Two weeks from today, if I survive, I will enter my ninth decade. I just found among many souvenirs a Playbill from London’s Shaftesbury Theatre with my signature and 28/2/69 written in my own hand. For about four centuries no play could be publicly staged in England before its script had been submitted to […]
December, 2021
FROM SOME DUBLIN NEWSPAPERS – by Donal Kennedy
THE EVENING HERALD 8 APRIL 1926 President Cosgrave has sent the following message of sympathy – “To his Excellency Benito Mussolini, President of the Council, Rome. “On behalf of the Government of the Irish Free State I have the honour to congratulate your Excellency and the Italian people on the Providential escape of your Excellency […]
PAT + JUDE TALK ABOUT NORTH SHROPSHIRE, B. JOHNSON, AND WHAT LORD ASHCROFT FOUND IN HIS POLL
There will be a by-election in North Shropshire, to fill the seat left vacant by one Owen Paterson, late of this parish. The bookies see the Lib Dems as edging it. Will they? And if they do, will that be the beginning of the end for B Johnson? Salaries for those working in the technology […]
SOME VERY BRITISH COUPS – by Donal Kennedy
My BLOG “SPANISH HISTORY AND INTRIGUING BRTISH PRACTICE” (DECEMBER 6) remarked on how Simon Sebag Montefiorii gave us a history of Spanish Catholic atrocities over many bloody centuries, including the career of the tyrant General Franco. He mentioned the support of Mussolini and Hitler who helped when Franco’s revolt was underway, but omitted mention […]
LETTER TO CONGRESS FROM THE AMERICAN BREXIT COMMITTEE
AMERICAN BREXIT COMMITTEE 1919 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 1724 PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103 John M. Corcoran Esq, Chairman Michael J. Cummings, Secretary December 13, 2021 TO: Members of Congress FROM: John M. Corcoran Esq., Chairman RE: British Trade Threats and Cover-up of Conflict Criminality Britain is accustomed to economic bullying and political manipulation of its neighbor […]
TV REVIEW: HOME RESCUE
This TV review first appeared in the Andersonstown News HOME RESCUE (RTÉ ONE) is fond of rhetorical questions: “Have you fallen out of love with your home? Do you struggle to find space, stranded in a sea of clutter? Well, take heart. Home Rescue with architect Róisín Murphy and builder Peter Finn are here.” Róisín and Peter have five days to rescue Anne […]
LIFE AND SHOW-BUSINESS IN THE ENGLISH – SPEAKING WORLD IN THE 1950s – by Donal Kennedy
My direct experience of the English speaking world did not even extend to all of the 26 Counties. And while, on a fine day I could see the Mountains of Mourne from our front door I had never been into the North Eastern parts of my country where a free-wheeling, swinging and debauched culture flourished […]
Ask a silly question about a united Ireland…
Talk about giving with one hand and taking away with the other: this morning’s Irish Times has as its lead headline ‘Large majority of voters favour a united Ireland, poll finds’. Then under that headline ‘Strong opposition remains for any change to national flag or anthem’. The paper goes on to list in detail the […]
Woe is weal and weal is woe Part 2 THE CRUMBLIN’ CREDIBILITY OF FINTAN O’TOOLE – by Donal Kennedy
I think that in Part One I disposed of the credibility of Emeritus Professor Liam Kennedy’s contention that Bloody Sunday was a mere blip in an attempt to bring peace, contentment and light to the benighted people of Ireland. The Knighted General Frank Kitson, veteran of barbarous campaigns of repression in Malaya and Kenya, and […]
PAT + JUDE TALK ABOUT BOOSTER COUNT, THE RISE & RISE OF SINN FÉIN, BORIS LIES AGAIN, + BORDER CHECKS
Why are there so many no-shows for Covid-19 booster vaccines? Why the booster vaccine figures in the south are at sixes and sevens. Can’t the health system count? Figures out today show Sinn Féin at 36% and both FF and FG at 20%. Faced with this appalling vista, might FF and FG merge? Boris Johnson […]