This article first appeared in the Andersonstown news When I was teaching at Óllscoil Uladh/ Ulster University, one of the minor ordeals involved was attendance at Meetings (no, Virginia, not meetings, Meetings). In the ten minutes or so before the meeting, I’d notice the Dean and some senior staff speaking quietly among themselves. Then we’d all sit down and the Dean and […]
May, 2020
BEWLEY’S R.I.P. – LAST SURVIVOR OF DUBLIN IN THE RARE AUL’ TIMES by Donal Kennedy
Inboxx Perhaps the last gasp of Auld Dacency is signalled by the closing of Bewley 2s in Grafton Street, which, I am surprised to learn, had only been opened in the 1920s.But Bewley’ Oriental Cafes had been established in South Great Georges St and Westmoreland (” west-MORE-land ” Street ,to its patrons) in 1896. Coffee can […]
The Circle Begins One More Time…. by Pat McArt
Th My grandfather died when he was 97. He was a big tall man who lived on a remote farm outside Letterkenny. He wasn’t one of life’s great talkers, rarely if ever initiating a conversation, only responding when asked a question. So I really never got to know him that well. Shortly before he died […]
Zoom chat with former Irish ambassador Ray Bassett: why he thinks the Dublin government made a hames of Brexit negotiations
Former Irish ambassador Ray Bassett is probably unique among contemporary Irish commentators: he thinks that the south of Ireland missed an opportunity to stand by the UK during the Brexit negotiations. That was just one of the topics we touched on during our Zoom chat yesterday evening. What I find fascinating about Ray are three […]
A STATE IN CHASSIS & SOME DARLIN’ COMMENTS? by Donal Kennedy
Inbox“We, the people of Ireland, seeking to promote the common good, and with due observance of Prudence, Justice and Charity, so that the dignity and freedom of the individual may be assured, true social order attained, the unity of our country restored, and concord established with other nations, Do hereby adopt, enact, and give to ourselves […]
Micheál faces Miriam and gets a soft ride
Did you catch Micheál Martin on RTÉ’s Prime Time Tuesday last? No, Virginia, I don’t mean in the Covid-19 sense – Micheál is not a virus. Micheál told Miriam that he had never in the past put the party first and would continue to do so. He also told her he was concerned about the Leaving […]
Heroes paid peanuts
Few performers call for less applause from the audience, but the medical staff and health care workers, not to mention the lorry drivers, the shelf-stackers and the postmen, could be forgiven for calling “Enough already. After this, what will change for us?” This is a question worth listening to, because in this morning’s Irish Times there’s a […]
AIBHINN BHEITH AR BHINN EADAIR – Back to Howth Harbour
I hope you enjoyed the film of the 1942 Howth Regatta recommended in my BLOG -“NO TROUBLE AT ALL.” Most of you will, of course, realise why Howth, and the liberated part of Ireland ,was a haven of peace then. In India millions were dying of starvation imposed by an Imperial Government and thousands of democrats were […]
Paying the price for being non-PC
In this Zoom chat, Pat and I focus on a fairly radioactive topic: being politically correct. Pat is in the interviewer’s chair and grills me mercilessly (OK, gently) about my despicable past. I enjoyed it, he enjoyed it, we hope you enjoy it. Maybe you disagree with every word. Again, all and any constructive suggestions welcome.
NO TROUBLE AT ALL – A HAVEN OF PEACE IN A WORLD GONE MAD by Donal Kennedy
The Irish Film Institute via You Tube presents an eleven- minute colour film of the Howth Regatta of August 1942, with musical accompaniment added during the last few years. It is a joy to watch, for Howth still retained the beauty which caused St Colmcille to exclaim “Aoibhinn Bheith Ar Bhinn Eadair* in the 6th Century, […]