July, 2021

Hubert Lane and the paragons of virtue – by Donal Kennedy

This article first appeared in the Irish Democrat THOSE WHO have enjoyed Richmal Crompton’s ‘William’ stories – (and who, having read them, did not?) may recall Hubert Lane. For those unfamiliar with the stories, William was a Huckleberry Finn translated to commuter belt Kent, an eleven-yea-old scapegrace and leader of a gang rejoicing in the name of The Outlaws. If they had […]

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INTELLIGENCE AND THE IRISH TIMES

The  IRISH TIMES has scant respect for Irish law or the intelligence of its readers. Witness “The Irish Times View on Dessie O’Malley” 22 July A jury of free citizens acquitted Charles Haughey, Captain Kelly and others of conspiracy to import arms illegally.Garret Fitzgerald had to pay substantial damages to Captain Kelly for repeating the […]

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Dessie O’Malley: who he was and what he did

 I never met Dessie O’Malley, who died yesterday. When we were on a family holiday in Connemara, I once glimpsed him in a hotel, talking animatedly and cheerfully to a group of admirers. You didn’t need a potted biography to know that this was a man who had known political power.  I did know his […]

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A TALE OF TWO NEIGHBOURS

NEIGHBOUR 1:  I’ve decided about going to work. We’ve talked it over in our house and we’ve decided it’ll be better if I stop the car-share thing with you and take my own car. NEIGHBOUR 2: Well I’m sure myself and the others will be sorry to hear that. There’s nothing we can say that’d […]

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Planning for a reunited Ireland: how are we doing?

You can easily get left behind. Until this morning I thought that while nationalists in the North were pushing for a reunification referendum, unionists in the north were insisting that a border poll shouldn’t be so much as considered. Emma Souza, writing in today’s Irish Times, makes one very valid point and one surprising and […]

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PAT + JUDE TALK ABOUT THE HEATWAVE, MICHEÁL MARTIN & BORIS JOHNSON, AND OF COURSE…SEX. It ain’t ‘alf ‘ot, Mum. – wasn’t that the name of a TV series ‘way back? And isn’t it ‘ot these days? Do you love it, and if you do, why? Rain isn’t acid rain, usually, so why do we […]

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