March, 2012

Fianna Fail and The Lady of Shalott

“Out flew the web and floated wide- / The mirror crack’d from side to side;/’The curse is come upon me,’ cried/ The Lady of Shalott.” I don’t know how many Fianna Failers learnt The Lady of  Shalott at school, but after yesterday’s publication of the Mahon Report most of them must feel they know it in their bones […]

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Fianna Fail and The Lady of Shalott

“Out flew the web and floated wide- / The mirror crack’d from side to side;/’The curse is come upon me,’ cried/ The Lady of Shalott.” I don’t know how many Fianna Failers learnt The Lady of  Shalott at school, but after yesterday’s publication of the Mahon Report most of them must feel they know it in their bones […]

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Derry City vs Linfield : losing ain’t easy

When I was young, I was a bad loser. Really bad. Like Arsene Wenger, I’d feel almost physically sick when I got beaten in a handball game or a push-penny game or a game of football. I remember feeling a sense of absolution – years too late – when I saw the Roy Keane quotation: […]

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Derry City vs Linfield : losing ain’t easy

When I was young, I was a bad loser. Really bad. Like Arsene Wenger, I’d feel almost physically sick when I got beaten in a handball game or a push-penny game or a game of football. I remember feeling a sense of absolution – years too late – when I saw the Roy Keane quotation: […]

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John Bruton speaks of "misleading". No, seriously.

I have a problem with John Bruton. Among other things, he just doesn’t look or sound like a former Taoiseach. But then God made us all the way he intended and I’m not volunteering to enter any beauty contests myself. No, my main problem with John is his statement, uttered on the occasion of Prince […]

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John Bruton speaks of “misleading”. No, seriously.

I have a problem with John Bruton. Among other things, he just doesn’t look or sound like a former Taoiseach. But then God made us all the way he intended and I’m not volunteering to enter any beauty contests myself. No, my main problem with John is his statement, uttered on the occasion of Prince […]

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Those Ontario riots: I feel so ashamed – don’t you?

Oh dear. You have disgraced yourselves again, as  W B Yeats told the Abbey audience at that Synge play (or was it the O’Casey one?)  Like you, I’m horrified and ashamed at the scenes of rioting coming from London, Ontario. A lot of people got cuts and minor injuries, it seems, and thousands of dollars-worth […]

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Those Ontario riots: I feel so ashamed – don’t you?

Oh dear. You have disgraced yourselves again, as  W B Yeats told the Abbey audience at that Synge play (or was it the O’Casey one?)  Like you, I’m horrified and ashamed at the scenes of rioting coming from London, Ontario. A lot of people got cuts and minor injuries, it seems, and thousands of dollars-worth […]

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