer and Listowel native Pat… Read more »
IMMA’S HUB HELPER
Affairs, 12 February 2021
FEARS of Dublin being carved up by property developers appear premature now that the fightback is underway and led by, er, property developers. Turning the tide on the city’s myriad problems in housing, recreation and cultural venues is no small challenge, but the McKillen empire may at least succeed in resuscitating its own reputation. IMMA… Read more »
INM’S DIGITAL TAX PITCH
Affairs, Media, 12 February 2021
WRITING IN the Irish Times, Séamus Dooley explained how the NUJ is proposing a windfall tax of 6 per cent on tech giants like Facebook and Google. Applying a digital tax mirrors what is happening in Europe, where the OECD is orchestrating negotiations with over 130 countries to adapt the international tax system to reflect… Read more »
SUZANNE JACKSON’S EXPANDING EMPIRE
Affairs, 11 February 2021
THE PUBLICATION of her latest accounts show that Suzanne ‘SoSueMe’ Jackson’s lucrative beauty empire is soaring, but is she eyeing up a greater expansion into other territories? The biggest hint came when she responded to a fan question around whether she still lives in Ireland? “Yes, but we may be relocating this year,” was the… Read more »
SMITH VERSUS THE HEALY RAE CLAN
Affairs, 10 February 2021
THE BATTLE for authenticity in Dáil Éireann reached fever pitch on Wednesday with heated exchanges between Fingal and Kilgarvan. The Labour Party’s push for its National Aggressive Suppression Strategy, or National ASS as it has been dubbed by detractors, received a decidedly cool response from the rural independent benches. Multi-millionaires Michael Lowry and the Healy… Read more »
DUE WESHT
Affairs, 10 February 2021
THE APPOINTMENT of Toronto police chief Shawna Coxon as deputy Garda Commissioner underlines Ireland’s presence in a security community joined across borders in an increasingly overt manner. Up until recently, the installation of outsiders was considered unthinkable, yet sustained controversy in An Garda Síochána has opened the door for the state to progress wider agendas…. Read more »
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Affairs, 10 February 2021
Right of reply from Eoghan Corry regarding ‘Eoghan Corry’s Advice’ (The Phoenix 29/1/21). I am a journalist with four decades of experience at senior editorial level in three national newspapers. My work has led to national and international awards in different spheres of journalism including life time achievement awards, and my specialist knowledge has led… Read more »
WESTLIFE’S WONGA
Affairs, 10 February 2021
Now that they have parted company with EMI Records, Westlife are undoubtedly hoping that their “very exciting new chapter” will be a beneficial one. According to the band, the “most exciting” aspect is that they get to see fans again, with a new album and world tour in the works. The prospect of making a… Read more »
IRISH TIMES GREENWASHING
Affairs, Media, 10 February 2021
CONGRATULATIONS ARE order for super conglomerate Nestlé, whose positive commitment to the planet is not often a feature of the headlines. Less praise should be reserved for Environmental Editor Kevin O’Sullivan who has reproduced the infamous polluter’s marketing in the Irish Times business pages. Disappointed rugby fans can find something to cheer as the paper… Read more »
SHOT IN THE ARM FOR VIRGIN MEDIA
Affairs, 10 February 2021
THE DECISION to appoint an English reality-TV show star as resident doctor of The Six O’Clock Show on Virgin Media One seems a bizarre one, when the country has plenty of eloquent, presentable and media-friendly medics at its disposal. And, more than to the point, ones who are presumably more familiar with the Irish healthcare… Read more »
IMELDA MAY’S IRE
Affairs, 8 February 2021
Love may be in the air this Valentine’s week, but rockabilly queen Imelda May is not too enamoured with the Sindo at present. At first glance, it’s hard to work out why the musician took exception to her interview with Dónal Lynch, which contains gushing descriptions worthy of direct entry to The Hot Air Brigade…. Read more »
MCGRATH’S MOOLAH
Affairs, 5 February 2021
Given that the Department of Finance is expecting an exchequer deficit of €19bn for 2020, is allocating money to the Public Service Innovation Fund really necessary this year? Particularly as some of the projects funded in previous years seem to have been aimed at improving life for public servants, rather than offering better user experiences… Read more »
PAUL TREYVAUDE’S BIG BALLS
Affairs, 5 February 2021
SPARE A thought for chef Paul Treyvaude among the many frustrated business owners struggling to maintain relevance from behind closed doors. While ego comes part and parcel in the restaurant trade, the voluble Killarney man’s attention seeking is taking an increasingly desperate turn. Paul, the youngest son of Michel and Brenda Treyvaud who were originally… Read more »
LATE LATE SHOW MISERYFEST
Affairs, Behind the Scenes, 5 February 2021
Given that RTÉ has a history of ignoring its licence-payers’ wishes, it comes as no surprise that The Late Late Show consistently chooses to eschew taking its viewers’ feedback on board. High-profile viewers like media personality Maia Dunphy, PR maven Valerie Roe, and People Before Profit’s Barbara Smyth took to Twitter last weekend to protest… Read more »
ANN RABBITTE’S POSITIONING
Affairs, 4 February 2021
WITH TENTATIVE signs of a return to schooling announced on Monday, the Government will be hoping for at least a full week before the next education landmine. Several similar announcements in January lasted mere hours before being plunged into chaos and confusion. Struggling students and demented parents alike will be hoping that Minister Norma Foley… Read more »
MCENTEE’S NEW JUSTICE VALUES
Affairs, 4 February 2021
JUSTICE MINISTER Helen McEntee announced a sweep of reforming ambitions on her elevation to office last year. The Meath TD is not the first spritely politician to hold the role – Kevin O’Higgins and Des O’Malley were also Justice Ministers in their 30s – but making an impact on the state’s most stubbornly reactionary Department… Read more »
LORRAINE KEANE’S TRUTH TANGLE
Affairs, 4 February 2021
RSVP MAGAZINE’s “at home” photoshoot with Lorraine Keane was filled with glossy snapshots, but one knotty detail jumped out from the gushing spread. Asked whether the events of 2020 had hit her hard financially, the former Xposé presenter explained that she had launched her new business, Magic Hair Brush, with her hairdresser pal, Matt Malone,… Read more »
LOYALISTS ENCOURAGED
Affairs, Hush Hush, 3 February 2021
IT IS most unfortunate that the first occasion Irish Times readers have been informed of the ongoing relationship between the British state and Loyalist paramilitaries came in Wednesday’s letters page. Regrettably, the interpretation put forward by Andy Pollak and Paul Nolan does not reflect the correct sequence of events. Pollak, from the think tank, Centre… Read more »
