This Might Not Work

Travelling east towards Dublin in the old N4 at Moyvalley you will see a piece of waste ground just off the main road. It is in front of what used to be ‘McGovern’s’ pub and just before you see ‘Fureys’ pub on the left. It is an area of approximately a half acre, I would… Continue reading This Might Not Work

Besmirching the Tricolour

Something I’ve noticed lately on certain social media sites, such as Twitter and YouTube, is the use of the Irish tricolour in the profiles of certain individuals who hold views ranging from xenophobia to racism. These keyboard warriors, most of whom hide behind a fake name, feel free to spout hateful bile about the State,… Continue reading Besmirching the Tricolour

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Learning from Sherlock Holmes

I’m a firm believer in the immense value of reading and I’m not sure I can recall any book, no matter how poor, from which I have not learned something. I’m reading the definitive Sherlock Holmes collection at the moment and, surprisingly, I have come across a few unexpected gems. In the ‘Sign of the… Continue reading Learning from Sherlock Holmes

The Vital Importance of Signals in Your Business

Imagine you have had the proud pleasure of attending a child’s graduation from university. And imagine you book a table for 10 at a local restaurant, and look forward to the food, drink, company, and  company of your family in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere.  Imagine, though, that the restaurant staff send out the wrong signals. … Continue reading The Vital Importance of Signals in Your Business

The Most Powerful Tool to Persuade (No, It’s Not the Data)

The older I get the more I recognise the power of story and storytelling. Take a look at the world in the last few years and the stories that were successfully told: The story Trump told the blue collar workers in the ‘rustbelt’ states in the US during the 2016 presidential election The story Boris… Continue reading The Most Powerful Tool to Persuade (No, It’s Not the Data)

2 Bank Holiday Weekends, 2 Banners-Just Politics?

I’ts an easy one to make. The connection between the simplistic thinking demonstrated by Mary Lou McDonald’s carrying of a banner “England get out of Ireland” in New York on St. Patrick’s Day and the crude, one-dimensional thinking which led to riots in Derry at Easter culminating in the death of Lyra McKee is discernible.… Continue reading 2 Bank Holiday Weekends, 2 Banners-Just Politics?

Envy of Meticulous Oral Communication-Is It Too Late to Learn?

I envy the individual who, without the need for coarse or vulgar or oversimplified language, or the need for vocal stumbling and stuttering and ums and ahs and vocal fry, can fully articulate his views on a topic about which he feels strongly. For example, if I tried to explain my opinion of how odious… Continue reading Envy of Meticulous Oral Communication-Is It Too Late to Learn?