Category: Politics - Reading the Signs

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The Man who Bought Croke Park

20/4/2016

I suspect that many do not know that Jones Road site was purchased by a Limerick man who then sold to GAA ‘for the same consideration’.

Yesterday, I spotted a tweet from Jean with a copy of the notification of the death, 100 years ago on 18th April, 1916, of Frank Brazil Dineen and it reminded me of this plaque on the side wall of a building in Ballylanders.

Joining those two dots of knowledge was justification for today’s blog.

“This plaque was erected by Baile an Londraigh CLG in honour of the late Prionsais Breasil O Duinnon – Frank Brazil Dineen (Athlete, Journalist, Patriot)

Born in this house 28th December 1862, Frank B. Dineen came to prominence as an athlete holding the record for the 100 yards sprint and high jump in the 1880’s.

Úachtaran Cumann Luithchleas Gael 1895-1898 agus Ard Stiurthoir 1898-1901.

He was the first President of the Athletic Council and published the “Irish Athletic Record” in 1906. He founded Ballylanders Shamrock Football Club in 1886. Frank will be best remembered as the man who in 1908 purchased Jones Road now Croke Park, which he gave to the GAA for the same consideration. He was the Athletic Editor of “SPORT” published by the Freeman’s Journal when he died on 18th April 1916.

This plaque was unveiled on the 15th August 2009 by Criostóir O Cuana Úachtaran Cumann Luthchleas Gael”
Plaque at Ballylanders

Look Out for the Punch

28/2/2016

I had not thought of the possibility of my vote ever being spoilt by me, or by anyone else. I now know different.

Yesterday, I accompanied our 9 year old to the count centre at City Hall, Cork. It was the first time I was ever at a count centre. It was an experience that I recommend to all, and not just for the pencils and tally sheets that our happy nine year old brought home.

While we watching the gathering of the votes of Mick Barry into bundles of 50, we spotted, in a short time frame, that three voting papers did not have the perforated stamp and so were consigned to the doubtful box and presumably deemed invalid.

It is probable that these voters cast their votes trusting the system that each vote would count in the election process. This morning, I heard of Tommy Broughan in Dublin complaining of 150 non-punched papers in his constituency.

I remember my ballot paper being punched on Friday morning but if it had not been done, I am not sure that I would have been alert enough to bring it to the attention of those working at the Polling Station.

That lesson has now been learnt by me – and our nine year old.

Micheál Martin's Head

19/2/2016

There I was heading over town for lunch earlier. Looking up, an unusual looking Micheál Martin was smiling down on me.

For a few years now, my eyes have been open to many forms of Street-Art – painting; stencil art; mosaic; poetry and even full installations. This is a definite first for me.

I have also seen some election poster graffiti – in person and online. Again another first.

This mind is unsure as to the intent of the artist - a suggestion to Micheál Martin as to a possible hair colour; deference to his magnetism; a reference to loose screws,;or maybe something else entirely….

Ballyhooley Road, Cork

Half Moon Street, Cork

Stone Never Refused Engraving

13/6/2015

Angry Old Man - 4

Today, the Irish Examiner article told of the Lord Mayor Chain of Office passing on and it help explain matters.

The invitations arrived Wednesday with an RSVP of Thursday, for a formal opening of Friday – the last day that the title Lord Mayor would be associated with the then incumbent; the last day that she would have the entitlement to open the curtain and unveil the plaque – the plaque with her name on it.

The buildings had been occupied for 13 months but it had to be that day for the opening – not the next day when the a different politician would have been written in stone – a former Green Party; former Independent; but now Sinn Féin, so steeped and ‘proud’ to reference previous Sinn Féin Lord Mayors

During the speeches, the listeners were advised that the Lord Mayor and others had come from an earlier formal opening and unveiling.

Did this politician stand to serve her community or to see her name in stone?

My ‘cynical’ fuse is not as long as it once was…..

Looking after Number One

11/6/2015

Angry Old Man - 2

On Tuesday, this plaque was unveiled.

If I had any slight inkling that people stood for election as a public representative to do good for their electorate; to represent their constituents; and to improve their electoral area, cynical old me got further ammunition to the contrary then.

The curtain in front of this plaque was pulled aside and then the photographs commenced.

I didn’t think there were that many politicians in the area. The number in the photograph for inclusion in the local papers was very large.

For that hour, the construction work stopped and no benefit was done for the constituents – just marketing and networking.

Righteous cause is stronger than all the hosts of error

28/1/2015

I recently spotted this gravestone at Dun Bolg Cemetery, near Carrignavar.

I was educated as to the circumstances by Doc, who attended a talk at the Muskerry Historical Society last February on the Shooting at Marsh’s Yard on Monday 13th August, 1934. The excellent talk was given by Dermot O’Donovan.

My initial thought was that the public protest in 1934 was stronger than at the Allsop Space auctions.

I have prepared below from Doc’s notes from the talk

Tom Crean - Antarctic Explorer

21/11/2014

99 Years Ago Endurance Sank

While driving home this evening, I was listening to Drivetime on RTE Radio 1. Myles Dungan does a slot on what happened on this day in history. Today he spoke about Ernest Shackleton’s expedition.

As Tom Crean was one who accompanied him in the lifeboat from Elephant Island to the Stromness whaling station, it reminded me of the sculpture and plaques in Annascaul.

As good reason as any for a blog entry.

Irish Water Public Relations – An Oxymoron

2/11/2014

You might think that these images are of a damaged water valve.

I have seen it on Devonshire Street and can confirm that it is a water valve of some sort and that water has been leaking from it and a rate of pressure since Friday evening, at least. Irish Water’s website says that ‘Clean water is both expensive to produce and manage‘, but this expensive clean water has been flowing down the street and into the drain.

Reporting

The Irish Water website does outline what you should do when you find a leak on one’s private property but there is no mention anywhere that I could see as to reporting a leak on a public road to prevent the waste of such a costly resource.

Not being put off by this, I phoned that Irish Water contact number and after some press this for that, I was speaking to, what I assume was a Abtran-operator who is passing on the available information as she reads from the computer.

No Leaks at Weekends

The computer told the operator and she told me that Irish Water service department do not operate and weekends. She suggested that I contact the Local Authority directly – the same Local Authority who, when I contacted them some months ago said that I should contact Irish Water to report a leak, which is why 1890 278 278 is now stored in my mobile phone.

After my comment as to how customer unfriendly such a procedure was, that I was happy to pass on the details then over the phone but I would not be phoning any other telephone number, she took down details of the leak.

They need to learn from the fault-reporting system at Airtricity – a dedicated telephone number and webpage.

Removed from Reality

The Abtran-operator probably breached protocol by taking the number as this was not the option as stated on the computer.

To think that some manager who prepared the brief for that section of the Customer Relations Software; the programmer who wrote it; and the Irish Water supervisory staff who tested it before passing it as fit-for-purpose, all thought that it was o.k. to have a different reporting system at weekends and, that it is reasonable to expect a member of the public who has taken time out to report a fault to be willing to take further time to write down and phone another number.

24 Hours

The photographs were taken a day after I reported the fault.

The clean water still flows into My Own Lovely Lee.

Tuam

8/7/2014

Travelling back after a funeral yesterday, I stopped in Tuam to visit the burial ground of the babies from the Mother & Baby Home.

It was a warm early evening. The adjacent playground had a number of different groups of children. There was well in excess of twenty children, all having fun. In July of 2014, one was unable to establish the marital or relationship status of a child’s parents – society has changed.

Of all that I read of the Mother & Baby Home, two articles have stood out for me by Fergus Finlay and Felicity Hayes-McCoy. Families brought their daughters to the home. Their neighbours and society expected it.

The Bon Secours Order do deserve some of the blame – not all.

But let’s not try to find too easy a scapegoat. For sure, religious orders and individuals did what they did in the name of some repressed, authoritarian and twisted version of their own ethos. But they also did it because Irish society wanted actively to stigmatise young vulnerable women, and to hide them from decent folk. We gave licence for everything that was done. Our state colluded. Public policy suggested that it was OK to treat people as criminals although they had committed no crime.

Fergus Finlay

“…there were, of course, people who knew. The families of the women and girls who were consigned to virtual prisons to hide the perceived shame of their pregnancies and illegitimate children. The individual nuns, priests and brothers who abused those in their care. The politicians and civil servants who allowed and supported the system.The members of the police force who assisted in tracking down escapees from institutions where effectively they were used as slave labour. The medical professionals who attended the inmates. Those who allegedly failed to register deaths lawfully. And whoever it was that carried those dead bodies to their graves in Tuam, and to all the other graves up and down the country where adults, children and infants were buried without decency or respect.”

Felicity Hayes-McCoy

As one enters the area of the playground, the most striking sight is a commemorative monument to members of Óglaigh na hÉireann who died at the hands of the forces of the state of the time.

It was interesting to note that the plaque also honours Mother Hortence McNamara of the Bon Secours. The same Bon Secours who are now being condemned by the political wing of Óglaigh na hÉireann – just one part of society that has changed its position.

Taking Sides

13/6/2014

Southern members of the Irish Brigade photographed in Dublin prior to embarkation. Back row (left to right): P. McCarthy, Enniskeane; M. O’Connell, Bandon; P. J. Cleary, Limerick (now Rev. Fr. Leander, O.F.M.); C. Horgan, Mallow; J. Roche, Bandon; D. V. Higgins, Ballyhooly (who remained on in Spain after the brigade had returned home and was later killed in action). Middle row: J. Crowley, Dunmanway; Col. P. J. Coughlan, Ballineen (who saw the detachment off at Dublin); C. B. O’Donoghue, Bandon (who supplied this photograph); T. McCarthy, Ballydehob; W. F. McGrath, Cork. Front Row: J. M. Poland, Bandon; G. Kavanagh, Cork; J. McCarthy, Enniskeane (writer of these articles) and J. Manning, Toames.

For a good while now, I have had an interest in and have read quite a bit on the Spanish Civil. War. I was delighted to have recently watched Cathal O’Shannon’s excellent Even The Olives Are Bleeding on YouTube. RTE’s DocOnOne also has some great programmes. Come Here To Me regularly has enlightening pieces.

A few weeks ago, I travelled to Dublin and photographed memorials in Burncourt and Inchicore to members of the International Brigade.

In Bandon earlier this week, I went to the West Cork Heritage Centre and saw some details of members of the Irish Brigade who travelled to Spain to support Franco.

There was a policy among European nations not to get involved in the war – nominally at least as Hitler managed to aid Franco’s uprising. I found it interesting that the International Brigade had to sneak into Spain whereas the Irish Brigade had such a record of their sailing - and that it was considered a 'Crusade'.

"The word came from Maynooth, “support the Nazis”
The men of cloth failed again
When the Bishops blessed the Blueshirts in Dun Laoghaire
As they sailed beneath the swastika to Spain"
Christy Moore

Election Candidates

24/4/2014

I was reading Grandad’s blog yesterday and it reminded me of this photograph that I took in High Street a while back.

Recognising Politicians

6/4/2014

CENTRA Supermarket

D’oscail An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern T.D. an t-Ollmhargadh se oar an ceathrú lá déag de mhí na Samhna, 1998.

This Supermarket was officially opened by An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern T.D., on Saturday 14th November 1998

I noted these two plaques when in Dingle recently.

I did pause to wonder if they would be likely to be erected now – has society’s opinion and attitude to politicians changed to the extent that there is a preference to be disassociated rather than connected to all politicians – not just those whose actions are not complimented in Tribunal findings.

Having reflected on this, I suspect that politicians are still regularly opening this and that and having their names engraved on a very regular basis. I find this disappointing.

Dingle, Co. Kerry

Erected by the Fishing Community of Dingle in recognition of the lifelong affection of Charles J. Haughey for Corca Dhuibhne and in gratitude for his untiring efforts in developing Dingle Harbour and his huge contribution to the fishing industry.

Iascairí agus lucht báid an Daingin a sholátharaigh an leac seo le barr buíchais do Cathal O hEochaidh.

Artist: Nichola Kyle 2005

Another Dome for Catalunya

13/2/2014

Carey's Lane, Cork

Are you puzzled as to why Catalunya needs another dome? And why they want it for free?

Or maybe you are puzzled as graffiti such as this in Cork may have few readers who have any influence in Spain?

Alternatively, you might consider it as litter and so more likely to use any limited influence against Independence for Catalunya.

Phil Prendergast - J'accuse

7/5/2013

The date, location and topic of the meeting are not readable from a car. If you had truly wanted to inform the public as to the meeting, I would have thought that these details should have taken prime position in the poster.

If the objective had been to use the meeting as an excuse to promote the name and face of an M.E.P. who was not elected by the public but who may stand for the next European election, I think you have had some success.

The fact that the signs have remained in position well after the date of the meeting does give some credence to the theory that self-promotion was the objective. From my perspective, that is an abuse.

Your signs refer to Socialists & Democrats. There is not a mention of the Labour Party anywhere. There are so many metaphors that could be used in this situation that there is bound to be a mixture – biting the hand that fed you; trying to pull wool over eyes; fooling some of the people some of the time.

Regardless of which metaphor you prefer, I find your signs very strange and very much less than admirable.