November 1, All Saints’ Day, marks the anniversary of the execution in Dublin’s Mountjoy Gaol of the Social Republican youth, Kevin Barry. See https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BSjO9rIwn5M for the powerful voice of the outstanding African-American artiste Paul Robeson singing “Kevin Barry”. “In Spain I sang with my whole heart and soul for these gallant fighters of the International Brigades”, […]
November, 2016
A YEAR AND A DAY by Donal Kennedy
A year and a day ago, on All Hallow’s Eve, Jude kindly posted my first BLOG on this site. It was my purpose to amuse and inform readers, tell the truth, shame the Devil and to Confound the Begrudgers. I confess that I also sought to amuse and to flatter myself that in my tenth […]
YOU – THE JURY – AN “APPALLING VISTA” IF CONFLICTING EVIDENCE IS GIVEN YOU by Donal Kennedy
Some thirty years back I did jury service in London, dealing with three or four cases. Not ones grabbing great headlines, or any headlines, come to that, nor involving politically inspired incidents or prosecutions. I was impressed particularly by the seriousness of most of my fellow jurors, of various origins and abilities,to try each case […]
Failing to question and falling down on the job
I find a lot to admire in British and Irish newspapers and television. But however splendid the football coverage, however interesting the book reviews, however helpful the consumer advice, there is one glaring gap which British and Irish media seem to be unaware of : investigative journalism. Or maybe that should be questioning journalism. […]