Government Probe into Banking Crisis May Examine Media Collusion

In what is becoming a far-reaching examination of the disastrous events of 2008 to 2010 in Ireland the Irish Government committee set up to examine the issues has suggested that Newspaper editors and other media commentators may be called upon to give evidence. This is something quite new in Ireland. Rarely has the Irish media been examined for its role in creating and fuelling news stories. And this is the news story about the single biggest economic event in the history of the country. The collapse of the Irish banks was directly tied to the bursting of the property bubble, … Continue reading Government Probe into Banking Crisis May Examine Media Collusion

US Governor Appeals to Ireland over Cigarette Packaging

It is not often that events in Ireland register among the political fraternity in North Carolina but news that Ireland is planning to force cigarette companies to use plain packaging on their products has prompted Governor Pat McCrory to act. Writing to the Irish Ambassador to the United States, Anne Anderson, the Governor requested that his concerns be forwarded to the Irish Government for consideration in what is becoming an international assault on the Irish proposals. Ireland it will be remembered was the first country in the world to introduce a blanket ban on smoking in the workplace. The legislation … Continue reading US Governor Appeals to Ireland over Cigarette Packaging

It’s Official: Ireland Is The Best Country In The World

The results from the very first ‘Good Country Index’ have been announced. And the winner is………….(drumroll)……. Ireland !! Forget the never-ending Dublin traffic jams, the mediocre health care system, the high unemployment rate or the often abysmal weather. Using 35 indicators from the UN and the World Bank Ireland has topped the league table of ‘contribution to humanity’ by finishing near the top in four of the seven categories: Planet & Climate: 45th place Prosperity & Equality: 1st place Health & Wellbeing: 9th place Science & Technology: 20th place Culture: 7th place International Peace & Security: 33rd place World Order: … Continue reading It’s Official: Ireland Is The Best Country In The World

‘Loo with a View’ may revert to a Public Convenience

This is perhaps one of the strangest headlines we have ever penned but bear with us – it will make sense. At the very height of the property boom in Ireland a decade ago even the most obscure, tiny, or ridiculous piece of land was fetching equally ridiculous prices. The huge punt on the old ‘Glass Bottle’ factory site in Ringsend is perhaps the most infamous of these property gambles, tumbling as it did in value from 411 Million Euro to an estimated 40 Million Euro today. It is currently an unused field. But perhaps the full extent of our … Continue reading ‘Loo with a View’ may revert to a Public Convenience

Rise of the ‘DONT GIVE A FECK’ Party

It is becoming apparent that not all politicians are taking the upcoming elections in Ireland seriously. A launderette-owner from Duleek in County Meath named Dave Keaveney cant have guessed how popular his campaign would become after he placed a poster in the window of his local business: ‘Vote Dave no 1 for a cleaner Duleek’. It started off as a joke. I made up the poster because I’m fed up listening to the same bull from politicians and the same electioneering promises that aren’t kept. He now intends to run for election as a non-party candidate in the Laytown-Bettystown Area. … Continue reading Rise of the ‘DONT GIVE A FECK’ Party

Irish Among The Happiest People In Europe

A study by the European Union has revealed that Irish people are a pretty happy bunch. With a score of 7.4 out of 10 in the ‘experience of life ranking’ Ireland trails only behind Denmark (the perennial winner) with 8.4, Sweden and Finland with a score of 8, Luxembourg (7.8), Malta (7.7) and the Netherlands (7.7). Surprisingly, given the recent economic devastation, the report found that Ireland was the third richest country in the EU, behind Luxembourg and Austria in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in purchasing power. This study mirrors other recent reports including the UNICEF … Continue reading Irish Among The Happiest People In Europe

Irish Government Reaps Reward for Exiting the EU/IMF/ECB ‘Bailout’

Calling it a bailout was never a good idea as it was anything but a bailout. The loans provided by the European Union, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund to the Irish Government had two main purposes: to keep the Euro currency alive and to allow Ireland to repay French and German banks and bond-holders who were owed billions by the bankrupt Irish banks. The fact that the Irish Government needed the cash to meet the wage-bill of the ridiculous numbers of public and civil servants employed by this tiny country was very much incidental. The EU/EBC/IMF had … Continue reading Irish Government Reaps Reward for Exiting the EU/IMF/ECB ‘Bailout’