I see regular short videos on Twitter of individuals, usually men, dressed up in bright green hoodies holding children’s’ books aloft in libraires around the country. They appear to be protesting about the content of the books in question and have an opinion about the suitability of these books for their intended end user. Library… Continue reading Protestors in bright green hoodies in the children’s section of your local library
Category: Society
Amateur versus professional
I was recently interviewed by a young journalist about a topic that has been much in the news in the last 12 months or so. I was taken aback at the lack of knowledge about the issues demonstrated by the interviewer. Hopefully, one day this individual, if intent on pursuing a career in media, will… Continue reading Amateur versus professional
Scratching the surface of history is still valuable
Listening to the BBC History Extra podcast has given me a great insight into many historical topics that I would only have been vaguely acquainted with. Being able to dip into such a wide range of topics over the centuries, from the Byzantine, Greek and Roman empires to the Cuban missile crisis, Hitler and the… Continue reading Scratching the surface of history is still valuable
The real value of history
I am enjoying an excellent BBC podcast at the moment called “History Extra Podcast”. There is a tremendously wide range of historical topics covered and the experts who are interviewed about their particular area of expertise are genuine experts. One thing that strikes me is the degree to which the victor in any conflict gets… Continue reading The real value of history
Revisiting Enfield train station and ghosts in the signal cabin
I went down to Enfield train station yesterday for the first time since I was a child. I remember playing football in the station yard and being down in the signal cabin with Jim McDonnell who was a good friend of my grandfather. Jim was a staunch Kildare GAA supporter and seemed to derive a… Continue reading Revisiting Enfield train station and ghosts in the signal cabin
I used to hate Sinéad O’Connor
I used to hate Sinéad O’Connor. That was back in 1987 or thereabouts when she burst on the scene first with “Mandinka”. I and my brother had a little shop in Glasnevin around that time and her voice was forever blaring out on our shop radio. Back before you needed a licence to play a… Continue reading I used to hate Sinéad O’Connor
This Irish disabled man has more in common with L.G.B.T. community and foreigners than he thinks
“When are we going to have a voice?” said the commenter with a disability on my YouTube channel. In his comment under my video about freedom of speech/expression in Irish law he refers to himself being “an Irish disabled man living in my own country” and “other people with different backgrounds like L.G.B.T+ their own… Continue reading This Irish disabled man has more in common with L.G.B.T. community and foreigners than he thinks
Vera Pauw’s half time talk
After the ladies World Cup match the other day in which Australia, the host country, narrowly defeated Ireland by one goal to nil I listened carefully to what Vera Pauw said on the six one news. She said that she told her girls at half time that the match would be won and lost by… Continue reading Vera Pauw’s half time talk
The problem with information nowadays
The problem with information nowadays is not that there is no, or insufficient, information. There is plenty of it. More than any person has ever experienced in the lived experience of a human being. No, the problem now is being able to figure out which information is worth paying attention to and which is best… Continue reading The problem with information nowadays
Dáil committees blow their Perry Mason moment
And so, we have had the spectacle of the Dáil committees questioning Tubridy, Kelly, and RTE management over the last couple of weeks. Members of these committees had their Perry Mason and Rumpole of the Bailey opportunities and cast them aside like mob bosses at a strip club. Playing to the gallery-that is, their parish,… Continue reading Dáil committees blow their Perry Mason moment