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RUSSIAN ‘CAPTURE’ STORY – PHOENIX STATEMENT

Date: August 7, 2025 -

THE CURRENT edition of The Phoenix carries a story alleging that Russian soldiers captured two British Army officers and an intelligence operative in Ukraine recently. It has since emerged that this story is a fabrication. We apologise to our readers for failing to recognise that this story cannot be stood up. It was partly based… Read more »

PROFILE: LEO VARADKAR

Date: August 7, 2025 -

FORMER TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar’s metamorphosis from Tory boy to wet centrist, from Blueshirt to Irish republican, and from anti-abortionist to virtually a woman’s right to choose position, along with many other U-turns, is quite the political journey. The most significant part of this is his line on the national question, specifically his advocacy for a… Read more »

YOUNG BLOOD: NICK DELEHANTY

Date: August 7, 2025 -

RIGHT-WING activist and small businessman Nick Delehanty is running for president, declaring in a statement to right-wing news website Gript that “we have major problems around housing, public expenditure, accountability and of course our immigration system”. The 35-year-old has never won an election, has little political experience to speak of and has next to no… Read more »

DENIS O’BRIEN’S RADIO INTERFERENCE

Date: August 7, 2025 -

IN RECENT weeks billionaire Denis O’Brien has been shouting his mouth off about the likes of Ian Drennan (boss of the Corporate Enforcement Agency), whose position “should be called into question”, and also people who fancy working from home – “a total nonsense”. It turns out that the Malta-based tax resident has also been losing… Read more »

KITTY HOLLAND V JOHN WATERS

Date: August 7, 2025 -

THE END game in the seven-year defamation action by Irish Times journalist Kitty Holland against ex-IT journalist and anti-abortion activist John Waters is closer, if not completely finalised. Last month Holland secured a judgment against Waters for a sum of €35,000 – the amount awarded to her in the Circuit Court last year following a… Read more »

DERMOT DESMOND’S BUMPY RIDE

Date: August 7, 2025 -

DERMOT DESMOND was shooting his mustachioed mouth off this week on the subject of the MetroLink and why it will be a total waste of money and “out of date in 10 or 15 years time”. This is because by then Dublin will, apparently, be full of autonomously driven vehicles. Dermo clearly has quite the… Read more »

CLEVER TREVOR’S GENIUS

Date: August 7, 2025 -

NO DOUBT Little Museum of Dublin (LMD) founder and curator Trevor White is delighted with the amount of media coverage being devoted to his much-loved and well-funded project on St Stephen’s Green, which has just undergone a costly revamp. His most recent outing was in the Indo, where columnist Sarah Carey gushed over Clever Trevor,… Read more »

BERTIE AHERN TO LOSE OUT

Date: August 7, 2025 -

THAT SUNDAY INDEPENDENT poll showing Bertie Ahern ahead even of Micheál Martin in a Fianna Fáil presidential candidate survey (by the somewhat embarrassing score of 24% to 19%) may have come as sweet music to Bertie’s ears. But there is no sudden rush in political and media circles to declare that the former taoiseach is… Read more »

OONAGH O’HAGAN’S BACKER

Date: August 7, 2025 -

THERE HAVE been some developments at the business of Goldhawk’s favourite ‘celebrity pharmacist’, Oonagh O’Hagan, with a big injection of moolah from her hubby following hefty losses in the group. As usual, the never not busy Oonagh has been posting energetically on her own Instagram account, with lots of news for her 63,000-plus followers. There… Read more »

IIEA ECONOMIC GURU WARNS IRELAND (II)

Date: August 7, 2025 -

WITHIN DAYS of the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) chief economist Dan O’Brien having his invitation rescinded to speak to the Oireachtas foreign affairs committee, he has spoken out again on his pet topic – the mortal threat the Occupied Territories Bill (OTB) poses to the Irish economy. Last month O’Brien was preparing… Read more »

VOL 43 NO 16

Date: August 7, 2025 -

PLAYGROUND FALL

Date: August 7, 2025 -

THE DREADED taxman has just registered a judgment for €70,000 against a company called Playground Music Ltd (PML), which was behind Andrson, an exciting new music business established a few years ago by Trinners duo Neil Dunne and Zach Miller-Frankel. Despite apparently being destined to make it to the top, things haven’t quite worked out… Read more »

CENSORING THE RUSSIANS

Date: August 7, 2025 -

WITH MOMENTUM building for Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations, it will be interesting to see how developments are reported here. A recent essay published on the website of the state’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, turns out to be damning of censorship actions taken by the EU that may have far-reaching consequences. In partnership with Trinity College,… Read more »

SPY GAMES

Date: August 7, 2025 -

THE RECENTLY reported revamp of the Irish Military Intelligence Service (IMIS) is part of an overall military effort to close the gap with the big boys in Europe, who in turn are trying to close the gap with the really, really big boy, the United States. There will surely be some awkward questions regarding financial… Read more »

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Date: August 7, 2025 -

Dear Goldhawk, As usual, you are talking twaddle (DPP v DPP, issue 25 July 2025). Your readers should know that your claimed “quote” appears precisely nowhere in my book, Sophie: The Final Verdict. You could have consulted it… on (sic) contacted me to check nonsense, but of course you just didn’t bother. As elsewhere in Phoenix, your lazy, sloppy… Read more »

IAN HYLAND’S BAD CALL?

Date: August 7, 2025 -

GOLDHAWK’S FAVOURITE publisher-turned-event-organiser, Business & Finance boss Ian Hyland, has been spreading his wings of late, most recently with the acquisition of the Windmill Lane Pictures business. Much of his energy, however, is expended on dishing out awards to worthies who are lauded at annual shindigs attended by fat cats. Fans of The Phoenix will… Read more »

FEAR OF RACISM OR MI5 COVER-UP?

Date: August 7, 2025 -

The British media is claiming that the South Yorkshire Police (SYP) and other forces in England and Wales failed to halt the crimes of grooming gangs because of concerns they would be labelled racist. The alternative explanation is that powerful state forces, including MI5, tolerated the abuse to create blackmail opportunities to recruit reformers within… Read more »

MYERS AND McGUIRK ON TUAM

Date: August 7, 2025 -

AS WORK commenced at the former mother-and-baby home in Tuam, some of Ireland’s right-wing commentators have distinguished themselves. Kevin Myers and John McGuirk went to great lengths to offer alternative reasons as to why the Office of the Director for Authorised Intervention in Tuam had begun to exhume the almost 800 babies and infants buried… Read more »

IRELAND’S NEUTRAL NATO PARTNERSHIP

Date: August 7, 2025 -

In the same month that the Government underlined its plans to ditch the triple lock governing the deployment of Irish troops overseas, the deepening partnership of Ireland’s Defence Forces with Nato was on display in the Curragh. It will not surprise Phoenix readers that there is no reference on the Óglaigh na hÉireann/Irish Defence Forces… Read more »

THE HOT AIR BRIGADE

Date: August 7, 2025 -

I would certainly want to be fairly remunerated. At a time when Premiership footballers are earning £25m a year… I wouldn’t necessarily think I should be earning that kind of money, but if I’m going to sign up for another four or five years to deliver industry-leading performance – and not just me, the rest… Read more »

TRUMP ENERGY DEAL

Date: August 7, 2025 -

Ursula von der Leyen’s recent trade deal capitulation to Donald Trump was humiliating on several grounds but the most farcical element was her promise that the EU would buy $¾ trillion worth of US energy over three years. This equates to $250bn a year of fossil fuels. The MAGA regime has waged all-out war on… Read more »

LUKE O’NEILL’S RESTAURANT ADVICE

Date: August 7, 2025 -

Media coverage of AI is strong on hype but invariably ignores its disastrous climate impacts. Listeners to Brendan O’Connor’s radio show last Sunday were treated to a half-hour of breathless techno-optimism from RTÉ’s favourite scientist, Luke O’Neill. Apparently AI will save us from everything – even from climate change. Unfortunately, along the way O’Neill told… Read more »

MIAMI MURDERS: LOYALISTS CELEBRATE

Date: August 7, 2025 -

July 31 was the 50th anniversary of the Miami Showband massacre in which members of the notorious Glenanne gang – made up of UVF, RUC and UDR members – killed three of the band. The gunmen were UVF/UDR members. Two of them, Harris Boyle and Wesley Somerville, died when the bomb they were planting in… Read more »

WILL MARY LOU BACK CONNOLLY?

Date: August 7, 2025 -

SINN FÉIN strategists may claim they are engaging in mature reflection about their choice of presidential nominee but the reality is that the widespread consultation of members led to confusing results and then political paralysis. In turn, this firstly allowed Catherine Connolly to take the lead role in discussions about a united left candidate. Secondly,… Read more »

DON’T FUND THE GENOCIDE

Date: August 7, 2025 -

WHILE THE Dáil argues about the Occupied Territories Bill, Palestinian supporters in Galway have decided to make the global local by organising a boycott of the Leonardo group of hotels, which is owned by Israeli businessman David Fattal. The Galway Alliance against War says that Fattal is an active supporter of the infamous Netzah Yehuda… Read more »

‘COMRADES’ MICHAEL D AND CATHERINE C

Date: August 7, 2025 -

GIVEN THE alarming prospect of leader Ivana Bacik’s support for Catherine Connolly’s presidential campaign being rejected by her own party, Labour’s members grudgingly, and definitely not unanimously, decided to accede to her wishes and row in behind the former party member, who once told them they had lost their soul. But it will be interesting… Read more »

LONDON CALLING

Date: August 7, 2025 -

DONALD TRUMP’S threatening mind games in moving nuclear submarines close to Russia is worrying enough but when two of Britain’s most jingoistic newspapers, the Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday, point blank disagree about the dangers inherent in this stand-off, it’s even more concerning. The Irish editions of both titles delivered their verdicts to readers… Read more »

VONA GROARKE’S GOOD NEWS

Date: August 7, 2025 -

GOLDHAWK RECENTLY reported on the appointment of Éilís Ní Dhuibhne as the new Laureate for Irish Fiction – an Arts Council-fronted gig dished out every three years to a worthy scribbler. A less high-profile post that is also doled out every three years is that of Ireland Professor of Poetry and the new incumbent has… Read more »

DREAL DEAL DELIVERS

Date: August 7, 2025 -

DREAL DEAL, a horse with an interesting past and who was once trained by Ronan McNally, returned to something like his best form at Killarney recently, winning the €45,000 Boylesports Daily Moneyback Handicap Steeplechase at long odds under Simon Torrens. The Arvico gelding, who landed a monumental gamble when gaining his first success at Navan… Read more »

PHILIP ROTHWELL’S ALL-CLEAR

Date: August 7, 2025 -

PHILIP ROTHWELL also made headlines at Ballinrobe recently, albeit for all the wrong reasons. His charge, Coolboy Christie, owned by the Geesala Racing Group syndicate and ridden by Tiernan Power Roche, was the subject of a running and riding enquiry following an unplaced finish in the O’Hare’s Bar Maiden Hurdle. The acting stewards on the… Read more »

KIA’S CONSISTENT FORM

Date: August 7, 2025 -

HISTORY OFTEN repeats itself and ‘Glorious Goodwood’ – or not so glorious this year – once again saw the big-spending owners of Amo Racing remove some of their high-profile horses from trainer Ralph Beckett. According to the Oirish Sun, the horses removed included Partying, a £4.6m Frankel filly. Four years ago at the exact same… Read more »

WEE CARE WOES

Date: August 7, 2025 -

GOLDHAWK WAS surprised to see a closure order being served on the kitchen and staff canteen of RTÉ’s creche in Montrose due to extensive rodent droppings. Reporting of the matter may have upset the minted owners of the business behind the creche, given that they don’t like too much attention. The Belfast-controlled Wee Care nursery… Read more »

NEILL HUGHES’ SECOND SHOT

Date: August 7, 2025 -

LAST MONTH a most impressive Co Dublin property was advertised with a chunky €9.25m price tag. Emsworth in Kinsealy will presumably be of interest to those who also took the tour a few years ago when the same owner last tried to flog it. The good news is that a bargain could be on the… Read more »

DCC’S SHARE PRICE UNDERVALUES COMPANY

Date: August 7, 2025 -

IT IS hard to fully grasp CEO Donal Murphy’s conversion last November to stripping DCC down to its energy division by dumping the other divisions (a strategy Moneybags has been recommending for over 20 years) and “transforming to a leading multi-energy business with a clear and resilient strategy”. Although there are question marks over this energy… Read more »

FD TECHNOLOGIES SALE LOOKS LIKE THE DEAL OF THE DECADE

Date: August 7, 2025 -

IT LOOKS like the CEO of FD Technologies (FDT – previously First Derivatives), Seamus Keating, pulled a rabbit out of the hat when flogging off the KX analytics database engine – the last remaining business inside FDT – for a remarkable €655m. The shareholders must be a relieved bunch. Approval was obtained on July 17,… Read more »

PROFESSOR GREEN’S GIGS

Date: August 7, 2025 -

GOLDHAWK SPOTTED some corporate activity by PR operator Justin Green, who will be familiar to fans of The Phoenix for his militant approach to those pesky music hacks who crossed his former employer, Denis Desmond’s MCD, where he controlled the guest list for almost 20 years. In 2011, however, the MCD veteran cut the apron… Read more »