Irish Echo December 2017

SOUNDS GOOD

PANTI BLISS IS BACK

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Tsunami Of Irish Music Heading Our Way

Dublin Fringe Hit Show Set For Sydney, Melbourne

For breaking news visit www.irishecho.com.au

AUST RALI A’ S I RI S H N E WS PA P E R December, 2017 --- January, 2018 | Volume 30 – Number 12

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James McClean in action for the Republic of Ireland.

Picture: Niall Carson

Come on down ye boys in green Socceroos Want Irish To Come To Australia For Pre- World Cup Friendly: Page 3 EU TELLS BRITAIN IRISH BORDER ISSUE ‘KEY’ TO PROGRESS IN BREXIT TALKS

Gavin Cordon and Michael McHugh

EUROPEAN Council president Donald T usk has war ned British Prime Minister Theresa May she must satisfy Irish demands that there will be no “hard border” between the Republic and the North if the Brexit negotiations are to move forward.

Following talks with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Dublin, Mr Tusk said it was now up to the UK Government to come for ward with a “credible commitment” to deal with the border issue. He said he had agreed to consult Mr Varadkar on any British proposal before deciding whether to recom-

mend EU leaders approve the second phase of Brexit negotiations, including talks on a free trade deal, to begin at their summit on December 14 and 15.

“If the UK offer is unacceptable for Ireland, it will also be unacceptable for the EU,” he told a joint news conference with Mr Varadkar. “I realise that for some British politicians this may be hard to understand, but such is the logic behind the fact that Ireland is an EU member while the UK is leaving.

“That is why the key to the UK’s future lies in some ways in Dublin, at least as long as the Brexit negotiations continue.”

As we go to press, Mrs May is under

pressure to produce an improved offer on the terms of the UK’s withdrawal, including the “divorce bill” and future citizens’ rights, as well as the Irish border, if there is to be progress at the December summit.

While the two sides appear to be moving closer on the issues of citizens’ rights and the divorce settlement, with Britain reportedly ready to pay about £40 billion to settle the UK’s outstanding obligations, the border issue has emerged as a major stumbling block.

The Irish government has warned that as long as the UK remains committed to leaving the single market and the customs union, the return of some

form of physical border controls is inevitable. Mr Varadkar said that while there had been “good progress” on the Ireland issue, the UK now needed to present “credible, concrete and workable solutions” which guarantee there will be no hard border.

“I believe that with the right engagement and the right political will, we can reach an agreement on the way ahead,” he said.

“I am also prepared to stand firm with our partners if the UK offer falls short on any of those three issues, including the Irish ones.”

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news MARTIN O’NEILL’S TEAM TIPPED FOR AUSSIE FRIENDLY IN EARLY JUNE

Socceroos’ friendly offer to Irish

Could Martin O’Neill be leading his ‘boys in green’ to Australia for a pre-World Cup friendly?

MARTIN O’Neill’s Republic of Ireland side could be heading for Australia to take on the Socceroos before the World Cup next May, according to Four Four Two, a well-informed football blog.

The Aussies are reportedly keen on a friendly before they jet off to Russia and an invitation has been extended to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) for the fixture. Melbourne and Sydney are potential venues, with the possibility of either a one-off game or a double header, the reports say, with the New South Wales and Victorian governments keen to host the Irish, given the sizeable Irish populations in their capital cities.

The Socceroos saw off Honduras over two legs in a play-off to qualify for the World Cup while the Irish were

brushed aside by Denmark in Dublin.

Ironically, Australia have been drawn in the same World Cup group as the Danes, along with France and Peru.

While such a fixture would be very well received in Australia, it is understood that there will be a number of stumbling blocks.

Firstly, the FAI has a number of options, closer to home, at the end of the season. Plus, Ireland’s failure to reach the World Cup makes them a popular opponent for teams going to Russia. After missing out on at least €9 million in prize money, international fixtures will be the only big earners for the FAI in 2018.

An invitation to what has been dubbed the ‘Losers’ World Cup’ in the

USA alongside the likes of Italy, the States and Holland has also been mooted. The British football season wraps up on May 19 (FA Cup Final).

Ultimately, a final decision will be made in consultation with O’Neill, but the expected higher-than-normal appearance fee – given the long distance involved – could swing it, the Irish Echo understands.

If the game or games go ahead, it will herald a sporting bonanza in 2018 for expat Irish sports fans.

The high-flying Irish rugby team has already confirmed a three-Test series against the Wallabies with fixtures confirmed for Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium (June 9), Melbourne’s AAMI Park (June 16) and Sydney’s Allianz Stadium (June 23).

Later in the year, top-level hurling will come to Australia with the All Ireland hurling champions Galway set to take on the winners of next year’s National League in a one-off challenge at the Sydney Showground.

If O’Neill’s team does travel, it would be the first time that the Irish would take on the Socceroos on Australian soil.

The two nations have only met twice, boasting a win each, with the most recent match being a 3-0 win to the Socceroos at Thomond Park in Limerick in 2009. On that day, Tim Cahill – who once explored declaring for Ireland through his British father’s Irish heritage – scored twice and a David Carney thunderbolt secured the win against the home side.

QUEENSLAND’S PREMIER FOLK FESTIVAL TO HOST ARRAY OF IRISH TALENT

Woodford first stop for Irish musical invasion

Clockwise from left: Eleanor McEvoy, Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill and (below) Breaking Trad.

David Hennessy ELEANOR McEvoy leads the Irish contingent set to play this year’s Woodford Folk Festival, with Martin Hayes (accompanied by Dennis Cahill) and Breaking Trad also set to play at the music festival that has long cemented itself as one of the highlights of the Christmas/ New Year festivities in Queensland.

Woodford, formerly known as the Maleny Folk Festival, takes place each Summer on a 250-hectare site 72kms north of Brisbane.

McEvoy told The Irish Echo she’s a “Woodford virgin” and is very excited about playing there.

“I’ve been talking about it for years,” she told the Irish Echo. “Woodford is the one everybody talks about. It’s nice going in, being a Woodford virgin.

I love standing in front of new people.

I love playing for regular fans as well but there’s something about playing for new people. They don’t know who the hell you are. You have to prove yourself. There’s something wonderful about that.”

McEvoy first came to public attention as part of famous Mary Black’s band when she penned Only A Woman’s Heart. The song and accompanying album – which remains the best selling album in Irish history and is now celebrating its 25th anniversary – propelled her to stardom and a career that has seen her subsequently release 12 studio albums.

“It’s gobsmacking really (that it has been 25 years). It doesn’t seem possible. I think it’s extraordinary that people are still talking about it,” she said.

“I didn’t realise at the time how big the song was. It’s only now that I can see the impact it had. I genuinely didn’t realise it at the time. I thought, like most songs, it would come and go.

That fact that it is still alive is incredible.”

McEvoy’s style has changed since those days but she still produces poignant, melancholy songs.

Sophie, for instance, strikes a chord with anyone who has struggled or known anyone who has struggled with eating disorders.

The Dubliner has been on the road for the past year and a half promoting her most-recent 2016 studio creation – Naked Music – which, as the title suggests, offers stripped back songs which critics described as “sparse and rewarding”.

Artist Chris Gollon, who collaborated with her on this album, died suddenly just after the tour began. It was, the singer said, a great shock.

“We were supposed to go into 2018 with the collaboration. He painted 25 paintings inspired by the songs but then I started writing songs inspired by the paintings inspired by the songs. He then started painting paintings inspired by the second round of songs.

“It was just an incredible experience and I loved working with him. I couldn’t believe it when he passed away out of nowhere. It was deeply shocking.”

The 50-year-old’s latest album, The Thomas Moore Project, pays homage to the 18/19th century Irish poet, singer and songwriter and brings his work to a modern audience. Moore also became infamous for his part in burning Lord Byron’s memoirs after his death.

“I knew the songs were relevant for the 21st century, particularly 21st century Ireland: the themes of anti-racism, wealth (how it really doesn’t matter), things that we need to hear in Ireland now. All of those themes are in Thomas Moore. I wanted to make it accessible to a modern audience.”

She tours Australia throughout January, also playing Cygnet Folk Festival in Tasmania and the Irish Club, Canberra among other dates.

Also on the bill in Woodford will be “unorthodox and unique” outfit Breaking Trad, made up of Donal Murphy from Limerick, Niall Murphy from South Armagh and Killarney’s Mike Galvin.

Between them, they have multiple all-Irelands musical titles and have toured the world playing major festivals and venues playing with big names like Cara Dillon, De Dannan and Michael

Flatley. Special guest will be Gino Lupari on bodhran who has played with big names like Sinead O’Connor, Shane MacGowan and Natalie Imbruglia.

Fiddle player Niall Murphy told The Irish Echo: “Really looking forward to it. The three of us have never been to Australia at all. This is new territory for us, it’s great. We’re looking forward to getting a bit of sun.”

Breaking Trad tour Australia throughout January promoting their eponymous album. “We get the odd message from the Irish contingent that emigrated out there, from those who have heard the music and really miss it. I suppose it will be a taste of home for them as well and come along for the craic.

“It’s a jam-packed three and a half weeks but we’re just looking forward to playing.”

Renowned Clare fiddler Martin Hayes completes the Irish line-up and is joined by long time collaborator Dennis Cahill on guitar. Both are part of the trad supergroup The Gloaming that also comprises Iarla Ó Lionáird, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Doveman.

Martin told The Irish Echo: “It’s great, it’s an amazing event because it’s not in a city or a town or anything like that and they just build this thing up out of the ground almost. It is its own world and atmosphere altogether. It’s very special, the whole vibe of the place is very different.”

Hayes and Cahill also play the

Fenians, Fremantle and Freedom Festival in January.

“I’ve been coming to Australia since the 90s and, bit by bit, you have friendships and fans and connections and stuff like that. You always look forward to catching up again.”

Hayes won six All-Irelands and played with the Tulla Céilí Band before moving to the US, where he made his name on the Irish traditional scene in Chicago and Seattle. Hayes has been honoured at both the BBC2 Folk Awards and with the TG4 Gradam Ceoil (traditional musician of the year award).

The Woodford Folk Festival is one of the biggest festivals of its type in Australia and it grew out of the previous Maleny Folk Festival which had been going since 1987. It was moved to Woodford in 1994 when it had outgrown the previous site. The festivities take place over six days and nights, December 27 to January 1, with approximately 125,000 people attending every year.

The festival is also famed for its traditional three-minute silence to welcome in the new year. Sharon Shannon is among the Irish performers who have played Woodford in recent years.

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

local PANTI BLISS HEADS UP DIVERSE CAST IN RIOT, THE DUBLIN FRINGE FESTIVAL HIT, TOURING AUSTRALIA

Blissful Riot to take Oz by storm David Hennessy

IRELAND’S best-known drag queen and gay rights activist Panti Bliss is returning to Australia with a show that combines drag, dance, circus and comedy.

RIOT is a spectacle that boasts an all-star Irish cast and sold every single ticket at the 2016 Dublin Fringe, won Best Production and broke all sorts of box-office records.

The show is coming to Sydney Festival and Arts Centre Melbourne and Panti herself cannot wait to get back to Australia, particularly after the positive result in the same-sex marriage postal survey.

The self-described accidental activist played a major role in the successful referendum campaign for marriage equality in Ireland.

“I was following it ver y closely,” Panti told the Irish Echo of the recent postal plebiscite.

“It was a slightly odd experience to be watching it from Ireland because, having gone through the exact same excruciating debate in the run up to our referendum on marriage equality, we knew exactly what you were going through and how emotionally draining it could be.

“And it was also a bit like going back in time watching it all unfold, because the exact same arguments were being made – sometimes word for word - that we had heard ad nauseam in 2015.

“Like many interested members of the LGBTI community here, I watched the results live on the internet and it was quite emotional! Reliving the joy and relief we felt in Ireland as we heard the results of our own vote.”

So, is she looking forward to getting back down under?

“Am I? Does Pauline Hanson make poor fashion choices?” she laughs.

“I’m lucky enough to get to go to Australia most years and, even better, usually during our looooong Irish winter! It’s so nice to get away to Aussie sun just as I’m getting totally fed up of the cold and damp, and by the time I get back, the winter is nearly over! But this year, after the Yes vote, I’m looking forward to it even more than usual.”

RIOT SQUAD: Panti Bliss with her eclectic cast of characters in RIOT which will be performed in Sydney and Melbourne in January.

Joining Panti on stage are Street Performance World Champions and unlikely heroes of Britain’s Got Talent, The Lords of Strut. These spandex adorned lads are on a mission to change the world with a dose of dance, acrobatics and a big old measure of slapstick. Multi-award winning dance duo Philip Connaughton and Deirdre Griffin roll out some thumping jigs whilst Megan Riordan, the star of the Tony Award winning Once The Musical (Dublin) and Ronan Brady, the Gaelic football player “who ran away to join the circus”, add to the sensational line up.

VISA-BILITY Your visa questions answered

Co Antrim native and registered migration agent John McQuaid provides a uniquely Irish perspective on immigration issues.

DEAR John, I’m in Melbourne

working as a marketing specialist on a four-year 457 visa granted in March 2017. Only a month after I got my visa, Immigration announced it was changing the visa system and occupations that could apply for permanent residence. As marketing specialist is now on the Short Term Occupations List (STOL), can I apply for a permanent visa at all? What can I do? Bridget P

DEAR Bridget,

On April 18 the government announced it was making major changes to the sponsored work visa programs. One of the changes was that from March 1, 2018, only occupations on the new Medium and Long‑term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) will be eligible to apply for employer nominated permanent residence. This would mean anyone with an occupation on the secondary STOL list would not be able to apply for a permanent visa.

Rooted in the Irish traditions of poetry, oratory, Irish dance and song, then deconstructed using musical, electro, striptease, drag and pop culture, RIOT is described as a “theatrical gut-punch”. It is a love letter of hope to the future and a clarion call on the state of the world today.

Panti is well known to Australian audiences. Her 2016 one-woman-show High Heels in Low Places racked up stellar reviews and packed houses in Australia as well as Ireland, UK, Europe and the US. This show is completely different.

“Usually it’s just me with my one-

woman shows so this time will be very different, going with a big cast of brilliant, fun performers , many of whom have never been to Oz before.

“I think Australian audiences are going to love this show. It was actually conceived as a show about Ireland but the themes are universal.

“It’s got real heart, but is also a high-octane spectacle. It’s a noisy, glittery, raucous show that incorporates theatre, cabaret, circus, and music, and it will have you howling laughing one moment and the very next moment will break your heart. It’s a wild fun party that sends you home

At the time the government announced there would be “grandfathering provisions” for anyone that currently held a 457 visa, but no detail on the provisions was given. Nearly seven months later, there appears to be some good news for those ‘STOL’ 457 visa holders caught in the changes.

On November 14, Immigration released a fact sheet stating “People who held, or had applied for, a 457 visa on 18 April 2017 will be able to access certain existing provisions under the ENS Temporary Residence Transition stream”….

(See www.border.gov.au/ WorkinginAustralia/Documents/ reforms-australia-permanentemployer-sponsored-migrationprogramme.pdf) It now seems that if you were granted, or applied for, your 457 visa before the April 18 the old rules still apply. Under the old rules: 1. There are no occupation restrictions as long as you continue to work in the same position for the same employer as approved for the 457 visa.

2. The age requirement will remain at under 50 years of age; and 3. The work experience requirement, will remain at two out of the three years prior to the permanent nomination application.

If you applied for your 457 visa after the April 18, 2017, the new rules (from March 1, 2018) will apply.

Under the new rules: 1. ENS eligible occupations will be restricted to the MLTSSL list.

2. The age requirement will drop to under 45 years of age; and 3. The work experience requirement will be three years prior to the permanent nomination application.

There are also some major changes for sponsoring employers proposed to come into effect on March 2018. It seems the ENS nominations including any under the ‘grandfathering’ transitional arrangements will be subject to a new training levy which will replace the current training benchmark requirements.

Under the new rules: Businesses with a turnover of less than $10 million per year will be required to make a one-off payment of $3,000 for each employee they nominate for a permanent ENS or RSMS visa; If the business turnover is $10 million or more per year the upfront payment will be $5,000.

These changes have yet to become law so not all the details are fully available – watch this space for updates.

with lots to think about. And I’m in it, so …[it’s] bound to be amazing, right?”

Panti said.

“Melbourne is one of my favourite cities in the world so I’d be excited to return there under any circumstances.

But returning there with this wildly talented cast, in this spectacularly entertaining show that we’re all so proud of, is almost too much excitement for this old show pony!”

RIOT plays as part of the Sydney Festival, January 5–28, then at the Arts Centre Melbourne, January 31 to February 9, 2018.

A U ST R A LI A’ S I R I SH N E WSPA P E R

Telephone: +61 2 9555 9199 Facsimile: +61 2 9555 9186 Postal Address: PO Box 256, Balmain, NSW 2041, Australia E-mail (Admin): mail@irishecho.com.au E-mail (Editorial): editor@irishecho.com.au Web: www.irishecho.com.au The Irish Echo is a national publication published monthly by The Irish Exile P/L Printed by Spot Press Distributed by Wrapaway

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A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

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The Irish Government Emigrant Support Programme 2018 Applications The Irish Government, through the Emigrant Support Programme, provides funding to non-profit organisations which support and connect the Irish community in Australia/ New Zealand. The Emigrant Support Programme is a tangible expression of the Irish Government’s support of, commitment to, and interest in, the global Irish community.

Our vision is a vibrant, diverse global Irish community, connected to Ireland and to each other.

Applications for the 2018 grant round will open in mid-January 2018.

Please contact the Consulate General of Ireland, Sydney for more details.

The Emigrant Support Programme funds projects that will: • Celebrate, maintain and strengthen the links between Ireland and our community in Australia/ New Zealand; • Address the diverse and evolving needs of Irish emigrants in Australia/ New Zealand, especially the elderly, disadvantaged and vulnerable; • Facilitate access to statutory and voluntary services in Australia/ New Zealand for Irish emigrants; • Foster a more vibrant sense of community and of Irish identity; • Further the outcomes of the Global Irish Civic Forum; • Support business networks to connect Irish people to each other at home and abroad; • Research and define the emerging needs of Irish communities abroad; • Support development of new ways to communicate and connect with the increasingly diverse Global Irish, including non-traditional diasporas; • Improve awareness and understanding of the emigrant and diaspora experience; Applications are particularly welcome from established organisations collaborating together and from organisations that have not applied before and/or new projects in geographic areas not previously assisted.

Further information about the Emigrant Support Programme and how to apply will soon be available on the Embassy/Consulate of Ireland website.

Applications must be made online. Hard copy applications will not be accepted.

The closing date for applications will fall in February 2018.

www.dfa.ie/sydney

RIVERSIDE THEATRES PRESENTS

SYDNEY WELSH CHOIR WITH CITY OF HOLROYD BRASS BAND

DE

CE FRID MB AY ER 15 AT 7P M

Celebrate Christmas when two of Sydney’s best community music groups join forces for a very special concert with a Celtic twist. Researching the origins of many well-known and lesser known Christmas songs, the Sydney Welsh Choir will be joined by the City of Holroyd Brass Band to present a program of uniquely Celtic Christmas songs. This concert will be joyful, moving and the only one of its kind this Christmas season.

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

brexit TAOISEACH ‘CONFIDENT’ EUROPEAN COUNCIL WILL ‘OPERATE BY CONSENSUS’ OVER BORDER

Varadkar mulls playing veto card Ed Carty

Varadkar said. The Taoiseach said a lot of progress was being made on the financial settlement the UK would be hit with amid reports of a bill running to between €45 billion and €55 billion The EU affairs spokesman for Mr Varadkar’s Fine Gael par ty, Neale Richmond, told BBC Radio 4’s World at One: “We have yet to see from the UK Government any suf ficient or significant level of detail when it comes to proposals [on the border].

“We have a very warm speech in Florence from Prime Minister May and we have seen a position paper, but neither of these things had the specific detail that meets what the Irish Government and the European negotiating team believe represents sufficient progress.

“We don’t believe there is a technological solution to the Irish border because if you create roving customs checkpoints or put in electronic tagging, they will become legitimate tar-

gets to dissident paramilitaries that are still active, and that is stated by both the police forces.”

Mr Richmond warned against additional administrative burdens at the frontier, saying: “Thir ty thousand people cross the border every day for educational reasons, for commercial reasons, for personal reasons.

“We have nearly 275 border crossings along a frontier of just 300 miles, as opposed to 20 to 25 crossings at the height of the Troubles.

“We believe a new customs arrangement between the UK and EU would allow this to be resolved.”

Speaking in a round of broadcast interviews during a visit to Iraq, Prime Minister Theresa May said: “I am clear that we should not have a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

“The Irish Government does not want that, parties in Northern Ireland don’t want that. This is not just about

trade across the border, but people’s day-to-day lives. We are maintaining the common travel area that has been in place since 1923, so long before either Ireland or the UK were members of the EU. “That is part of what we have agreed with the EU. We also want to ensure that trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic can continue, but also that trade between the Republic of Ireland and ... the UK can continue.

“I want to get on to those trade talks and I am very clear – no hard border.

The practical solution is about trade, about the arrangements as goods cross borders, that is why it is so important that we move on to the next phase, with the EU to look at our trade relationship for the future, and building that deep and special partnership that will be important to Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland, but also important to the other members of the EU as well.”

TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has said he does not think Ireland will need to use its veto at the crucial Brexit summit in Brussels next month.

The Republic’s government has an option of playing an ace card to block progress in crunch negotiations on the UK’s exit from the European Union if it determines there is insuf ficient certainty on the future of the Irish border.

“The solidarity that exists for Ireland and behind our specific issues in relation to avoiding a hard border remains very strong,” he said.

“So I’m ver y confident that the European Council will operate by consensus. There will be no need to use or threaten a veto because we do and continue to have the support of our European colleagues when it comes to the issue of the border.”

The Taoiseach told the Dáil that the

Government was in daily contact with the task force set up by the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier.

“Things are changing on a daily basis and are rapidly evolving,” Mr

SPECIAL STATUS

KEY EUROPEAN NEGOTIATOR REASSURES IRELAND OVER BORDER ISSUES

ACE UP HIS SLEEVE: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

North can be given special status, legal experts claim Siobhan Fenton

NOR THERN Ireland can be given special status in the UK’s Brexit deal, an independent legal analysis commissioned by MEPs has advised.

The legal opinion, written by lawyers from Doughty Street Chambers, proposes three ways in which it says special status could be legally secured for the region.

The document was commissioned by a cross-party coalition of left-leaning MEPs and launched by Sinn Fein MEP Mar tina Anderson at an event in Stormont.

“There is now an urgent need for creative but realistic thinking about how Nor ther n Ireland could and should be protected,” the document says. “From a legal perspective, special status inside the EU could be delivered in various ways.”

The first model suggests that the UK stays in the single market and the customs union, while the rest of the UK suspends some customs regulations but Nor thern Ireland would retain them.

The second suggests that Northern Ireland could stay in the single market and customs union while the rest of the UK leaves them.

The third proposal, modelled on the reunification of Germany, suggests that Northern Ireland would remain in the EU pending a border poll on a united Ireland.

The report’s author, Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC, said: “It is astonishing so few proposals have been put on the table about this. The UK government has an obligation to provide clarity on its own policy. Northern Ireland is entitled to and deserves very much m o r e f r o m t h e We s t m i n s t e r government.”

Northern Ireland’s two nationalist parties, Sinn Fein and the SDLP, both back the region being granted special status within a Brexit deal. However, many unionists including the DUP have said they will only accept Northern Ireland being treated in the same way as “the rest of the UK”.

INS AND OUTS OF BREXIT NEGOTIATIONS: President of the European Council, Donald Tusk (left) meets Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Government Buildings in Dublin to discuss preparations for December’s European Council meeting. Mr Tusk said Irish concerns about a “hard border” would need to be satisfied before the Brexit negotiations move to the next stage. “Ireland is an EU member while the UK is leaving,” Mr Tusk said.

HARDLINE ON BORDER FROM BRITISH BREXITEER

Shades of Trump’s Mexican wall on ‘hard border’ Arj Singh A BREXIT-backing MP has been compared to US President Donald Trump after saying Ireland will have to pay if it wants to erect a physical border with Northern Ireland if Britain leaves the European Union with no deal.

Labour’s Kate Hoey claimed “we won’t be putting up the border” to govern EU-UK business through Northern Ireland, even if Britain leaves without agreeing new trade rules with Brussels.

And her remark that “they’ll have to pay for it” drew immediate comparisons with the Mr Trump, who has pledged to build a wall on the border with Mexico, paid for by the Mexicans.

Ms Hoey told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We’re not the ones who are going to be putting up the physical

border. If it ends up with a no deal, we won’t be putting up the border. They’ll have to pay for it because it doesn’t need to happen.”

Reacting to the MP’s comments, Cambridge University classicist Mary Beard tweeted: “When Kate Hoey on @BBCr4today talks about the Irish having to pay for putting up the border between N and S Ireland if there is to be one, she sounds to me dangerously like Mr Trump and Mexico.”

Ms Hoey said both sides should look to Switzerland and Norway, which are outside the EU but have close trade relationships with it, for solutions to the Irish border issue.

“A lot of the technology, at the Swiss border and in Norway, is done actually away from the border – and of course the Prime Minister [Theresa May] has

said that she doesn’t want cameras at the border.

“There are ways of doing this... why don’t the Irish government actually become more positive about this and start looking at solutions with their closest neighbour and closest partner?

“After all, we are a friend of the Republic of Ireland; the relations have never been as good. And yet on this issue it seems like they are more concerned to keep the rest of the EU satisfied than actually looking at concrete positive proposals.”

Ms Hoey also claimed Ireland would look to quit the EU once it saw Britain making a success of Brexit.

“We joined the EU together … and I wouldn’t be surprised if we leave and when we’re very successful that you don’t start looking as well,” she said.

‘THEY’LL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT’: Labour pro-Brexit MP Kate Hoey.

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A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

northern ireland STORMONT IMPASSE HOLDING UP SAME-SEX MARRIAGE LEGISLATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND

May we marry? Couple’s wedding plans on hold Siobhan Fenton A SAME-SEX couple have called on Prime Minister Theresa May to legalise marriage for LGBTI couples in Northern Ireland, as the region approaches almost a year without a devolved government at Stormont.

Carrickfergus couple Laura McKee and Jayne Robinson, who have been together for six years, have launched an online petition urging the Westminster government to pass the legislation in order to enable them to marry in the region.

It amassed more than 5,000 signatures within 24 hours of going live.

Unlike Scotland, England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, samesex marriage is not legal in Northern Ireland. The issue is a devolved matter, meaning it is for Stormont to decide on whether to legalise it.

Legislation to change this has been proposed at Stormont on numerous occasions but the Democratic Unionists have used a special veto mechanism called the “petition of concern”’ to block the reform.

However, the couple says that since the powersharing executive collapsed at Stormont, when Sinn Féin pulled out of governance with the DUP, the British government should intervene, in the absence of a functioning devolved government.

“I love Laura and I know she loves me,” Ms Robinson said.

“Just like most other couples in a long-term, committed relationship, we want to get married. At the moment our politicians are stopping us.

“With devolution suspended and Westminster increasingly taking the decisions, we want Theresa May to act now to bring Northern Ireland’s marriage laws into line with those in the rest of the UK.” “The Prime Minister [Theresa May] has recently said that she supports equal marriage rights for couples in Northern Ireland,” Ms Robinson added.

“Now Laura and I are asking her to prove it. We want to get married and we are asking people to sign our petition to demonstrate the huge support we know exists for marriage equality in Northern Ireland.”

LOVE IS LOVE: Carrickfergus couple Laura McKee and Jayne Robinson want to marry but same-sex marriage is still against the law in Northen Ireland. Picture: Press Eye

TALK OF IRISH REUNIFICATION GATHERS PACE

Stalemate, Brexit ‘may lead to united Ireland’ David Young

A FORMER US diplomat who chaired previous political negotiations in Northern Ireland has predicted the current crisis could bring a push for Irish unity.

Richard Haass (right) said a combination of poor leadership, Brexit and failure to deal with the legacy of the past had created the problems facing the stalled Stormont administration.

Mr Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, said he hoped the political deadlock would not usher in a return to violence.

In 2013, Mr Haass was drafted in to chair crunch talks aimed at averting the collapse of powersharing.

Despite weeks of cross party negotiations in Belfast, the American diplomat failed to find a breakthrough on the thorny issues of flags, parading and

the legacy of the Troubles. Mr Hasse had previously served as special envoy to the region under President George W. Bush.

“Northern Ireland at a crisis point, the result of poor leadership, Brexit, & a failure to deal with the past,” Mr Haass tweeted last week.

“Agree that the current impasse

likely to lead to restructuring of its politics and/or push for Irish unification. Hoping it does not lead to any resumption of violence.”

Meanwhile, Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister and newly-appointed Tánaiste, Simon Coveney, has surprised and irritated unionists by declaring that he would like to see a united Ireland “in his political lifetime”.

Mr Coveney was addressing the Oireachtas committee on the Good Friday Agreement.

“I am a constitutional nationalist,” the Tanasiste said. “I would like to see a united Ireland in my lifetime – if possible, in my political lifetime,” he said.

Mr Coveney added that any moves toward Irish unification should be careful, learn from the past and ensure more steps are taken to protect and include a unionist minority.

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LITTLE SUPPORT FOR AMNESTY

Victims shun proposed security forces amnesty David Young

VICTIMS from across the spectrum in Northern Ireland are united in opposition to a proposed amnesty for security force members who served during the T r oubles, the r egion’s V ictims Commissioner, Judith Thompso, has said.

Members of the Victims Forum, a representative body made up of those who have lost loved ones on all sides of the conflict, are unanimous on the issue, she said. In her view, a statute of limitations should not be countenanced, she added.

“Our for um members include ex-soldiers; it includes people who lost loved ones at the hands of the Army.

There was nobody in that room wanted a statute of limitations” she said.

A range of mechanisms to deal with the conflict legacy were agreed by Northern Ireland politicians in the 2014 Stormont House Agreement. An amnesty was not among them.

The agreed proposals, including a

new independent investigatory unit, a tr uth recover y body and an oral archive, are on ice due to a small number of disputes.

Amid the political impasse on implementing the new structures, Britain’s Nor thern Ireland Secretar y James Brokenshire has proposed a consultation exercise to establish the wider public’s view. His recent decision to also include the statute of limitations proposal as an alternative option to the Stormont House bodies came as a surprise to many. Sinn Féin, the DUP and the Irish government are among those who have voiced concern.

Over the past year, the concept of an amnesty has gained traction among some unionist politicians and Tor y backbenchers, who claim prosecutions of former British soldiers are tantamount to a “witch hunt”.

Prosecutors and police in Northern Ireland insist such allegations do not stand up , with a breakdown of figures showing no disproportionate focus on former security force members.

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

ireland GATE THEATRE TO EXAMINE MICHAEL COLGAN ALLEGATIONS

Colgan sorry for ‘distress’ Deborah McAleese

THE Gate Theatre has appointed an independent adviser to investigate allegations against its former director Michael Colgan.

In a statement, the theatre said it takes recent allegations and reports in relation to alleged “inappropriate behaviour and abuse of power” by Colgan “extremely seriously”.

Gaye Cunningham – a Rights Commissioner since 2008 – has been appointed to conduct an independent review of the allegations.

The Gate said Ms Cunningham will deal with any complaints “in a confidential and transparent manner” while “allowing for due process to all parties concerned”. Ms Cunningham is to commence her work immediately and will report back to the board of the Gate in January 2018.

“It is essential to the Gate’s culture, and its future, that anyone who works for it, or has any dealings with it, is treated with respect and is not subjected to harassment, bullying or discrimination,” a spokesman said.

“We have listened to the views of the people who have come for ward in recent days, as well as various other stakeholders, and taken on board the concerns and feedback expressed.

“We are fully committed to taking the necessary steps to deal professionally and compassionately with the issues arising.”

Seven former Gate employees, all young females, told The Irish Times of sexual harassment and bullying at the hands of Colgan, who until his resignation this year, was one of the most powerful figures in Irish theatre, and who ran the Gate Theatre as a personal fiefdom for 34 years.

The allegations levelled at Colgan by former employees include frequent inappropriate touching, highly sexualised comments and workplace bullying as well as threats to fire staff who objected to his actions. Former employees have said that Colgan’s behaviour ranged from commenting on their clothes to boasting about his sex life in front of them.

“He made frequent comments about the size of my breasts and whether or

The Gate Theatre’s former boss Michael Colgan has been accused of bullying and sexual harassment.

not I’d contemplate a breast reduction, considering my small frame,” wrote one, who worked as a casting and production assistant. “He commented on other women and asked me if I thought they’d give blowjobs or what I thought that they f***ed like. He showed me pictures of his girlfriend in her underwear and asked me what I thought of her ass.”

Colgan has said the realisation he

had caused upset to some former coworkers was deeply distressing and said that he sincerely apologises.

Writing in the Sunday Independent, Colgan said he was truly sorr y for causing distress to some of those with whom he worked. Colgan said his behaviour should not be equated with sexual crimes and that it was wrong that he had been the subject of insinuations that he was guilty of more than misjudged behaviour.

Playwright and director Grace Dyas, who was the first to speak out about Colgan’s behaviour has said she does not believe it was fair that he was given a platform to write an unquestioned apology in a national newspaper. She said she hoped the apology was sincere.

Ar ts Council director Orlaith McBride has said she does not doubt Colgan’s bona fides or the sincerity of his apology. “I note Michael Colgan’s apology. I think it is helpful in one way but yet in another way, it doesn’t reassure those seven women that came forward last week in relation to the complaints that they made.”

MOUNTMELLICK FLOODED AFTER THREE RIVERS BURST BANKS

Varadkar wears shamrock poppy

TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has worn an Irish-themed red poppy badge to commemorate the island’s war dead.

A spokesman for the Taoiseach said he had been given the shamrock P] poppy by Fine Gael Senator Frank Feighan. “The shamrock poppy recognises Irish soldiers who fought in World War I,” he said. “It was commissioned to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Great War by the Irish branch of the Royal British Region to remember the 206,000 Irishmen that fought, 26,500 of whom died in battle.

Proceeds from the shamrock poppy go to Irish veterans and their families, and towards the upkeep to memorials to Irish soldiers in Ireland.

All money stays in Ireland. They are available from the Irish branch of the Royal Legion.”

No such thing as a ‘just war’, Maguire A NOBEL peace laureate has called

on world leaders to dismiss the idea of “just wars”. Mairead Maguire, who was awarded the accolade in 1976 after founding the Peace People campaign during the Northern Ireland Troubles, told a conference in the Vatican that lessons can be learned from the conflict. “We need to throw out the ‘just war’ theory, a phony piece of morality,” she said. “Instead, we can develop a new theology of peace and non-violence and articulate a clear, unambiguous rejection of violence. Religion cannot be used to justify war or armed struggle.” Ms Maguire (pictured) who was to meet Pope Francis after addressing the disarmament conference in Rome, said world leaders have yet to learn the lessons of the US nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

“It is an illusion that we are in control and that these weapons give us security,” she said.

Mortgage debacle to cost bank €200m ANOTHER 6,000 Bank of Ireland

MORE THAN A DROP: The army was brought in to help emergency services evacuate residents from their homes in Mountmellick, Co Laois after the banks of three rivers burst during a six hour downpour last week. Water levels rose by two metres over the course of the day. Picture: Brian Lawless

IRELAND DID ‘EVERYTHING POSSIBLE’ TO WIN RUGBY WORLD CUP BID

Irish bid first one out as neighbours look elsewhere

Ed Carty IRELAND’S Sports Minister says the country’s bid to host the Rugby World Cup did everything it possibly could to win, even though it was unsuccessful.

The Irish entry for the 2023 tournament only secured eight votes from a possible 39.

Ireland failed to secure the support of any European votes, apart from England, with Scotland backing the winners France and Wales backing the South African bid. The Irish Rugby Football Union expressed disappointment that the other ‘home’ nations had not supported Ireland. Australia backed the South African bid, which was also recommended by an independent panel, commissioned by World Rugby.

Sports minister Shane Ross said he was disappointed but said the assessors regarded Ireland’s bid as world class and that the country would have been excellent hosts.

“I know we can take consolation in the fact that we did everything possible ... to make sure that our bid was more than capable of succeeding,” the minister said. “Sadly, the day is not ours, however I predict that there will be a lot of Irish people taking holidays in France in 2023.”

Mr Ross extended his congratulations to France.

Business chiefs had estimated that if Ireland had secured the 2023 tournament it would have been worth about €2 billion to the economy.

Former Irish rugby captain Brian

O’Driscoll, who was Ireland’s bid ambassador, said it was an incredibly disappointing result for the country.

Reflecting on the Irish team’s last bid for glory in France, he said: “We can only have a better experience in 2023 than we had in 2007.”

Meanwhile the process of selecting future Rugby World Cup hosts is to be reviewed after criticism of the process.

Despite World Rugby recommending South Africa to host the tournament, the voting process went the opposite way with France winning by nine votes in the end as even the African vote went against South Africa.

Brett Gosper, World Rugby’s chief executive, admitted the process had left it “open to what is a perceived contradiction that doesn’t look tidy”.

Ireland was eliminated in the first phase of voting with just eight votes. If either Scotland or Wales had voted for Ireland, South Africa would have been the first one eliminated. It is understood that Ireland was confident that in a head-to-head battle with France, Ireland would have won the support of both Australia and New Zealand.

IRFU chief executive Philip Browne confirmed that neighbours Wales and Scotland did not vote for Ireland.

“The bottom line is that we were disappointed that Scotland and Wales didn’t vote for us,” Browne said.

“They had reasons. Scotland wanted to go for the money and Wales wanted to effectively support Gareth Davies, who was part of the evaluation process.”

customers were wrongly denied a lower cost tracker mortgage, the bank has said. It said the cost of compensating all those identified to date will be up to €200 million.

Bank of Ireland previously said it had identified 4,300 customers, 3,700 who were on a higher interest rate under a tracker borrowing contract and 600 who had been denied a tracker mortgage. The announcement of 6,000 additional customers being denied trackers takes the number of mortgage holders who were done out of low-cost interest rates by a number of banks to about 28,000.

Care home tablet scam unearthed THE Health Service Executive used

€9,000 of savings belonging to intellectually disabled people in a scandal-hit care home to buy them tablet computers. Managers of Aras Attracta in Swinford, Co Mayo – where physical and psychological abuse was exposed three years ago – did not ask residents, relatives or their representatives about spending the money, watchdogs said. The Health Information and Quality Authority also found no proof that the tablets were of any use to the residents.

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A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

news 3000 IRISH WOMEN A YEAR TRAVEL TO UK FOR ABORTIONS

Medics urge caution in framing new laws

IRISH ACTRESS TIPPED FOR NOMINATION

Deborah McAleese

MORE than 3,000 women a year are travelling from Ireland to England and Wales for an abortion, a committee has been told.

Last year 141 of the 3,000-plus terminations were cases where the foetus was at a substantial risk of significant disability, the Oireachtas committee debating the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution heard last week The committee was discussing termination in cases of foetal abnormality.

Dr Peter Thompson, a consultant in foetal medicine at Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital, warned the committee against making a list of foetal abnormalities that might be permitted grounds for an abortion.

He said that due to the ever changing progress in medicine, “conditions would need to be added and removed from the list on a regular basis”.

Dr Thompson strongly advised the committee against “being prescriptive and using the term lethal abnormality”.

“The problem is there is no agreed definition as to what lethal actually means,” he said.

“Is it all foetuses with that condition die before birth, that they die either before birth or in the neonatal period despite supportive therapy, a baby that usually dies in one of these two periods

Sinn Féin changes abortion policy SINN Féin members have voted to liberalise the party’s policy on abortion.

Following a passionate, hour-long debate the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis passed a motion backing the repeal of the Eighth Amendment of the Irish constitution and supporting abortion in cases where pregnancy poses a risk to maternal health, including mental health.

The Ard Comhairle (ruling executive) motion was slightly amended to say abortion should be available when a woman’s health is at risk – instead of serious risk and in grave danger.

A proposal to allow a free vote on abortion was defeated.

At the beginning of the debate Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said that the Eighth Amendment – which was introduced in 1983 to recognise the equal right to life of the mother and the unborn child – should never have been put in the Constitution.

Ireland is due to hold a referendum on whether to change the country’s laws on abortion in either May or June 2018.

of time or is it that it has been noted that there is an association between the condition and death?” he asked.

Dr Thompson added that counselling women whose pregnancy is complicated by a foetus with a severe abnormality “is not a binary state of affairs but rather a complex discussion that requires a description of risk and probability”.

The principal of ficer in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Unit in the Department of Education and Skills, Eamonn Moran, told the committee that access to sexual and health education is an important right

for students. “Schools have a responsibility to provide for this, in consultation with parents, having regard to the ethos of the school.

“Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandator y curriculum subject in all primar y schools and in post-primar y junior cycle,” Mr Moran said.

He added that Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) is required at all levels, from primary through to senior cycle, and that the department has set out the content for each of these programmes in SPHE syllabuses and guidelines.

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IN FULL BLOOM: Saoirse Ronan at the Gotham Independent Film Awards in New York last week.

Oscar buzz for Saoirse SAOIRSE Ronan has kicked off the awards season with a win, nabbing Best Actress at the Gotham Independent Film Awards last week for her role in Lady Bird.

The 23-year-old Irish star dedicated her award to “the two women who mean so much to me” – her mother Monica, and Lady Bird writer and director Greta Gerwig.

It brings the New York born actress one step closer to an Oscar. Twice before, she racked up nominations for Atonement (Best Supporting Actress) and Brooklyn (Best Actress). On both

occasions, she missed out. At the awards at New York City’s Cipriani Wall Street last week she was up against Melanie Lynskey for I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore, Haley Lu Richardson for Columbus, Australian Margot Robbie for I, Tonya, and Lois Smith for Marjorie Prime.

Her major rival for best actress honours next year will be Frances McDormand – who is wowing audiences in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri which is directed by Anglo Irishman Martin McDonagh – and Sally Hawkins for The Shape Of Water.

Veteran Unionist accused of racism FORMER Ulster Unionist deputy leader John Taylor has denied being racist after calling the Toaiseach and Fine Gael leader, Leo Varadkar, “the Indian”.

Mr Taylor, who is no longer a member of the UUP, acknowledged his remark about the Taoiseach had caused “upset and misunderstanding” so he was withdrawing it. Mr Varadkar’s father is from India.

Mr Taylor, who is also called Lord Kilclooney on account of his peerage, stirred controversy in a tweet as he commented on a political story involving foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney.

“Simon Coveney is stirring things up. Very dangerous non statesman like role! Clearly hoping to undermine the Indian,” he wrote.

The tweet was met by condemnation on social media.

Taylor later tweeted: “In Twitter one is restricted to a limited number of words and so for shorthand I used the term Indian for the new PM in Dublin. This has caused upset and misunderstanding and so I withdraw it. I am no way racist and accept that Varadkar is 100 percent Irish citizen.”

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

ireland :: govt on the brink TANAISTE VOWS TO RUN AGAIN IN DUBLIN MID WEST

Fitzgerald sounds defiant note after resignation Deborah McAleese JUST hours after announcing her resignation as Tánsaiste, a defiant Frances Fitzgerald sent a clear message to her opponents that she was not going away for good.

The outgoing Tanaiste smiled broadly as she arrived at a selection convention in Finnstown Castle, Dublin, to put herself forward as a candidate in the next general election.

She refused to answer questions from the waiting media as she quickly walked into the venue where she was greeted by her supporters from her Dublin Mid-West constituency.

“I’m not too bad considering all that has happened”, she told well-wishers.

Several people offered hugs and words of support to the woman at the centre of a political crisis that almost collapsed the Government.

The selection conventions were convened days ago when a pre-Christmas

election looked likely. Although that election was averted earlier in the day by Ms Fitzgerald’s resignation the Government has been badly weakened by the controversy. It is thought an election could be called within a matter of months.

Despite resigning “for the good of the country” Ms Fitzgerald has remained defiant that her political career is not over.

Soon after announcing she was stepping down as Tanaiste she went on Twitter to announce: “Just to confirm Dublin Mid-West @FineGael Selection Convention is still going ahead this evening in @FinnstownDublin and I will be putting my name forward for selection. Looking forward to meeting local members.”

The 67-year-old’s history with Fine Gael dates back more than 25 years.

Ms Fitzgerald has been a TD since 2011, and also served between 1992 and 2002.

Frances Fitzgerald arrives at a Fine Gael constituency event in Dublin Mid West just hours after resigning as Tánaiste, a move that saw off the prospect of a pre-Christmas election.

TAOISEACH PRAISES DEPUTY AS SHE FALLS ON SWORD

Election still likely despite resignation Ed Carty

TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has vowed to be a beacon for truth after his deputy resigned to avoid a snap election over her handling of a whistleblower scandal.

Paying tribute to Frances Fitzgerald as a good woman who did not get a full or fair hearing, Mr Varadkar said parliamentary questions on issues related to the affair will be reviewed.

“She always supported whistleblowers and enshrined a code of ethics in An Garda Siochana to protect them,” he said. “In the past few days a drip-drip of information may have made certain things seem greater than they are.

“There was a feeding frenzy, and it became impossible for her to get a fair hearing based on the full facts. I hope that will change in the period ahead.”

Mrs Fitzgerald became embroiled in a scandal over the handling of Sergeant Maurice McCabe after questions began to be asked over a month ago about who knew what, and when, about an aggressive strategy being employed by lawyers for the then Garda commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan against the whistleblower.

She resigned with the scandal

threatening to bring down the minority Government as the opposition party Fianna Fail insisted it would not row back on its no confidence motion, breaking a key pledge in the confidence and supply deal that has kept Fine Gael in power for the past 18 months. Her departure salvaged the Government as next month’s Brexit negotiations reach make or break point on the question of the Irish border. But Mrs Fitzgerald walked away adamant about her handling of the affair.

“It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve in government, but I believe it is necessary to take this decision to avoid an unwelcome and potentially destabilising general election at this historically critical time,” she said in a statement.

Many on the opposition benches believe the affair has done long-term damage to the minority Government and an election is now only weeks or months away.

Mrs Fitzgerald said she was putting the national interest ahead of her personal reputation. She also praised the Taoiseach and said he had shown the same courage and determination to protect her as he showed in 2014 when he defended Sgt McCabe.

“What I admire most about the Taoiseach is that he has always believed in doing what was right, not what was popular or politically expedient,” she said. “I will always be grateful for his confidence and support and for giving me the opportunity to serve in a government that is making a real difference in people’s lives at a critical time in our history.”

Mrs Fitzgerald said she would be vindicated at the Disclosures Tribunal, which is investigating the treatment of Sgt McCabe and a smear campaign being perpetrated against him in some Garda, media and political circles.

The Taoiseach said Mrs Fitzgerald was an exemplary member of government and colleague, and one of the most reforming justice ministers in the history of the state.

He said he believed she would be vindicated and repeated his insistence that she had no hand or part in the legal strategy employed against Sgt McCabe.

“I hope calm, measured reading of the evidence will show that the Tanaiste acted appropriately, and I hope the Charleton (Disclosures) Tribunal will establish this conclusively in the weeks ahead, and that she will have her good name vindicated,” he said.

FRANCES FITZGERALD PROFILE

Former social worker brought fresh perspective David Young

FRANCES Fitzgerald, the Limerickborn daughter of an Irish Army officer, had a career as a social worker and family therapist, working in inner city areas of Dublin and London, before entering the political arena.

Her public profile had already been on the rise before her first election victory in 1992. She had been chairwoman of the Council for the Status of Women and had become a vocal advocate for rape victims in Ireland.

A graduate of the University College Dublin and the London School of Economics and married to eminent child psychiatrist Michael Fitzgerald, she joined Fine Gael inspired by her namesake, former taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, and secured a seat in the Dáil as TD for Dublin South East.

Her journey toward high office was not straightfor ward and, within a decade, her political career seemingly lay in tatters after losing her seat in what was a disastrous 2002 election for Fine Gael. She narrowly missed out on

winning it back in 2007, having also failed to secure a nomination to run for Fine Gael in the European and local government elections. Missing out on a Dáil return she took a seat in the Seanad. It was there her political renaissance began.

She developed a close working relationship with party leader Enda Kenny.

In 2011, she secured a return to the Dáil having switched to run in the Dublin Mid West area. She was appointed Justice Minister in 2014 and in May 2016, she became Tánaiste.

GOVERNMENT ON THE BRINK

Who’s who and what’s what in political crisis Ed Carty

THE minority Government narrowly avoided collapse and the prospect of a snap election in the run up to Christmas after the Tánaiste, Frances Fitzgerald, resigned over her knowledge of the treatment of a whistleblower. :: How did it come to this?

There has been a flimsy arrangement for the past 18 months whereby arch rivals Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have worked together in the hope of ensuring a stable three-year government. It was known as a confidence and supply deal, under which Fianna Fáil agreed not to back motions of no confidence in the minority Fine Gael government and in return there were compromises on legislation. Ultimately, the deal came to a head when Fianna Fáil demanded Frances Fitzgerald’s resignation after it emerged she was aware of an aggressive legal strategy being employed against a whistleblowing Garda by lawyers for the then Garda commissioner.

:: And what did she say?

Initially she refused to budge. She claimed she could not have intervened in an approach being taken by another organ of the State because of the principle of separation of powers. She also had the support of Leo Varadkar.

:: But then?

Common sense prevailed. She was in a lose-lose situation. It was either brazen it out and face down the party keeping the minority Government in power or go. Essentially she would have lost her job one way or another as the government would have fallen in the face of the no confidence motion and the Taoiseach would have faced the unedifying prospect of being one of the shortest serving leaders in Irish history.

Never mind that personal blot, but he would have been considered a caretaker head of government during next month’s crucial Brexit summit where the question of the Irish border will be front and centre.

:: So, what was the case against Frances Fitzgerald?

A series of emails from May and July 2015 show she was told about the

“aggressive” approach being taken by Garda lawyers against Sergeant Maurice McCabe at the judge-led inquiry into his allegations of bad policing. The O’Higgins Commission, as it was known, was held behind closed doors. Mrs Fitzgerald previously claimed she did not know about the strategy until 2016 when transcripts of the hearings were leaked. The emails contradict that.

:: But what could she have done?

She insists that she did as advised and that it would have been wrong to interfere. Her critics would say she should have voiced her dissatisfaction with the approach being taken by Garda lawyers. She could also have notified the then Taoiseach of her thoughts on the issue. She could have asked the Attorney General for formal advice on whether she could have intervened. There is also the unanswered question as to why these emails were not already handed over to the public judge-led inquiry being held into the treatment of Sergeant McCabe.

:: Ah, the whistleblower. Who is he and should we believe him?

Maurice McCabe. And yes. His disclosures date back to 2006 and the fallout from his revelations have led to repeated political crises. In the time that his allegations have been swirling there have resignations or retirements of a swathe of big players in the justice arena including two Garda commissioners and a justice minister.

Mr McCabe also faced extraordinary false allegations in a smear campaign spread among some gardaí, some sections of the media and political circles which related to an unfounded sexual abuse complaint. That is what the public inquiry is examining.

:: And what’s the future for the Taoiseach? Has he been damaged?

Questions over Leo Varadkar’s leadership skills may swirl in the coming weeks but there’s no doubt that the wider impact will be on relations between his Fine Gael par ty and Fianna Fáil. Many experienced political heads see it as only a matter of time before the Government falls and a new election is ordered.

A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

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11 politics :: ireland

‘HEROIC’ MAURICE MCCABE LINKED TO SERIES OF POLITICAL CASUALTIES

Treatment of whistleblower continues to plague politics Ed Carty

WHISTLEBLOWER Maurice McCabe will forever be linked with some of the biggest names in Irish politics being brought to crisis point.

The Garda sergeant’s attempts to right wrongdoings in the force date back 10 years and have left a welter of controversies in their wake.

But it is the handling of the officer’s allegations and how they were acted on, or not, that resulted in the most lasting damage. The former Tánsaiste Frances Fitzgerald is the latest in a long line of casualties.

In the years Sgt McCabe has fought to be vindicated, ultimately securing a public inquiry into his treatment, two Garda commissioners have retired from the force, Alan Shatter has resigned as justice minister before being vindicated in the courts, and two senior civil ser vants have stepped down.

The Disclosures Tribunal is investigating allegations that Garda chiefs orchestrated a smear campaign, including false sexual abuse claims, against Sgt McCabe – a scandal that almost

brought down the fragile minority Government at the start of the year.

His revelations of malpractice began in 2008 when he was stationed in Mullingar and he raised concerns about penalty points being quashed by senior officers. He used a Garda database to deepen his trawl, only to have those privileges removed.

In the subsequent two years he documented 42 cases of alleged bad policing in Co Cavan. An internal inquiry took place but Sgt McCabe was not satisfied and made a complaint to the force’s Confidential Recipient.

A second internal inquiry examined the cancellation of penalty points and while it found rules had been broken it said there was no criminality.

But the issue took a new twist as the Public Accounts Committee began to investigate the extent of the loss of revenue, and in Januar y 2014 thenGarda commissioner Martin Callinan said the allegations were disgusting.

Two months later, after the Garda Inspectorate contradicted the Garda’s internal inquiry, Leo Varadkar, then the transpor t minister, described the whistleblower as distinguished, and

later, he said McCabe was “heroic”.

In the meantime Sgt McCabe took his dossier of bad policing to Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Mar tin, which prompted then taoiseach Enda Kenny to launch the first of several Government-ordered inquiries Ultimately Sgt McCabe was vindicated with the majority of his concerns upheld. But controversy around the revelations and how he was treated has come to the boil repeatedly over the last few years.

Leaked transcripts emerged in May last year of hearings behind closed doors in 2015 at the O’Higgins Commission, one of the Governmentordered inquiries into Sgt McCabe’s claims of malpractice by gardaí in the Cavan-Monaghan area. They revealed that lawyers for the then Garda commissioner were to question Sgt McCabe’s integrity and that he may have been motivated by a personal grudge. An email that only came into the public domain in the past week was sent to Mrs Fitzgerald in 2015 outlining how the Garda lawyers were intending to raise a “serious criminal case” at the O’Higgins Commission. That inquiry

went on to praise Sgt McCabe. One key area of inquir y for the Disclosures Tribunal is the issue of the unfounded allegation of abuse made against Sgt McCabe. It dated back to 1998 and was made in 2006 by the daughter of a garda who had been disciplined.

The Director of Public Prosecutions found no grounds for prosecution and that there was no evidence the incident ever happened. At the start of this year details of false abuse allegations against Sgt McCabe became public.

Not only had the DPP determined there was no case to answer over the original complaint but health service staf f had inadver tently copied the details of a much more serious sexual assault case on to a file related to Sgt McCabe’s complainant.

The Disclosures Tribunal has examined this and the protected disclosure by the former head of the Garda press office, Superintendent David Taylor, that there was a smear campaign with the allegations of abuse being used to discredit Sgt McCabe among his colleagues, some sections of the media and politicians. Mr Kenny apologised to Sgt McCabe in February.

VARADKAR TINKERS WITH LEADERSHIP TEAM AFTER CRISIS

CRISIS TIMELINE

Tuesday, Nov 21

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar springs to Mrs Fitzgerald’s defence in the Dáil, insisting that she played no role in deciding the legal strategy.

Facing opposition demands to face the music, Mrs Fitzgerald offers a robust defence of her position and publishes the contents of the email in a redacted form. She insists she only became aware of the alleged smear campaign against Mr McCabe when it became public in May 2016.

Wednesday, Nov 22

The Taoiseach asks the Department of Justice to trawl its files to see if there were any other relevant documents related to Mr McCabe that had not already been passed to a judicial probe examining his treatment. He told the Dáil the government had “nothing to hide”.

Thursday, Nov 23

The crisis escalates dramatically when first Sinn Féin and then Fianna Fáil announce their intention to table motions of no confidence in Mrs Fitzgerald the following week.

Fianna Fail’s decision was the most significant as it automatically placed the future of the government on the line. If the main opposition party was to support such a motion in the Dáil it would breach its fragile confidence and supply deal keeping Mr Varadkar’s minority administration afloat and trigger a snap winter election.

Friday, Nov 24

Mr Varadkar meets Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin in Dublin in an attempt to thrash out a compromise deal that results in neither an election or Mrs Fitzgerald’s departure.

The discussions are described as “open and frank” but no consensus emerges.

Saturday, Nov 25

Mr Varadkar uses a speech at an event focusing on female role models to laud the Tánaiste as an “honourable and distinguished politician”. Afterwards, the Fine Gael leader rejects any suggestion he was privately hoping his party colleague would walk away to quell the crisis.

Later, Mr Varadkar and Mr Martin again meet to discuss the situation.

The Taoiseach updates the Fianna Fáil leader on the trawl through justice department records.

Monday, Nov 27 ALL TOGETHER NOW: President Michael D Higgins with (from left) the newly appointed Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys; Taoiseach Leo Varadkar; Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister, Simon Coveney, and the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan. Picture: Brian Lawless

Varadkar promotes key rival in mini reshuffle Deborah McAleese IRELAND’S Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, the man who Leo Varadkar defeated in the protracted process for the party leader’s job, has been appointed the new deputy premier following the resignation of Frances Fitzgerald over her handling of a police whistleblower scandal.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said in appointing Mr Coveney as Tánaiste he was “very conscious of the important role he plays as Minister of Foreign Affairs, as minister responsible for Brexit”.

“I believe his appointment as Tánaiste and deputy prime minister will enhance his position in representing the govern-

ment overseas in the negotiations currently under way,” he added.

The Government was plunged into crisis when Fianna Fáil’s Michéal Martin threatened to bring down Ireland’s minority government over Mrs Fitzgerald’s handling of the Garda whistleblowing scandal involving Sergeant Maurice McCabe. Hours before she faced a motion of no confidence Mrs Fitzgerald resigned, saying she had put the national interest ahead of her political career by stepping down to avoid an “unwelcome and potentially destabilising” election. Her resignation brought the country back from the brink of a snap election.

As part of the Taoiseach’s reshuffle

following Mrs Fitzgerald’s resignation, Heather Humphreys was nominated as the new Minister for Business.

This led to the promotion to Cabinet of Josepha Madigan to replace Ms Humphreys as Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

The motion to promote Ms Madigan was challenged, but the challenge was overruled by a vote. Ms Madigan landed herself in hot water in 2014 when she released a newsletter which said that building Traveller accommodation on a number of sites in south Dublin would be “a waste of valuable resources” given the worth of the land.

She denied it was anti-Traveller and insisted the proposal to build in the

locations selected did not make financial sense. Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger criticised the decision to elevate Ms Madigan, accusing her of “anti-Traveller bigotry”.

Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald said she looked forward to Ms Madigan’s proposals on minorities such as Travellers. Fianna Fail’s Mr Martin congratulated Mr Coveney, Ms Madigan and Ms Humphreys.

“These appointments are necessary because of a resignation which no-one takes any joy from but which is absolutely required,” he added.

Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin warned that a ‘”serious job of work” needed to be done by the government.

A new tranche of emails is piblished that not only indicate Mrs Fitzgerald “noted” the contents of the email at the heart of the controversy but also that she received two further mails in 2015 that touched on the treatment of Mr McCabe. The information, which heaps further pressure on the embattled Tanaiste, is disclosed hours before another meeting between Mr Varadkar and Mr Martin at Government Buildings.

A spokesman for the Taoiseach says he still supports his party colleague while Mrs Fitzgerald sends two defiant tweets that indicates she is going nowhere. The leadership talks break up around 11pm without resolution.

Tuesday, Nov 28

With Fianna Fail’s position on Mrs Fitzgerald having hardened and amid growing disquiet over the affair among senior Fine Gael members, the Cabinet meets in Government Buildings. Mrs Fitzgerald informs her colleagues she will resign.

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

ireland :: sinn féin árd fheis SINN FÉIN PRESIDENT ENDS SPECULATION BY CALLING AN END TO CAREER

Adams to step down next year Deborah McAleese and David Young

Gerry Adams Factfile

GERRY Adams has announced his intention to step down as Sinn Fein president in 2018, marking the end of an era in Irish politics.

The 69-year-old republican veteran told the annual Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in Dublin it would be his last as leader, and a special meeting of the party would be called next year to elect a successor. The TD for Co Louth, who has been party president since 1983, also told delegates he would not run in the next election.

“Leadership means knowing when it is time for change and that time is now,” he told the annual conference in the RDS arena in Dublin.

Mr Adams said the move was part of the ongoing process of leadership transition within the party. The plan, formulated along with Mar tin McGuinness before his death earlier

Born October 6, 1948 Became Sinn Féin president on November 13, 1983 Married to Colette McArdle One son, Gearóid, born 1973

Gerry Adams salutes supporters at the Sinn Féin Árd Fheis.

this year, has already seen Michelle O’Neill, 40, take the role of Sinn Féin’s leader at Stormont.

Mr Adams has gone before the Ard Fheis to seek re-election every year

since 1983 and that formality was repeated last month. But in his leader’s speech, he told republican faithful it would be the last time he would put himself forward for the role.

“I want to thank everyone who has welcomed me into their homes and communities and have made me part of countless campaigns, elections and negotiations,” he said.

Amid rapturous applause, Mr Adams told delegates: “We are going to continue to go forward.”

He paid special tribute to his wife Collette and son Gearóid. The longstanding MP for west Belfast switched his focus to the Dáil in 2011, becoming a TD for Co Louth.

Sinn Fein has made steady gains in

the Republic in recent polls but many believe the prospects of further growth is limited due to the presence of Troubles era figures.

Current deputy leader Mar y Lou McDonald, 48, will be a clear favourite to succeed Mr Adams.

The conference was also the first since Mr McGuinness died in March.

His widow Bernie attended as tributes were paid to the former IRA commander turned Stormont deputy first minister.

Mr Adams said one of the party’s greatest achievements during his time as president was forging with peace process along with SDLP leader John Hume. “We have also recast Sinn Féin into an effective all-Ireland republican party, with clear policy and political objectives, and the means to achieve them through democratic and peaceful forms of struggle where none existed before.”

ADAMS SAYS TROUBLES MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO RETURN AS MCDONALD PREPARES TO LEAD

McDonald at short odds to take the reins Deborah McAleese

AS Sinn Féin president for 34 years, Gerr y Adams is one of the longest serving party leaders in the world.

He is beaten only by the recentlytoppled Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s ruler for the last 37 years.

But, the changing of the guard is coming and Mary Lou McDonald is the clear favourite to take over the role as Sinn Féin leader. She was described recently by her party colleague Caral Ni Chuilin as “one of the most formidable women in politics.”

Born in May 1969, she was raised in the affluent Rathgar area of Dublin and was educated at Notre Dame, a private fee-paying school in the city. She is a graduate of Trinity College, University of Limerick and DCU. Her first formal link to politics was as a consultant and researcher with the Institute of European Affairs, a thinktank run by Brendan Halligan, the former Labour TD. She joined Fianna Fáil in 1998, then defected to Sinn Féin shortly afterwards, becoming deputy leader of the party in 2009. She was an MEP before she became a TD in 2011.

Mrs McDonald is definitely the rising star of the party and has said “if there were a vacancy” for the role of president she “would certainly consider it.”

Two of the other contenders have ruler themselves out.

Pearse Doherty, the party’s finance spokesman, said that he does not want to lead the party at the present time.

He told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that he has a young family and that it is not the right move at this time. Mr Doherty said he is confident that there are a number of young republicans who are capable of stepping into Mr Adams’ shoes.

The party’s Northern Ireland leader Michelle O’Neill also ruled herself out of the running.

She said she wanted to concentrate instead on dealing with the issues in the North, where the powersharing government has collapsed.

This leaves the way clear for deputy leader McDonald.

SLÁN: Gerry Adams has reflected on his long career as a republican agitator after announing his plans to step down.

‘I have a particular affinity with ... victims of the IRA’ Deborah McAleese GERRY Adams has said he understands how victims of IRA violence feel, as he prepares to step aside after 34 years as leader of Sinn Féin.

Mr Adams, who will be 70 next year, said on Sunday that those killed during the Troubles cannot be brought back, but that it is possible to ensure history is not repeated.

He said he and the late Martin McGuinness helped to bring about political change and that there is no reason for anyone else to die because

of political conflict on the island of Ireland. Mr Adams was speaking just hours after he told a Sinn Féin Ard Fheis that he will step down as party president next year.

As he announced his departure from frontline politics he received a standing ovation from more than 2,500 delegates who gathered in Dublin’s RDS to hear his plans for the future.

It was noted by some critics that he did not mention any victims of IRA violence during his speech.

Commenting on the criticism, he said: “There have been many victims. I

have a particular affinity with those who were victims of the IRA because obviously throughout my political life I have defended the IRA. But I understand how people feel.”

Speaking on RTÉ , Mr Adams added: “The war is over. One of the great achievements – and that will not bring back the dead – but one of the great achievements in Irish history – John Hume was there, others were there, but I and Martin McGuinness were there – was to bring about a peace process.

We have to go forward.”

Mr Adams said he lost family

members during the Troubles, that he had been shot and that his neighbours in Ballymurphy, West Belfast are still waiting for an inquest more than four decades after the Ballymurphy massacre.

“We can’t bring those folks back but what we can do is to ensure it never ever happens again,” Mr Adams said.

“One of our second achievements has been to bring about … political change that didn’t exist before … It is my firm hope that hopefully no one else will die because of political conflict on this island.”

13 ireland

December, 2017 - January, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

UFC STAR CONOR MCGREGOR FINED FOR DRIVING AT 158KPH

Notorious court jester’s €400 speeding fine UFC fighter Conor McGregor has been fined €400 for being clocked driving at 158kph (98mph) on a road near Dublin.

The multimillionaire sportsman, who claimed he earned €140 million for one fight, has been given two months to pay the bill. McGregor was ordered before a brief hearing at Blanchardstown District Court, or to face the threat of arrest after his solicitor attempted to explain issues in the case.

After pleading guilty, apologising and offering no mitigation for the high speed in a 100kph (62mph) zone, Judge Miriam Walsh told the fighter he could pay the fine by instalments.

“I would warn, however, despite your fortune in life, that you take cognisance of other people on the roads,” the judge said.

McGregor was recorded by gardai driving at 158kph on the N7 Naas Road at Rathcoole, Co Dublin, on March 31. He did not make any comment on the offence or other recent reports about a pub brawl as he was ushered from court and sped away in a black BMW i8.

McGregor, 29, originally from Crumlin, Dublin initially told the court that he had attempted to pay the original €80 fine issued by the Garda traffic branch for speeding. He could not explain why the payment did not go through.

Judge Walsh said she was happy to deal with the case by accepting a guilty plea and without hearing any further evidence over the payment issue.

McGregor, who turned up in court with an associate and wearing a green Adidas tracksuit, had been clocked at a Garda speed trap on March 31 at 9.06pm. Judge Walsh said to the fighter: “I have to ask you the question, how much do you earn? It may sound stupid but I have to ask. Please don’t tell me that you earned €110 million in one day.” The judge’s line of questioning caused laughter in the court before McGregor smiled and said: “140.”

Judge Walsh had earlier forced McGregor to go to the courthouse in person after his solicitor Graham Kenny attempted to explain aspects of the case to the court. Judge Walsh had said that it was the third time the case was mentioned in the court and warned that he was showing “disrespect”.

CANCER CRISIS

SEVEN PEOPLE DIED SLEEPING ROUGH IN LESS THAN THREE MONTHS

Ireland faces ‘epidemic’, says charity

Ed Carty and Michael McHugh

Ed Carty

Deborah McAleese

THE country is facing a “cancer epidemic” with rising numbers of people being diagnosed with the disease, a leading health charity has warned.

Unless the health system is properly equipped to deal with the increase, the ability to deliver the best outcomes for patients will diminish, the Irish Cancer Society has said.

Although there is an increase in the number of people being diagnosed with cancer, more sufferers than ever before are winning the battle against the disease, the organisation added.

According to the National Cancer Registr y’s annual report more than 40,000 people in Ireland are diagnosed with cancer or a related tumour each year. While about 9,000 people are dying from the disease annually, the report shows that there are more than 165,000 survivors in Ireland.

Donal Buggy, head of services and advocacy at the Irish Cancer Society, said the rates of cancer per 100,000 people in Ireland appear to be stabilising. He warned however that because of the growing and ageing population, the number of people being diagnosed with the disease continues to rise.

“As such, we are facing into a cancer epidemic. If our health system is not properly equipped to deal with this, our ability to deliver the best outcomes for patients will diminish,” he added.

“It is hugely welcome to see that more people are surviving cancer.

“This is largely due to better treatments and earlier diagnosis through screening and greater public awareness of symptoms.”

Mr Buggy stressed the importance of a National Cancer Strategy, which includes increasing the proportion of cancers diagnosed at an earlier stage so that more lives can be saved.

Mr Buggy also stressed that four out of 10 cancer cases are preventable by making simple lifestyle choices.

Conor McGregor emerges from Blanchardstown Court after being fined €400 for speeding. (Inset) McGregor departs in his BMW i8, a hybrid sports car which sells for approximately €200,000.

Homeless crisis deepens SEVEN people have died sleeping rough in less than three months in Ireland, anti-homelessness campaigners said. This week, a middle-aged man was found unresponsive in a tent in school grounds in Ranelagh in south Dublin. Another, believed to be from Lithuania, succumbed outside the Four Courts.

The man outside the courthouse was aged in his late 30s and reportedly may have died due to a drug overdose, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said.

The Ranelagh victim had previously been offered shelter. Mr Varadkar said 3,800 more social homes were due to be built next year to help take people off the streets, and committed to 200 extra emergency beds by the middle of next month.

“The constraining factor will not be money from the Government. It will be the ability of site construction workers and others to build the houses that we desperately need,” he said.

The Peter McVerry Trust homeless

charity said it was deeply saddened after two deaths in as many days this week. It added: “Unfortunately, there have been an unprecedented number of deaths involving people sleeping rough since late August.”

The latest bring to seven the number that have died in the past 12 weeks, the T r ust confir med. It ur ged the Government to house every person on Dublin’s streets by the end of next year.

“At present, we have just over 180 people sleeping rough in Dublin, and while that is the highest number on record, surely the Government can commit to ring-fencing 180 social housing units for our most vulnerable citizens?” the trust said.

The Taoiseach said dozens of permanent and temporary beds were being made available soon with 200 more to be created by Christmas.

“We want to get to the position where we are assured that there will be a bed and shelter available for everyone who needs it in the city over the winter period,” Mr Varadkar told the Dáil.

The Wade-Moran family with Sr Stanislaus of Focus Ireland.

Another homeless charity, Focus Ireland, said that there were almost 8,400 people now without a home.

Focus Ireland highlighted that of the 8,374 homeless in the country, more than 3,000 are children.

Launching a Christmas fundraising appeal, the charity revealed that it had

supported 600 more people so far in 2017 than it did in 2016 – 12,318 between Januar y and September, compared with 11,744 in the same period last year.

“It breaks my heart to know that some of these children have been born into homelessness,” the charity’s life president and well-known social activist Sister Stanislaus Kennedy said.

“They are our children too and we have a duty as a society to provide a safe home for them.”

One previously homeless family which was housed with the support of Focus Ireland were on the move for two years before finding a home.

Sean Wade, Sarah Moran and their children Zoe, four, Summer, three, and one-year-old Sean were living in hotels and other places that were “really unsuitable for children”.

“I don’t know where we’d be without Focus Ireland as the support they gave us was amazing and helped to keep us going when we were homeless,” Mr Wade said. “We don’t know ourselves now we have a home.”

NO NEW INQUIRY INTO STARDUST DISASTER FOLLOWING LATEST REVIEW

Cause of fire may never be known, judge says

Ed Carty

THERE will be no new inquiry into the Stardust disaster, the single worst fire in the history of the state. Forty-eight people died in the 1981 Valentine’s Day blaze at the nightclub in Ar tane, Dublin, and hundreds more were injured in the tragedy.

The cause of the fire was originally said to have been arson – a theory that was subsequently ruled out after a new inquir y in 2009 following years of campaigning by victims’ relatives.

A further review of evidence in the case was headed this year by retired judge Patrick McCartan who found the

cause of the fire cannot be explained and may never be known.

“I want to acknowledge the terrible pain and loss of the relatives of the victims and the fact that the report does not come to the conclusion that they would have wished for,” Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said.

Mr Flanagan said the McCar tan report is the third independent assessment of available evidence.

About 300 relatives received ex gratia payments from the State after making claims in private to a tribunal the 1980s. The average payment was IR£12,700. Victims and relatives could decline the offers but if they accepted

they could not subsequently sue the owners of Stardust, the Butterlys.

The fire broke out in the early hours of February 14, 1981 with more than 800 young people inside. Most of the dead were from Artane, Kilmore and Coolock. Investigations have discovered some escape routes were hindered by emergency exits that were locked by chains.

Antoinette Keegan, who lost her sisters Mar tina and Mar y in the inferno, said the review did not address their concer ns and “gave us nothing”.

“We are totally and utterly rejecting his report,” she said. “It’s just the same

old, same old again – political interference. A Commission of Investigation would have cleared up the whole lot.

Everything would have been looked at.

“It’s politically interfered with from 1981 to 2017, right to this minute. It should’ve been the case where everybody had their day in cour t. But because arson was put on the public record … but the fact was that it was a roof fire,” Ms Keegan said.

“There should never have been a tribunal of inquiry into a fire that killed 48. It should have been our day in court. Lets just put it this way, if it had’ve been politicians’ children it would’ve been a different response.”

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December, 2017 - January, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

BROADCASTER STANDS ASIDE AFTER SEXUAL ALLEGATIONS EMERGE

Porter accused of misconduct Ed Carty and Kim Pilling

BROADCASTER Al Porter claimed groping is wrong in an interview with Hot Press magazine days before he resigned from national radio.

The comedian stood down from Today FM following allegations of inappropriate behaviour, insisting that he was completely taken aback by the repor ts. Subsequently St Patrick’s Hospital said it was investigating a complaint following claims made by a former patient about the comedian.

Separately, four fellow performers accused Porter of numerous incidents of sexual misconduct.

In a Q&A with Hot Press magazine’s contributing editor Olaf Tyaransen, Porter raised concerns about trial by media. He also said he was worried about the #metoo campaign but insisted he was not trying to apologise for people who have behaved inappropriately in the past.

“I don’t care how provocatively a woman dresses, or how late at night she ar ranged to have a business meeting with you,” Porter told the

magazine, “or whether it was in your hotel room or not. If you’re grabbing her and she doesn’t want it, you’re in the wrong.”

In his resignation statement on Sunday, Porter said his conduct was being in keeping with his flamboyant and outrageous public persona but that it may be offensive and unacceptable to many.

He said that he had not intended to upset anyone.

In the Hot Press interview Porter also said he had heard about allegations against Kevin Spacey before they became public.

He claimed to have been unexpectedly groped and kissed countless times in gay bars.

“I would hate to tar a comedian with that brush, but it is my experience that if you are in a gay bar, if I had a euro for every time I was grabbed or pulled or somebody laid a kiss on me and I wasn’t expecting it at all. That kinda thing happens for right or wrong,” he said.

Porter also addressed the current spate of sexual abuse allegations in the

Al Porter has stepped down from his role with Today FM.

entertainment industr y. “We’re at a watershed moment culturally where what is seen as decent and acceptable behaviour is going to change, but it is important that we note that this is the defining moment and, going forward, I think a lot of people are going to change their behaviour,” he told Hot Press.

In his resignation Porter did not

address specific allegations but said he made a personal decision to take time away from the spotlight after decades in the entertainment industry.

Meanwhile, an R TÉ television sports producer allegedly messaged that he “felt horny” to someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl, a court has heard.

Kieran Creaven, 55, is accused of attempting to meet a child following grooming for a sexual purpose and of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, namely kissing and cuddling.

Creaven allegedly flew from Ireland to Leeds to meet up at The Queens Hotel with the “girl”, who was in fact a fake online identity created by a group of so-called paedophile hunters.

The of fences were said to have taken place between July 1 – when the defendant allegedly first contacted the “girl” online – and November 18 when he arrived at the hotel in the city.

No indication to pleas was given as Creaven, who is married, was bailed to next appear at Leeds Crown Court on December 18.

VICTIM’S PARTNER SAYS TRAGEDY WAS ‘ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN’

AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

Green tax proposed to combat emissions A GREEN tax on farming and an end to state subsides on peat extraction are among measures to tackle climate changes recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly.

Prioritising investment in public transport services over new road developments and an expansion of bus and cycle lane networks have also been proposed by members of the Assembly.

A majority of citizens backed paying more tax on carbon intensive activities and urged the adoption of steps to encourage broader use of electric cars.

The proposals were among 13 recommendations on climate change made by the Assembly last week.

Man extradited to US over mortgage fraud A DUAL citizen of Ireland and the United States has been extradited from Ireland to face federal charges over an alleged mortgage fraud scheme.

The US attorney’s office said former Massachusetts resident, 44-year-old Patrick Lee, was arraigned in Boston.

Lee, who has been living in Ireland for 10 years, was indicted in 2011.

His extradition was Ireland’s first to the US since 2012.

Prosecutors allege Lee participated in a mortgage fraud scheme from 2005 to 2007, shortly before the housing bubble burst.

The indictment said Lee and others converted Boston properties into condominiums, prepared fake mortgage loan applications and forged property appraisals.

The properties eventually went into foreclosure. Prosecutors said lenders lost money in the scheme.

Medicinal cannabis concession for child

Louise James at the inquest in Buncrana and (inset) with Sean McGrotty and their baby, four-month-old Rionaghac-Ann and his sons Mark, 12, (right) and Evan, eight. Sean and his sons died along with his mother-in-law Ruth Daniels, 57, and her 14-year-old daughter Jodie Lee in March 2016.

Buncrana tragedy driver was three times over limit

Michael McHugh IRELAND’S pier tragedy, in which five people died, was an accident waiting to happen, a partner of one of the victims had said. The inquest heard that the driver of the vehicle – Sean McGrotty – was more than three times over the drink-drive limit.

The Buncrana slipway down which a four-wheel-drive with a Derry family inside slid into the sea in March 2016 should have been closed to the public or proper warning signs displayed, Louise James said. “My heart is shattered.”

After a harrowing two-day inquest in the Co Donegal town, a jury found that Ms James’ family drowned and died by misadventure.

The steep slipway down which the helpless occupants slipped was covered in treacherous and ice-like green algae and the car plunged

uncontrollably into the water, the inquest heard. The sole survivor was four-month-old Rioghnach-Ann, Mr McGrotty and Ms James’ daughter.

She was passed to a rescuer by her father before he was sucked underwater with the vehicle – getting back inside to be with his family.

Ms James said Mr McGrotty was a wonderful partner and an adoring father.

“He lived for them [the children] and it is clear from what this inquest has heard that, in fact, he died as he lived, in that he could have saved himself and chose not to.”

She said she felt “disbelief, pain and anger”.

“I firmly believe the slipway should have been closed to the general public or else proper warning signs displayed as it was an accident waiting to happen,” she said.

“Hopefully lessons will be learned

and the recommendations made following this inquest will be implemented.”

The driver, his eight-year-old son Evan, 12-year-old son Mark, motherin-law Ruth Daniels, and her teenage daughter Jodie Lee, 14, died when the SUV sank in Lough Swilly.

The spokesman for the five men and four women on the jury urged the Irish Water Safety promotional organisation to take a prominent role in advising and working with all interested parties on implementing best international practice for safety on all slipways and piers.

Misadventure means jurors think there was risk associated with the events that day and somebody had done something that increased the risk of the event happening, coroner Denis McCauley said.

There were no signs at the slipway warning of the dangers of slipping and a gate designed to control crowds using a summer ferry service in the

popular tourist spot was left open.

It was used by people watching the sun going down despite dangers highlighted during the inquest.

The car was seen drifting out into Lough Swilly and bobbing around 20 metres from shore as children screamed for help before it finally sank three metres deep, eye witnesses said.

The inquest was told the doors of the Audi car would not open when an RNLI diver tried them and a window was only partly down, suggesting the electronics failed at some point due to the water.

Passer-by Davitt Walsh swam out into the harbour and rescued baby Rionaghac-Ann. “Davitt Walsh is an ordinary man who did an extraordinary thing,” Garda Inspector David Murphy said. He paid tribute to rescuers who arrived within minutes at a tragedy.

“Their actions are the truest reflection of the unstinting service provided

by An Garda Síochána.”

THE campaigning mother of a girl battling drug resistant epilepsy has expressed her joy after the Government granted a licence for her to be treated with medicinal cannabis.

Seven-year-old Ava Barry from the village of Aghabullogue in Co Cork has a rare form epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome.

Her mother Vera Twomey has led a high-profile campaign to urge Health Minister Simon Harris to grant a licence for her to receive a drug made from cannabis.

“I am very pleased that I was in a position, whilst I cannot discuss an individual case, to sign another licence for a citizen in this country, a little girl, to access a medicinal cannabis product. It’s the third licence since becoming minister for health,” Mr Harris said.

Retired surgeon facing jail term A RETIRED surgeon has been sentenced to 20 months in jail for indecently assaulting two teenage boys who were his patients in the mid-1970s. Michael Shine, 85, of Wellington Road in Dublin, had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to eight charges of indecently assaulting six patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and at his private clinic, in Drogheda, Co Louth, between 1964 and 1991.

Last month a jury convicted him on charges relating to two of those boys and acquitted him on the others.

Judge Cormac Quinn imposed two 10-month sentences to be served consecutively for the assaults on the two boys.

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A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

ireland GELDOF HANDS BACK FREEDOM OF DUBLIN IN PROTEST AGAINST TREAMENT OF ROHINGYA

Singer slams Suu Kyi but mayor calls out hypocrisy Michael McHugh AUNG San Suu Kyi has “duped” Ireland, Bob Geldof has said as he returned his freedom of Dublin in protest.

The musician said the Nobel Peace Prize winner who came through so much had an even greater responsibility not to “oversee” carnage in Burma.

Suu Kyi became a free woman of the Irish capital in 2000 as she struggled for democracy while under military arrest. Since her freedom and election as de facto leader two years ago she has faced international criticism over lack of action to prevent alleged ethnic cleansing of her country’s Rohingya Muslims by security forces.

“Having fought through moral force these thugs in the military and she comes to power democratically and it is a great moral victory. How much more is the onus and responsibility on you at that point to say something, to not oversee carnage? How much more?” Geldof, 66, said.

More than half a million of the Rohingya minority group have fled to Bangladesh after recent violence.

Suu Kyi’s leadership has drawn criticism from human rights groups who

Exam stress at high level for students EXAMS are the biggest source of stress for thousands of teenagers, a study has found.

Almost three-quarters of secondary school students feel either “very stressed” or “stressed” over exams and less than half are satisfied with their school’s support services. The So How Was School Today report, carried out by youth organisation Comhairle na nOg, canvassed the views of more than 3,200 young people aged between 12 and 17.

The findings found that 67 per cent of students felt too much focus was placed on terminal assessments, such as the Leaving Cert and Junior Cert.

Almost 80 per cent of Leaving Cert students and 81 per cent of Junior Cert pupils reported that exams made them feel stressed.

Varadkar baulks at bagging Trump TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has rejected calls to withdraw an invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit Ireland.

TDs Paul Murphy and Richard Boyd Barrett told Mr Varadkar that instead of inviting Mr Trump to the country, he should be criticising him for his policies.

“Trump is racist, sexist and dangerous. Do you agree?” Mr Murphy asked the Taoiseach during question time in the Dail.

“Is there any red line over which this man crosses that you will say ‘that’s enough now ... we are not inviting him to this country’?” Mr Boyd Barrett asked.

The Taoiseach refused to make any personal criticism of President Trump, saying it would not be beneficial to Ireland.

“I disagree with a lot of the Trump administration’s policies – certainly on migration, climate change and North Korea – but I’m not going to attack him personally. I don’t believe attacking President Trump personally would bring about a change of policy or benefit us as a country,” Mr Varadkar said.

campaigned for her freedom during 15 years under house arrest by a military junta. There have been calls for her to be stripped of the Nobel prize she won in 1991. The treatment of minority Muslims has been described as ethnic cleansing by human rights groups.

But Geldof has been accused of hypocrisy by Dublin’s Lord Mayor Mícheál MacDonncha.

“Regarding Mr Geldof himself, I find it ironic that he makes this gesture while proudly retaining his title as Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, given the shameful record of British imperialism across the globe,” the Sinn Féin man added.

He also criticised Mr Geldof for “grossly insulting” those who participated in the 1916 rising against Britain by comparing them to so-called Islamic State (IS) last year, “causing offence to Dubliners and Irish people generally”.

Geldof returned the scroll to Dublin City Council offices in person.

“Dublin should not have any truck with this war. She has let us Dubliners down; she has let Ireland down. We have been duped,” the musician said.

Suu Kyi picked up the Dublin award in 2012 after her release.

Bob Geldof hands back his freedom of Dublin honour in protest against Aung San Suu Kyi’s inaction over the treatment of the Rohingya people of Burma. (Inset) Suu Kyi with President Michael D Higgins in 2012.

APPLE ‘MOVED OFFSHORE FUNDS TO JERSEY’ AFTER IRELAND TAX CRACKDOWN

Fresh focus on Apple’s tax TECH giant Apple moved offshore funds to the Channel Islands after a crackdown on tax laws in Ireland, media reports claim.

The company is alleged to have rearranged its affairs, moving the firm holding most of its untaxed overseas cash to Jersey, after changes were made to controversial Irish tax practices, the BBC and Guardian said.

The claims are the latest to emerge from the Paradise Papers leak, linking major companies and public figures to secretive overseas arrangements.

There is no suggestion that those involved in the Apple case acted illegally.

Apple said the new structure did not lower tax payments in any country and “ensured that our tax obligation to the United States was not reduced”.

“The debate over Apple’s taxes is not about how much we owe but where we owe it. As the largest taxpayer in the world we’ve paid over $35 billion in

corporate income taxes over the past three years, plus billions of dollars more in property tax, payroll tax, sales tax and VAT,” the company said in a statement.

“We believe every company has a responsibility to pay the taxes they owe and we’re proud of the economic contributions we make to the countries and communities where we do business.”

Until 2014, Apple channelled sales outside the US through Irish companies, which kept taxes low.

But the arrangement was the subject o f a n i n v e s ti g a ti o n b y th e EU Commission and resulted in a crackdown on practices in Ireland.

Paradise Papers documents show Apple’s two key Irish subsidiaries, Apple Operations International and Apple Sales International, were managed by Bermuda-based legal firm Appleby’s office in Jersey from the start of 2015 until early 2016, the BBC reported.

Apple has come under further scrutiny about its handling of tax affairs in Ireland.

The majority of the leaked Paradise Papers come from Appleby, which specialises in offshore accounts.

“When Ireland changed its tax laws in 2015, we complied by changing the residency of our Irish subsidiaries and we informed Ireland, the European Commission and the United States,”

Apple said. “The changes we made did not reduce our tax payments in any countr y. Our payments to Ireland increased significantly and over the last three years we’ve paid €1.5 billion in tax there – 7 per cent of all corporate taxes paid in that country.”

Meanwhile, the head of the IDA has said that tech giant Apple has not definitively ruled out building a €850m data centre in Co Galway, despite refusing to commit to the project after a number of local legal objections held up the project’s development.

“The current situation is that Apple continues to consider Athenry in the context of their business plan but they have not committed to commencing the data centre immediately,” the IDA’s CEO, Martin Shanahan, said.

“The fact that it’s been delayed through the planning process over the last two years, I think it is disappointing and the fact that it is not proceeding now immediately is dissapointing.”

HUNDREDS OF GARDAI ABUSED DRIVING PENALTY POINT SYSTEM

Inquiry reveals points wiped out for friends, family Ed Carty

HUNDREDS of gardaí were involved in widespread exploitation of the penalty point system, wiping fines and penalty points for friends and relatives.

The Garda Ombudsman found that one officer alone had cancelled 744 fixed charge notices across 17 counties during the four years it examined.

The watchdog warned that superintendents and inspectors wiped points and fines for driving offences outside their geographical area, contrary to policy.

Almost three quarters of the records of notices being cancelled did not carry any sufficient rationale for the action.

Some 442 officers were authorised to wipe charge notices in the four years

from 2009 to 2012, the report found.

The Garda Ombudsman also found that some ser ving gardaí used the credentials of retired senior colleagues, who would have had the authority to cancel the penalties, in order to wipe the slate clean for friends and relatives.

The report is the latest in a long line of reviews of the scandal that was exposed by whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

At the height of inquiries into his allegations at the Public Accounts Committee former Garda commissioner Martin Callinan said the claims were “disgusting”. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, then transport minister, said Mr McCabe was “distinguished”.

The Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) said it received data relating to the issuing of 1.6 mil-

lion fixed charge notices and 74,373 cancellations of these penalties and fines over the four years under examination.

The watchdog met Mr McCabe five times during its investigation.

Gsoc said it will not be investigating individual officers for potential criminality or disciplinary issues as the bill for that has been estimated to run to more than €1 million.

The report said too many members of the Garda were authorised to cancel the notices.

It noted a “sizeable” volume of cancellations with no reason or supporting documentation.

The scrapping of notices issued to garda members, notably for speeding offences, was undertaken without any checks to establish that the garda was

on duty at the time and that exceeding the speed limit was necessary, the report said. There were multiple cancellations for the same people and the same vehicles, with no apparent checks undertaken beforehand.

In a statement the Garda said it recognised the system had systematic flaws and some members were using it inappropriately.

“An Garda Síochána welcomes Gsoc’s finding that the ‘procedures for dealing with fixed charge notice cancellations have dramatically changed in recent years’. “[We] will continue to closely monitor compliance with the revised policies and procedures relating to the ...system to ensure the high levels of compliance are maintained and there is public confidence in the system,” it said.

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

Mal Rogers scans Ireland’s regional media for what’s making news in your county DERRY

Derry city tractor driver was ‘looking for women’ AN 18-YEAR-OLD who drove a tractor around Derry city centre told police he did so because he wanted to see if there were “any women about”.

The Derry Journal reports that Anthony Breslin, a farm worker from Gortnaskea, Co Donegal, was charged with driving a tractor without displaying L-plates and travelling while unaccompanied by a qualified driver.

“This is a case of a man who drove a tractor around the city centre looking for girls,” Mr Breslin’s solicitor told Derry Magistrate’s Court.

He added that the charge of driving without displaying L-plates was “probably a reflection on his status as a driver rather than on the amateurish way he went looking for girls in the city centre”.

“He is pleading guilty to the charge but I am struggling with the charge of travelling while unaccompanied by a qualified driver in terms of a tractor cabin which has only one seat,” he said.

The case was adjourned pending further applications.

ANTRIM

Would-be killer’s bail allows him a ‘festive sherry or two’ over Xmas A WOULD-BE killer from Portrush had his bail varied to allow him “a festive sherry or two” over the Christmas holidays, reports the Belfast Telegraph.

Antrim Crown Court Judge Desmond Marrinan said it was with “some hesitation” he would allow 38-year-old Remy Lafferty to drink alcohol in his own house. But he is still barred from entering licensed premises – so someone else will have to buy alcohol for him.

Rafferty is on bail accused of attempting to murder William Moore and possessing a broken umbrella with intent to commit murder on March 13 last year.

Prosecution counsel Suzanne Gallagher told the court how police and ambulance crews were called to the scene of the violent incident to find two men unconscious. Both were taken to the Causeway Hospital.

Lafferty was later released into police custody. He claimed he had little recollection of the incident “due to intoxication”. Ms Gallagher said it was clear “that alcohol is a significant factor with this individual … when he has drink taken the risk of him reoffending is significantly increased.”

Defence barrister Francis Rafferty said he was putting forward a “festive compromise”: Lafferty would be allowed to consume alcohol exclusively in his own home.

He told the court that Lafferty had been on bail for 18 months with no problems, submitting that “between

Christmas and New Year, he would be entitled to certainly a festive sherry or two”.

Judge Marrinan said while he did not want to treat the defence suggestion “lightheartedly given the nature of the charges … I’m minded to impose a curfew from eightto-eight, from 24 December to 1 January, and during that period, with some hesitation, he may consume alcohol in his own home,” said the judge.

KILKENNY

Kilkenny’s Paddy McGinty to buy new goat with money he wins on Winning Streak THE Kilkenny People reports that Kilkenny man Paddy McGinty nearly fell off his seat laughing when his name was pulled out of the drum to appear on the popular National Lottery RTÉ Winning Streak Game Show this weekend.

“The Castlecomer man had a good chuckle when Winning Streak host Marty Whelan made reference to the famous song Paddy McGinty’s Goat after his name was called out,” reports the People.

“I’ll have to buy a goat now with my winnings,” he joked.

BELFAST

DUP councillor regrets anti-royal tweet ONE of the DUP’s newest councillors says she “regrets” a tweet in which she described the royal family as a “very expensive burden” on taxpayers and called for them to “go and find a real job in a real job market”.

The Belfast Telegraph reports that after initially denying that she had written the comment Vasundhara Kamble said she wanted to withdraw the remark.

The Lisburn and Castlereagh representative told the Telegraph that she had been on a “personal journey” which had caused her to change her views.

KERRY

Secrets of portal tomb to be revealed DNA sequencing on bone fragments that were found at Killaclohane Portal Tomb near Milltown has helped scientists discover more about the secrets of one of Ireland’s oldest standing structures, reports the Irish Examiner.

Kerry County Museum has opened an exhibition which delves into the secrets of Killaclohane Portal Tomb, which dates back 6,000 years.

The Neolithic tomb underwent a major excavation and restoration programme in 2015 and the artifacts found, including human bone, pottery fragments, and flint tools, have been the subject of intensive scientific scrutiny.

People gather at the graveside of Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh in Inniskeen, as they mark the 50th anniversary of his death. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire County archaeologist Michael Connolly says the site is the most significant in Kerry and is Kerry’s oldest burial ground.

“Locals have known of its existence for generations but it was only preserved and excavated after landowner Kenneth O’Neill became concerned it had deteriorated in 2014.

“The tomb had been used over thousands of years,” said Dr Connolly. “There was a burial chamber put into it in the Bronze Age; there was evidence of it being used in the Iron Age and in the early medieval period.

“We even found a coin of King Henry VIII in the 1520s, which had obviously been thrown in by someone visiting the area at that time.”

Work is also being carried out on a second portal tomb in Killaclohane Wood, about 500 metres away. An initial phase of work on the second site was carried out this year and archaeologists will return in 2018 to carry out the main body of work.

The dig has produced pottery, flint arrowheads, and more cremated bone fragments.

LIMERICK

Census: fraction of Limerick’s 77,000 Irish speakers actually use the language MORE than 40 per cent (77,313) of people in Limerick speak Irish, according to the latest figures – a decrease on the 81,420 who stated they could do so in 2011.

The Limerick Leader reports that Despite the high number, only one per cent of Limerick people use Irish daily outside of the education system.

The figures from Census 2016, published just published at the end of November 2017, also show that in Limerick, as nationwide, more women have a third-level degree than men.

Of Limerick’s population over 15 years old, 38.5 percent of people, 45,510, have some kind of third-level qualification, while 26.8 percent have a third-level degree.

TIPPERARY

All aboard! The least-used railway station in Ireland has been revealed THE least-used railway station in Ireland has been revealed.

In the latest annual rail census conducted by the National Transport Authority (NTA) it was found that only three passengers boarded trains in Tipperary town on the day of the census.

Carrick-on-Suir is only served by two trains, which operate between Limerick Junction and Waterford on a daily basis. In total, 109 people used the station last year, according to a recently published report.

In all, 25 railway stations in the Republic recorded less than a hundred passengers a day, with 12 experiencing less than 30 journeys.

Excluding Dublin, the two busiest stations were Kent Station in Cork City and Bray in Wicklow.

MAYO

Stranded dolphins rescued on Achill beach FOUR stranded dolphins were successfully rescued and returned to the sea off Achill Island, the Mayo News reports.

The mammals, which were said to have been distressed and exhausted, were found by members of the public on the sand on Keem beach. A fifth dolphin was also discovered, but was unfortunately found dead on the rocks.

A number of local volunteers initially went to the beach to try to rescue the surviving dolphins, but the low tide made it difficult to successfully return them to the sea.

Sorsha Kennedy, a local volunteer with Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland was called to help, and with the assistance of David McNamara of the Achill coastguard unit, and they eventually returned all the live dolphins to the water.

Speaking to The Mayo News, Ms Kennedy explained that they place a towel under the dolphins and were able to carry them passed the breaking waves. She said she wearing a wetsuit and was able to wade out

into deeper water and encourage the dolphins out into the sea away from the shore.

“There were three adults and one baby among them, and they seemed to have been stranded for a long time because they were exhausted.

The dead dolphin was on the rocks, so they must have come in at high tide and by the time I arrived it was low tide. They seemed to be very tired, and I don’t think they would have lasted much longer.”

DUBLIN

Jail for motor-biker who sped through gap between gardaí A BIKER who drove dangerously through a gap between two gardaí at a checkpoint has been jailed and banned from the road.

The Herald (Dublin) reports Judge John Cheatle sentenced Daniel Danilowicz (27) to four months in prison and banned him from driving for four years.

Danilowicz of Balbriggan, admitted driving without insurance and dangerous driving on Dublin Road, Balbriggan, when he appeared before Swords District Court.

Garda Damien O’Reilly said he was operating a checkpoint shortly after 11pm on May 30 when a motorbike approached.

The rider, Danilowicz, slowed down as he came nearer.

Garda O’Reilly said he signalled for him to pull in, but he suddenly sped up, driving through a narrow gap between two officers.

The court heard the defendant had five previous convictions for uninsured driving. Defence solicitor Fiona D’Arcy said Danilowicz, a father- of- three, had “no good excuse” for his behaviour, other than it was “pure stupidity”.

She asked the judge to give her client “one last chance”, saying he was worried about his children and a prison sentence would have a devastating impact on them.

Ms D’Arcy also said Danilowicz had learned his lesson, even if it was at this late stage.

However, Judge Cheatle imposed a four-month sentence, saying the defendant had a poor record and had put gardai in danger.

Danilowicz immediately appealed against the sentence.

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Saoirse Ronan could win an Oscar for Britain.

Saoirse’s British? No, but she’s about to be claimed … again OK, calm down people. It’s nearly Christmas, season of goodwill. Don’t want to set you off but the thing is that it’s very likely that “our very own” Saoirse Ronan, she of the amazing talent and ridiculous accent, is very likley to be nominated for everything bar the Nobel Prize for her performance in Lady Bird.

Good news, right?

But it’s only a matter of time before she is described as British Like Fassbender, Negga and Farrell before her, Ronan is certain to be claimed by those too postcolonially lazy to differentiate.

Two years ago, when Saoirse was nominated for Brooklyn, Richard Suchet, a journalist at Sky News, showed us why such errors are worth fuming over.

“I think we can take Saoirse Ronan as one of ours,” he said on air, sparking a Twitterstorm that would make Donald Trump blush.

But his subsequent tweets served only to enrage those who might otherwise have been forgiving.

First he tried the old “she’s from the British Isles” defence. Then he went nuclear. “Many Brits will see her has one of their own,” he wrote.

“It’s a consequence of geography. A compliment, I’d say.”

A compliment? WTF? Anyway, you’ve been warned.

In fact, it’s already begun with director Martin McDonagh, who is also Oscar-bound thanks to his highly-regarded Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. In truth,

McDonagh is English-born. He holds both British and Irish citizenship.

His mum comes from Sligo and dad from Galway. He has always been wedded to his Irish identity and it shows up regularly in his work and his interests.

But you will probably only see him described as British which would have confused many journalists sent along to a Beverly Hills hotel to interview him about the movie.

McDonagh said he was angry.

“I’m angry because Ireland got beaten by Denmark and didn’t qualify for the World Cup,” he said.

“Maybe in another four years, we’ll be better prepared and we’ll field a stronger team. Maybe it’s wishful thinking. I’m just so sad we won’t be there at all.”

Attention, post colonial lazy journalists. Note Martin’s use of the pronoun “we” as in “we Irish”.

He’s ours, OK?

Christmas fairytale IT’S December, and already that poignant piano introduction has heralded in Fairytale Of New York many thousands of time on radio, television, shopping malls etc.

And surprising though it may seem, the song is 30 this Christmas; perhaps even more startlingly, Shane MacGowan is 60 (he looks a bit older!) and with more than a swish of serendipity, he celebrates his birthday on Christmas Day. The co-writer, Jem Finer – who, in the great tradition of writing Christmas songs is Jewish – has

Quiz

1. Which is the oldest League of Ireland club in continuous existence?

2. In which Irish city is Kent Station?

3. Which seabird, whose range includes the coast of Ireland, has the scientific name Puffinus puffinus?

4. Which city is the religious centre of Ireland for both the Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland?

5. In which part of Ireland was the painter Francis Bacon born?

6. How are the following known in English: (a) Loch Neachach; (b) Loch Súilí; (c) Loch gCál?

7. What does the body Dúchas look after?

8. At which battle was Brian Boru killed?

9. Mia Farrow is the daughter of which Irish film actress?

10. According to a famous book, in 1699 the Antelope set sail from Bristol. Who was on board?

already turned 62. Fairytale Of New York works as a festive song on several levels – an anthem to love, recrimination and broken dreams. It is literally a ballad: it tells a story, a particularly sad one. The melancholic lyrics, which never stray into mawkishness, are expertly set to that most Irish of all dance forms, the Austrian waltz: and to complete matters, a jig creeps in halfway through. You could scarcely ask for more in terms dance forms.

The song also glimpses a life we all know. The ex-pat’s dreams of a better world is sung so wistfully by Kirsty MacColl that it would give goose bumps to Ebenezer Scrooge.

But the committed Christmas curmudgeon is catered for as well, even though the song is a curious mix of optimism, despondency — and vitriol: “You scumbag you maggot you cheap lousy faggot, Happy Christmas your arse I pray God it’s our last.”

Since the year 2000 A Fairytale Of New York has been tinged with another Christmas element – utter tragedy. Kirsty MacColl was killed just before Christmas 2000 leaving behind her two young sons.

A further melancholic note will be added this year. In September the writer JP Donleavy, responsible for the title of the song, died at his home in Co Westmeath. MacGowan gave the song its name after seeing the Donleavy book lying around the studio – Finer had been reading it. At the time of the recording MacGowan visited Donleavy in Westmeath seeking his permission, which he duly received.

Fairytale Of New York is set to become an evergreen Christmas song, up there with Here It Is Merry Christmas, and I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas.

It’s reckoned to have earned MacGowan more than £20 million so far – which should help make his 60th birthday on Christmas Day very merry indeed.

But The Hurler will extend Christmas greetings to you all with a line from another seasonal favourite from the late, great John Lennon.

“Let’s hope it’s a good one, without any fear.” Happy Christmas.

They said it...

“Sufficient progress in #Brexit talks at December #EUCO is possible. But still a huge challenge. We need to see progress from UK within 10 days on all issues, including on Ireland.”

Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, in a tweet.

“The Irish are just making trouble because they lost. It’s a bit petty isn’t it, really? Yeah, the Southern Irish just have to lump it basically. You can’t always have what you want in life.”

An unnamed woman on a Channel 4 (British TV channel) vox pop on Brexit and the problem of a ‘hard border’ across Ireland. Few of the people asked in the random vox pop could even estimate where the border was on a map of Ireland.

“It is wrong that the Irish government will not allow the process to move forward until they have certain things they demand. I have always felt it very difficult to have an agreement in relation to the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, but we haven’t moved to the next stage to talk about trade.”

Democratic Unionist Party leader, Arlene Foster.

“We’re leaving the EU and Ireland would be better off leaving with us.”

Ian Paisley Jnr MP (DUP).

“I don’t accept the options should be limited on the basis of the political arithmetic in the House of Commons. That is not how a decision as fundamental and as important to Ireland’s future and Britain’s future should be made.”

Tánaiste Simon Coveney.

“The presidential election is coming up. And of course the key point about that is that the present government is worried about Sinn Féin, so I think there’s a lot of showboating going on in Ireland.”

Iain Duncan Smith, British Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

“Theresa May has prioritised her own electoral survival via the Tory/DUP pact over the interest of all of the people in the North.”

Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Féin leader in the Northern Assembly.

“Dublin should not have any truck with this war. She has let us Dubliners down, she has let Ireland down, because we thought she was one thing and we have been duped.”

Bob Geldof returning his Freedom of Dublin City in protest against Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi also having the same honour. Geldof was protesting at the treatment of Myanmar’s treatment of Rohingya Muslims.

Crossword Clues across: 1. Hibernian man, we hear keeping on the track of overnight travellers (3,5,4) 8. International honour in headgear (3) 9 across & 10 down: A succulent deal was badly struck for this fortification (7,6) 11. Tiny tree mixed up for all time (8) 13. Knots or pony owner (6) 14. Ancient divisions in the community (9) 17. Leading, she rung, I recalculated (8) 20. Royal servant belongs to chapter (4) 21. Viscous liquid discovered in Inchagoill (3) 23. Adam and Eve’s parental duty to their eldest son causing a complete uproar (7,4) 24. Bill for building up computer empire (5) 25. A ball held peculiarly in aga, lain by Irish person (7) 29. Easter event resulting in revolting conclusion (8) 32. Heraldic gold and the Swiss international ISO, the self requires these to flower (6) 33. A raven girl is confused for Belfast runner (5,5)

Clues down: 2. Aye, Hugh can be confused for a Taoiseach (7) 3. State that you can still, I noisily proclaim, find (8) 4. Perceive a religious area (3) 5. Coach might waywardly rent a million (6,6) 6. I bear, in confused fashion, the look of a Mediterranean person (7) 7. The French one in exercise produces former currency (4) 10. see 9 across 12. State a thin Di analysed hidden areas in (7) 15. Irish name, English rock star, Russian leader it’s said (6) 16. Teeny-bopper guitarist in confused, rum log-in (8) 17. Too many souls terribly quickly hide this place (6) 18. A match or sessions hides equine interest (6) 19. Bow resin with me added finds Irish rose (6) 22. Article on information leads to French location (4) 26. One German gentleman, babbler (4) 27. Kerry beach approximately 2cm (4) 28. Operatic work on one sea inlet (4) 30. State of water in St Canice’s Cathedral (3) 31. Poorly in Eshnasillog Beg (3)

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LAST EDITION’S ANSWERS: Clues across: 1. Barrow (River).

4. Joe Yule (real name of Mickey Rooney). 8. Armstrong. 9. Clones. 11. Falls.

12. Csar (CS Lewis, argon). 13. Enda. 14. Red setter. 16. Pasture. 18. Ardara.

19. The Kerry Recruit. 22. Recorder. 26. Narwhale. 27. Best man.

Clues down: 1. Beaufort (Francis). 2. Rambled. 3. War. 4. Janus.

5. Yell. 6. Loon. 7. Restaurant. 9. Cry. 10. Oleander.

8a & 15 down: Tossed the caber. 17. Apercus. 19. Throb. 20. Yarn.

21. Ultan. 23. Rum. 24. Ewe. 25. Ben.

Answers: 1. Bohemians FC; 2. Cork; 3. The Manx shearwater (the puffin seen round the shores of Ireland has the scientific name Fratercula arctica;) 4. Armagh; 5. Dublin; 6. (a) Lough Neagh; (b) Lough Swilly; (c) Loughgall; 7. Ireland’s heritage — buildings, historical monuments; 8. Battle of Clontarf; 9. Maureen O’Sullivan; 10. Gulliver, embarking on his travels

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PIE-FECT EVERYTIME Paintings by Chris Gollon

Eleanor McEvoy Naked Music — The Songbook ... Lyrics and melodies ... ... with paintings

by Chris Gollon

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review

December, 2017 - January, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

Pride and gay prejudice THE HEART’S Invisible Furies, only the second of John Boyne’s books to be set in Ireland, can be read as a fictional examination of Irish attitudes to sex and particularly gay sex in the past 70 years. The opening chapter – as strong and gripping an opening as you will find – has a pregnant sixteen-yearold girl being kicked (literally) out of her church and out of her home, without demur from either family or neighbours. That was 1945. The final chapter moves ahead 70 years and we learn that the Irish people have voted for the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

The young woman is Catherine Goggin from the small township of Goleen, south of Bantry in County Cork and it is interesting that a look at the results for that constituency show that the children and grandchildren of those same parishioners voted YES by more than 65 per cent in that referendum.

The central character and first-person narrator in the story is Catherine’s son whom she gives up for adoption. When we meet him for the first time, he is seven years old, living in Dartmouth Square not far from the top of Leeson Street in Dublin with Charles and Maude, an oddball couple who “had named me Cyril for a spaniel they’d owned and loved.”

That seven-year gap between Goleen and Leeson Street is the basic structure of the novel, each chapter jumping seven years ahead in Cyril’s life. So, for example, at the age of 14, he is a student at Belvedere College, spending parts of his weekends with his almost permanently tumescent friend Julian wandering through “the grounds of Trinity College to gawp at the Protestants who seemed to have been dehorned by some benevolent shearer upon admission.”

Those early chapters are deeply funny, reminiscent of J P Donleavy at his most picaresque. The book ties in to events and personalities

of the time – the blowing up of Nelson’s Pillar for example, and the shenanigans of the trio of Haughey, Lenihan and O’Malley in the midSixties. Haughey appears again in the 1980 chapter, suitably menacing and sleazy, as does bouncing Bertie in 2008. And the fun comes back again towards the end of the story, with sparkling dialogue and savage little pastiches of the attitudes of those times.

But the story is much more than a lighthearted romp. As hinted above, Cyril is gay and eventually has to leave Dublin for some years, first

BOOKS THE HEART’S INVISIBLE FURIES

By John Boyne Doubleday 587 pp $32.99

CCCCC THE WATCH HOUSE.

“John Boyne at his

By Bernie McGill Hachette Australia 354 pp $29.99

enviable best.

CCCCC

”

for Amsterdam and then New York.

He is there in 1994 with his lover Bastiaan, a doctor specialising in the early research and treatment of AIDS. He finds that the American attitudes to homosexuality are no more friendly than the Irish ones.

He leaves after he and Bastiaan are bashed in Central Park, events which barely rated on the NYPD radar. The final chapters are set in Dublin.

The central theme of the book is sex, both gay and non-gay. All the characters, male and female, seem to be obsessed with it, either as enthusiastic practitioners, dour deniers or hypocritical denouncers.

That may seem to suggest a kind of prurience, or an excuse for graphic voyeurism. But in fact, there is nothing here that should disturb a reader. Where there was an undertone of bitterness and sour anger in his previous ‘Irish’ book A History of Loneliness, the emotion here is one of sadness and almost despair at the way that society treated sexuality.

By turns witty and outrageous, reflective and bombastic, bitter and sportive, this is a savage

Frank O’Shea commentary on prejudice and bigotry. Certainly, some of the characters are cartoon creations – Mary-Elizabeth Moffett, Mr DenbyDenby, Peter and Ruth, even Damir – and it would be easy to imagine that it will be criticised as much by gay folk as by straight, by religious as by impious. But the action never slackens and once you have read that opening chapter, you may write off your weekend. John Boyne at his enviable best.

RATHLIN Island, off the north-east coast of Ireland, is the most northerly point of the island. Here in 1898, Marconi set up a signalling station to show that signals could be sent across the distance to the mainland without the use of wires.

This is the background to this wonderful story of love and loss.

The central character is Nuala, a young woman who had been left behind as a sickly child when her

family emigrated to Newfoundland. She marries a local man twice her age and finds that both she and her husband take second place in their own home to Ginny, the husband’s sister. Nuala is effectively an unpaid housekeeper and is delighted when she is taken on as a cook for the young Italian who is setting up Marconi’s wireless station on the island.

The ensuing romance may be predictable in the way that modern stories portray these things, but more than a century ago in an isolated island where the priest was all powerful, such an affair invited social and physical isolation. The author develops the relationship gently and believably, without recourse to chance or coincidence.

The pain to which it leads is spelled out in some detail as Nuala gradually descends into an almost trance state.

A story like this can go a number of ways, but Bernie McGill here manages to find a way that is entirely satisfactory, with more than enough twists to persuade the reader that it is all plausible. Earlier this year, the South Australian writer Hannah Kent set her story The Good People half a century earlier in Kerry. Here we have a

native of Co Antrim writing with equal care and respect for the people of her own county. Both are delightful examples of the craft of storytelling and reminders that stories can be set successfully in the innocent times of the past.

McGill has the ability to sum up a character in what seems like an aside, but captures that person perfectly. “It’s a relief to get out of the house, away from her gumming and shooting dulse into the grate, the red juice running down the sheugh of her chin. She’s as sharp as a blade of arrow grass, is Ginny.”

Elsewhere she describes a character “as soapy as a peeled parsnip” and Ginny “as tight as a duck’s arse.”

Here is the Italian lover, describing Nuala. “He says I’m like a woman in a Rossetti painting; there is something compelling, something that draws the eye. I don’t know who Rossetti is but it doesn’t sound very flattering to me.

I tell him that with this kind of talk, he could charm the birds out of the trees, and he laughs and says, ‘Drawing-room perfection is dull.

Your face is filled with stories.’”

This is a beautiful recreation of history, with enough twists to keep the reader interested throughout.

THE TOP 10 BOOK CHARTS FROM IRELAND BESTSELLERS

ORIGINAL FICTION

1

Bad Dad

2

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway

HARDBACK NON-FICTION

David Walliams

1

Jack Reacher: The Midnight Line

Lee Child

1

Guinness World Records 2018

Jeff Kinney

2

Oh My God What a Complete Aisling Sarah Breen/Emer McLysaght

2

Atlas of the Irish Revolution

Guinness World Records

Marian Keyes

3

5 Ingredients – Quick & Easy Food

Dan Brown

4

The Choice

Cork University Press

3

Guinness World Records 2018

Guinness World Records

3

The Break

4

Jack Reacher: The Midnight Line

Lee Child

4

Origin: Robert Langdon

5

Atlas of the Irish Revolution

Cork University Press

5

Operation Trumpsformation

Ross O’Carroll-Kelly

5

Gooch – The Autobiography

Colm Cooper

6

5 Ingredients – Quick & Easy Food

Ross O’Carroll-Kelly

6

The Gospel According to Blindboy

Blindboy Boatclubn

6

On Tuesdays I’m a Buddhist

Michael Harding

7

Oh My God What a Complete Aisling Sarah Breen/Emer McLysaght

7

The Christmas Voyage

Dirdre Purcell

7

What Happened

8

Jackie’s Girl: My Life with the Kennedy Family Kathy McKeon

8

Two Kinds of Truth: New Harry Bosch Thriller Michael Connoly

8

Home For Christmas

9

The Break

9

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

9

Form: My Autobiography

10 The Choice

Marian Keyes Niall Kelly & Philly McMahon

MASS MARKET FICTION 1

The Couple Next Door

2

The Woman at 72 Derry Lane

3

The Snowman: Harry Hole 7

10 Munich

Robert Harris

CHILDREN’S

Shari Lapena

1

Jackie’s Girl: My Life with the Kennedy Family Kathy McKeon

1

Bad Dad

Carmel Harrington

2

Padre Pio – Irish Encounters with the Saint

Jo Nesbo

3

A Force for Justice: Maurice McCabe Story

Sheila O’Flanagan

4

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

John Grisham

5

NAMA Land: The Inside Story..

Margaret Atwood

6

Wounds: A Memoir of War and Love

Agatha Christie

7

I Found My Tribe

4

Christmas With You The Whistler

6

The Handmaid’s Tale

7

Murder on the Orient Express: Poirot

8

The Blood Sisters

Jane Corry

8

In the Line of Fire: Lions Head Coach..

9

Of Mice and Men

John Steinbeck

9

Waterford Whispers

David Baldacci

10 The Choice

Hillary Rodham Clinton Alice Taylor Kieran Fallon

10 The Warrior’s Code: My Autobiography

PAPERBACK NON-FICTION

5

10 The Fix: Amos Decker Series

Gail Honeyman

Jamie Oliver

Niall Kelly & Philly McMahon

Colm Keane

2

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway

Michael Clifford

3

The World’s Worst Children 2

Yuval Noah Harari

4

Beyond the Sky: You and the Universe

Frank Connolly

5

Beano Annual 2018

Jackie Tyrell

David Walliams Jeff Kinney David Walliams Dara O’ Briain DC Thompson & Co

Fergal Keane

6

Tom Gates: Epic Adventure (kind of)

Ruth Fitzmaurice

7

Focloiropedia

Warren Gatland

8 La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One Philip Pullman

Colm Williamson Edith Eger

9

Turtles All the Way Down

10 Dog Man 3: A Tale of Two Kitties

Liz Pichon John Burke & Fatti Burke John Green Dav Pilkey

December, 2017 - January, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

time out

ELEANOR MCEVOY

The Thomas Moore Project New album in stores and on-line now

“…Her demilitarisation of The Minstrel Boy, along with the delicacy of At The Mid Hour of Night are highlights in what is a highly evocative and cohesive collection that may win Moore an entirely new audience.” — Siobhán Long, Irish Times —The Ticket Portrait of Thomas Moore by Sir Martin Archer Shee (1769-1850) National Gallery of Ireland Collection. Photo © National Gallery of Ireland.

Detail from portrait of Eleanor McEvoy by Robert Ballagh.

The original painting hangs in the National Concert Hall, Dublin.

www.eleanormcevoy.com

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22 sports

December, 2017 - January, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

AUSRALIAN RULES :: KENNELLY BACK AT THE SYDNEY SWANS

Kerryman comes home to roost with the Swans David Hennessy TADHG Kennelly has returned as development coach for his beloved Sydney Swans, the team with which he won a Premiership in 2005.

“It’s great to be back. It’s five years I’ve been away from the club,” Kennelly told Irish Echo.

“It’s a bit familiar, yet foreign also.

“I’ve had five years away from the club and different experiences in my own life. Coming back in as a coach and not a player is obviously a bit different but the very fabric of the football club hasn’t changed as far as how we approach the game and how strong of a cultural club it is.

“It’s different yet similar.”

Kennelly is the only sportsman to have won both an AFL Premiership and All-Ireland football championship.

He played his entire AFL career with Sydney Swans, only taking a break from his decade-long career to achieve his other ambition with Kerry.

The son of All-Ireland winner Tim Kennelly, a young Tadhg shone at Gaelic football as well as soccer having a brief stint at Blackburn Rovers’ youth team.

In 1999, he joined Sydney Swans as a Rookie, making his senior debut in 2001. He was the first Irishman to win an AFL Premiership in 2005, playing all 26 games in a victorious campaign. He was also a losing finalist in 2006 when Swans lost by a single point.

Kennelly had expressed his desire to return home and win an All-Ireland with Kerry, something he achieved in 2009, playing in the Kingdom’s triumphant campaign, beating Cork in the final.

MIGRATORY SWAN RETURNS: Tadhg Kennelly (right) with fellow Sydney Swans coaches (from left) Steve Johnson and Dean Cox. Kennelly would then return to Swans for a further two years, playing his final game in September 2011, then working in development roles including as the AFL’s International Talent Co-ordinator which saw him bring talent from Ireland.

“It was great while I was doing it, giving opportunities to young men all over the world: Ireland, US, New

Zealand. Now I’m all about the Sydney Swans and trying to help the young fellas step up and make it into senior football.

“I’ll keep an eye on it from a distance because that’s who I am. I’m an international footballer at the end of the day.

I came from the other side of the world. Of course I’m always going to have a soft spot for that.”

Colin O’Riordan of Tipperary is one Irish player in the Sydney ranks that Tadhg will be working with and helping to reach that next step. “I know if I was a third-year footballer and I had someone at the club from very much the same background as myself as a coach, I would be leaning on them.

“The minute he came out here, I was all about him and helping him to settle

MARTIN O’NEILL DEFIANT AS REPUBLIC OF IRELAND’S WORLD CUP DREAM ENDS

O’Neill under fire after loss Damian Spellman

FORMER Republic of Ireland striker Niall Quinn questioned manager Martin O’Neill’s approach after his country’s dream to reach next summer’s World Cup in Russia was ended following a 5-1 play-off defeat at home to Denmark.

The Republic held their opponents to a goalless draw in Copenhagen on November 11 but a hat-trick from Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen inspired the Danes to a comeback win in Dublin after Shane Duffy’s early opener.

Working as a pundit, Quinn told Sky Sports Main Event: “Our inspiration from the dugout, the manager and the coaches there, it was all over the place tonight, I have to say.

“It was hard to watch. Well done Denmark, but I’m so surprised that Martin O’Neill went from his tried and trusted way.”

Quinn was disappointed in the way Ireland looked like a different team from the one that played the first leg.

“I can’t get away from thinking ‘how were they allowed to do it’? How did

that Irish team we saw a few days ago, clamp everything in sight, work things to the degree that frustrated this lot here [Denmark] and yet they go home the happier because they played with the freedom of the park tonight [November 14].

“As much as I want to give Denmark the credit, I can’t get away from the fact that – even though we went ahead through a set piece – it looked as if there was way too much space around the places for Denmark to control.”

Fellow former Ireland international Keith Andrews summed up the hosts’ approach to the match as “clueless”.

Manager Martin O’Neill meanwhile dismissed the suggestion his luck had run out after the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup dream was ended.

Republic boss O’Neill was also defiant when asked if the 5-1 play-off defeat would have any effect on his verbal agreement with Football Association of Ireland chief executive John Delaney over a contract extension.

“I haven’t spoken to John since we talked about it, so I’ll speak to John, I’m sure.

“There was an agreement, but I’ll

speak to John in the next couple of weeks,” O’Neill said of his contract situation. He was irked by the notion his luck may have turned on a night when a positive star t unravelled alarmingly.

“I didn’t win those trophies that I have won both as a player and as a manager and not have some luck.

“We were well beaten tonight by a side that was technically better than us and have a word-class player playing in their team, but I don’t agree with you about luck running out.

“The disappointment is obviously very, very strong tonight because we haven’t been able to do it, but I have to commend the players on getting this far,” he added.

Meanwhile, winger James McClean has hit back at criticism of the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup play-off humiliation at the hands of Denmark.

“To stick the boot in and kick players and staff when they are down ... with some over-the-top beyond football comments is bang out of order, hurting or not – and trust me when I say this, we hurt every bit as much as you do,” McLean posted on Instagram.

James McClean shows his despair after Ireland got hammered 5-1 at home to Denmark.

in. Now obviously I’m able to work with him day to day and help his football from a technical point of view.

“We’ll be trying to get him up to speed as quick as we can to get him into senior selection,” he added.

Kennelly, who has just become a father for the third time, was one of the first AFL players to represent Ireland in International Rules, playing in six Tests.

CRICKET

Malahide to host first test IRELAND will play their inaugural Test match against Pakistan next year at Malahide, Cricket Ireland has announced. Stormont in Belfast and Bready in Derry were also options for the May 11-15 Test, but Malahide has now been confirmed.

Ireland, who have been playing one-day internationals since 2006, were given Test status in June, along with Afghanistan.

“We are delighted that Malahide has agreed to host this historic game against Pakistan,” Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom said in a statement.

“Even in its short history of hosting our matches, the club has already given us some wonderful memories, and we trust that May 11 and its ensuing days will provide many more.”

Malahide chairman Ciaran Keohane said: “Malahide Cricket Club is delighted to host the inaugural Test match in Ireland. We are looking forward to welcoming both teams to The Village.

“This is a great showcase not only for Irish cricket, but for Malahide and the wider Fingal area.”

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December, 2017 - January, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

sports JOE SCHMIDT: SIX NATIONS GETS MORE DIFFICULT EVERY YEAR

THE WRAP

Ireland in good shape for Six Nations

What have we learned about Irish rugby?

Nick Purewal

Joe Schmidt admitted that he took some calculated risks in recent Test matches.

JOE Schmidt is gearing his Ireland squad up for their toughest Six Nations yet.

Ireland completed a clean sweep of November victories with a 28-19 win over Argentina in Dublin. Jacob Stockdale’s two-try brace and a score for CJ Stander saw Ireland home, with the Pumas’ three-try flurry too little, too late.

Head coach Schmidt’s men racked up a record 38-3 win over South Africa earlier this month before an experimental line-up edged past Fiji 23-20.

Ireland have blooded youngsters while still pulling of f

results this autumn, but Schmidt admitted the Six Nations will be an entirely different beast.

“I think they’ve got more difficult every year,” he said of the competition. “I thought that 2014 was nice and easy, we won the title comfortably by a fivepoint differential.

“That’s how tough it is to get your nose in front. We’ve got to go to France first up. I know what they are going to be like – incredibly combative. There’s plenty of motivation and, again, I think it is going to be really tough. There’s a few teams to get players back as well.

“England have nursed players through their autumn. A

couple of their big-name Lions haven’t played that much. So there’s still a few cards up their sleeves, and the same for Scotland,” he added.

“I think the Six Nations is a phenomenal tournament.

“The World Cup is really Johnny-come-lately in regard to that. The Six Nations is our tournament. There’s teams in the Six Nations that you’re obliged to go as hard as you can, because you still need your top selection, to keep building their fluidity together.

“And you need to keep building confidence. We took some risks in this autumn, I know. I’d like to say all were calculated,

but some were per chance.” The former Leinster head coach insists, however, that it would be difficult to gauge whether Ireland sit in a stronger position now than after his first autumn schedule, back in 2013.

“It’s tough to compare,” he said. “I think 2013 I was learning probably more than the players.

I was tr ying to work out the differences between Test match rugby and provincial rugby, and those very small windows you get to work with players to develop them.

“One of the best things about this group is, I feel, the experienced players helping the younger players through.”

EXPANSIVE IRELAND SURPRISE PUMAS AND DELIVER IMPRESSIVE WIN

Jacob’s ladder to top winger Nick Purewal

JOE Schmidt revealed his delight at Jacob Stockdale’s two-tr y breakthrough performance as Ireland saw of f Argentina 28-19 in Dublin.

Powerhouse wing Stockdale bagged an impressive brace as Ireland eased past the Pumas, who ran in three late tries in a scoreline flattering to the tourists.

Ulster’s 21-year-old Stockdale now boasts four tries in four caps, and proved his Test-match class at the Aviva Stadium. Head coach Schmidt insisted Stockdale must still keep grafting to improve, but accepted the under-20s graduate now has the chance to launch an international career of genuine note.

“He’s a kid who’s learning fast, and willing to lear n,” Schmidt said of Stockdale.

“He’s got some great athleticism, very big power and he’s a young lad. He finished that second try really impressively, because it wasn’t just the flat line, it was the fact he could arc around someone as impressive as [Joaquin] Tuculet.

“So there were some impressive aspects but at the same time he was a little bit hesitant defensively at times, and trying to win the aerial battles were a battle for him.

“He’ll get some real confidence from it, I hope, but also he’ll get motivation to tr y to improve on what he delivered tonight. I’m delighted with the way he’s building.

“There are many aspects of his game that can help us, so it’s a position that we cast the net. I thought Darren Sweetnam did really well last week too.”

Tuculet, Juan Manuel Leguizamon and Ramiro Moyano grabbed second-half tries for Argentina, who were still well beaten despite the tight eventual scoreline.

Pumas boss Daniel Hourcade revealed his surprise at Ireland’s expansive style, leaving Schmidt in turn raising an eyebrow at the visitors being caught unawares.

“I think we’ve always had a couple of dif ferent styles of game, so I’m surprised that Daniel said that,” Schmidt said.

Jacob Stockdale in congratulated by his Irish teammates after scoring two tries in the win over Argentina at the Aviva Stadium.

Ireland ran out 28-19 winners against the Pumas. Picture: Niall Carson

“He’s done a super job with his team, but if he didn’t anticipate what we did tonight … I’d say against South Africa (38-3 win) there was quite a lot of dew on the grass, you are going to get more kicking. But to a fault last week we threw the ball around, against Fiji (23-20 win). And we want to mix our game up.

“And I think the players would agree that there’s a real licence to play. If the opportunity’s there, play to the space.

“I don’t think that’s too different from what we’ve been doing for some time.”

The only major concern for Ireland over the three autumn internationals was an injury to rising star Joey Carbery.

The Leinster speedster, who

is emerging as Johnny Sexton’s understudy, trudged out of a much-changed Ireland side’s 23-20 win over Fiji with a fractured wrist and could be sidelined for two months.

Scr um coach Greg Feek insisted Ireland’s bosses remain relaxed about the status quo.

“I suppose for us we have to just look at that situation, so that when people come to an environment we back them to understand how we play the game,” said Feek of Ireland’s fly-half picture. “And if we’re developing players in that position or if we have someone come in, we want to make them feel as comfortable as they can.

“We try not to get too stressed about that. There are always

situations in different positions on the pitch where if you lose a couple of players then there could be trouble.

“But at the moment we’re not too concerned about it.”

Coach Joe Schmidt had words of praise for Carber y after the Test against Fiji.

“I thought Joey was a bit special, the way he cut the line and got that pass superbly into the hands of Darren Sweetnam,” said Schmidt of the first tr y, which began with the New Zealand-born back side-stepping a would-be Fijian tackler.

“I thought his ability to organise others is coming along.

That’s one of the biggest responsibilities of a 10.”

Schmidt said he would love

to see Carbery play more at 10 but with Sexton holding that position for Leinster, the opportunity has not presented itself for the youngster.

“It’s an unfortunate situation for us but I totally understand that you’ve got Johnny Sexton at Leinster, he plays. Rob Kearney was injured so Joey’s taken the responsibility at fullback. [But] I’d love to see him play 10 more often, that would help his development but I also know it’s a needs-must situation and there’s some really competitive games coming up.

“He is such a good young player, he’s such a team-oriented character, he would play anywhere and he’ll continue to do that if it’s the best for the team.”

IRELAND powered to a clean sweep of three victories in the November series, dispatching South Africa, edging past Fiji and overcoming Argentina. What are the key lessons from that autumn Test campaign?

1. Jacob Stockdale has emerged as a genuine Test star. Ulster wing Stockdale has long since been earmarked for international acclaim, but at 21 he is now delivering on that rich potential. The powerhouse wing bagged two hugelyimpressive tries as Ireland overwhelmed Argentina 28-19 at the Aviva Stadium.

The incisive line he cut off Johnny Sexton for his second try underscores just why Joe Schmidt is such a fan of the Lisburn native: Ireland have desperately craved a power winger ready to go looking for work in midfield, and now they have it.

2. Encouraging starts for Chris Farrell and Bundee Aki boost Ireland’s depth. Munster centre Farrell quickly shook off a piecemeal debut against Fiji by conjuring a fine showing in the Argentina clash.

Connacht’s bruising centre Aki has coped admirably on his first forays into Test rugby too. When the likes of Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw return to full fitness, head coach Schmidt will have some interesting selection debates for the Six Nations.

3. Ireland’s new styles of play underscore impressive training-ground drilling.

Schmidt insists Ireland have always possessed the ability to play with width and pace during his tenure, but there is no escaping the fact he has expanded Ireland’s attacking blueprint this autumn. And rightly so, because the global trend has skewed so far towards the rapier not the bludgeon that without a razor-sharp running and passing game, top-level Test victories are extremely difficult to come by. Schmidt has devised a savvy methodology of working Conor Murray into the fly-half channel and Sexton into the space between 12 and 13 once Ireland hit their phase-play stride. Such variety is extremely difficult to defend against.

4. Rory Best remains the right choice as captain.

Stalwart Ulster hooker Best just keeps on churning out the top-drawer performances at Test level, to belie his 35 years of age.

5. Prop Cian Healy is back to his brutal best. His scrummaging performance against Argentina underlined his raw power, at one point driving his opposite number clean off the ground, a feat that has become a rarity in the modern Test arena. Jack McGrath’s potency, coupled with Healy’s resurgence and David Kilcoyne’s strong form, leaves Ireland well stocked at loosehead.

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December, 2017 - January, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

sports

RUGBY

Unbeaten Ireland Set Sights On Six Nations PAGE 23

Michael Murphy goes for goal during the second International Rules test in Perth. Picture: Sportsfile

HYBRID HOPE AFTER ‘BEST SERIES EVER’ Aussies accused of rough stuff but series hailed a winner

David Hennessy

JOE Kernan’s Irish team came a long way to taste bitter defeat, coming out on the wrong side of the latest International Rules series. Ireland lost the series 2-0 and by a margin of 116-103.

However, a late tackle by Joel Selwood and some cheap shots by the hosts would cause tempers to boil over and become the talking points of the series.

However Tadhg Kennelly, who played AFL for Sydney Swans and represented Ireland in International Rules, said the series was the best yet.

“I think it was probably the best series ever played to tell you the truth,” Kennelly told the Irish Echo. “I’ve been involved in six series as a player, four series as a coach. As far as a competitive game and spectacle and the quality of the game itself and the way it was played by both teams, I think it was the best one.

“You need the best players from both codes to be playing. There were some missing from both but not a huge amount really. I think the concept has grown a lot of legs after that series.”

Asked if the Dublin footballers were missed from the spectacle, Tadhg says: “Yes and no, it’s a bit difficult. People have got to understand they have been on the road for three years in a row

really and right up until the end of September, it can take its toll on you.

“A lot of them played in the past also, it must be said.

“It is not as if they haven’t played and represented their country. It just happened that the majority of them have been still involved in theitr club football.

“It’s very difficult being a county footballer when you’re being pulled and dragged, something has to give. It’s just a coincidence and the players have said that. (James) McCarthy said, we wanted to play, we have played in the past but it has all happened at once.

“If you look at the Australian team though, they had no representation from the Richmond team that won the flag.”

Michael Murphy and Conor McManus starred for Ireland and the Irish would have struggled to even keep in touch without their scores.

The first test at Adelaide saw Ireland starting well, leading 15-14 after the first 20 minutes. Their lead was stretched to 10 in the second quarter when Michael Murphy scored the first goal of the game. Michael Murphy and Conor McManus were Ireland’s best forwards, taking the lion’s share of the Irish scores.

Pearce Hanley of the Gold Coast suffered a hand injury, ending his series and further deplet-

The Australian International Rules squad celebrate their success with the Cormac McAnallen Trophy in Perth.

ing the Irish squad. Australia’s devastating pairing of Ben Brown and Nat Fyfe made sure they went in at the half-time hooter one point to the good, 28-27.

The heat took its toll on the Irish, who wilted in the second half, losing the third quarter 22-8 but they would do well to fight back, taking the final quarter 18-13, making it 63-53 in favour of

the home team going into the second Test. Ireland threatened to comeback in the second test in Perth with early Gary Brennan and Christ Barrett goals putting them in a commanding position, but Australia would produce a strong finish to claim the Cormac McAnallen trophy.

Ireland led 30-17 at the break when a black card for Joel Selwood saw tempers boil over and a melee erupted after the foul on Chris Barrett.

Conor McManus kept Ireland in it with his fine shooting but Australia took an overall lead of seven points going into the final quarter and would finish stronger to take the match 53-50 and the series.

On the Selwood tackle that caused so much controversay, Kennelly said: “It’s just a different understanding. I think it’s certainly a free-kick, penalty and that’s in any of the two codes but players when they handpass in AFL, they brace themselves for the contact coming whereas in Gaelic football, we don’t do that as much.

“I can obviously see the uproar from Ireland but I just think there’s a grey area that’s always going to be there because of the interpretation of rules from countries that are so far away and concepts of the game are very different.

“That’s where we have be lenient on both sides of things, on both sets of rules and incidents,” Kennelly said.