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 Ireland Basically I am seriously fed up today here in Thurles. People keep asking me why I didn’t decide to throw my hat into the ring, with a chance to win the first prize of almost €250.000 plus €317, 434 annual expenses. First I thought they were referring to a possible share in the National Lottery, but no, I found out later they were referring to the “Race to the Áras” more often referred to as “The Irish Presidential Election,” due to be held on Thursday, 27th October 2011.
Now please don’t spread this around locally, but truth is, despite the poor pay and overall lousy working conditions, I did seriously considered applying for the post. However having weighed all the pros and cons, (Particularly the cons.) I decided I didn’t stand a chance of winning with this €400,000 a ticket lottery, of which 50% is being paid by less than intelligent taxpayers.
Well you are all not totally stupid, look at my opposition for God’s sake. I have never killed innocent women and children as a member of an illegal organisation, unlike Martin McGuinness’s IRA, so no Sinn Fein votes for me. Fianna Fáil had already put in place their “Secret 007 Undercover Agent,” Séan Gallagher, so no votes from there either. Unlike Dana, my brief singing career begun in the late 60’s, brought my small audiences literally to tears, (in the true sense I mean). My inability to write, mainly due to free education, let alone write letters seeking clemency on behalf of a man charged with the statutory rape of a 15-year-old Palestinian boy, meant that David Norris would wipe the floor with me. I had no worries at all about Mickey Higgins and Gabriel Mitchell, as I reckoned they would be a pushover. Now while I specialise in social entrepreneurship and am a strong unpaid disability rights campaigner on a regular basis, for some strange and unknown reason I have never been co-opted to any State Boards as yet, unlike Molly Davis.
Having thought it all over then very carefully, I decided to discuss the matter with my director of elections for many years, Michael. Michael a regular commenter on Thurles.Info, as usual put me to thinking straight immediately. “I am going to extol to you the parable of the body politic” said he with his usual knowing nod.
“Think of it like this,” said he, slowly and knowingly sucking on his pipe, “all the organs of the body are having a meeting, trying to decide who is the one to be in charge.”
“I should be in charge,” said the Brain, “because I administer all the body’s systems, so without me nothing could happen.”
“No I should be in charge,” said the Blood, “because I circulate oxygen all over, so without me you’d all waste away.”
“No I should be in charge,” said the Stomach, “because I process the food that gives all of you lots of necessary energy.”
“You lot are joking, I should be in charge,” said the Legs, “don’t I carry the whole body everyday, wherever it needs to go.”
“I should be in charge,” said the Eyes, “because I allow the body to see where it goes.”
“I should be in charge,” said the Rectum, “because I’m responsible for all recycling and waste removal.”
All the other body parts laughed at the Rectum and insulted him, so taking the attitude of over worked nurses recently in Limerick Regional Hospital, he shut down part of his daily duties for a couple of afternoons.
Within minutes, the Brain began to suffer from terrible headaches, the Stomach became bloated, the Legs got weak and wobbly, the Eyes became blurred and watery, and the Blood became toxic.
Following a series of Body Social Partnership meetings to discuss the current situation, the assembled group, led by their union representatives, all decided that the Rectum should be elected as the boss.
“What is the moral of this story you might ask? ” said Michael. “Its very simple, here in Ireland an Anus or Rectum usually wins any positions of power.”
Dear God, what would I ever do without you Michael, sure you speak the tongue of the common man.
 Michael Lowry The journalist and broadcaster Sam Smyth has been awarded legal costs against local politician Michael Lowry following his successful defence in a defamation case that was before the Courts this week. The defamation case related to comments made by Sam Smyth, in a national newspaper and on television, that Michael Lowry had been “caught with his hand in the till” and went on to suggest that he was a thief, a corrupt politician, dishonest, untrustworthy and unfit to have been a Minister and a TD.
In the defamation case Michael Lowry had alleged Sam Smyth had made false and defamatory remarks about him in the Irish Independent newspaper and on TV3’s ‘Tonight With Vincent Browne’ current affairs programme last year.
However, during the court case Sam Smyth had defended his comments and argued that they were true and based on his honest opinion and constituted fair and reasonable publication in matters of public interest. He has also claimed that what had been discovered about Michael Lowry during the McCracken and Moriarty tribunals had led inevitably to the conclusion that he was indeed corrupt, dishonest, untrustworthy and both unfit and unsuitable to be a minister and TD.
In Court this week, Judge Margaret Heneghan told Counsel for Sam Smyth that his client was entitled to his costs and refused to grant a stay on her order pending an appeal of all issues to the High Court. The legal costs awarded to Sam Smyth are understood to be in the tens of thousands of euros.
Source: RTE.ie
 Dr Ed Walsh Dr Ed Walsh is the founding president of the University of Limerick and has been conferred by his peers with an Honorary Doctorate, confirming him as a person of exceptional quality.
Amongst his many contributions to this island, Dr Walsh has served as founding Chairman of the Irish Council for Science Technology and Innovation, the National Technological Park, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, Citywest’s Growcorp and the National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland. He has also served as chairman of the Conference of Heads of Irish Universities and of Shannon Development.
Those close to him, regard his name as synonymous with ground-breaking advances in third level education in Ireland and he is highly regarded both as an educational visionary and a transformational policy influencer.
As a lover of Ireland, combined with his love of fact, logic and truth, it comes therefore as no great surprise to most, that Dr Ed Walsh, given a suitable forum, would launch a blistering attack on Sinn Féin’s presidential candidate Mr Martin McGuinness.
James Martin Pacelli McGuinness has admitted to being a member of the IRA during the 1970’s. He originally joined the Official IRA, possibly in 1969, but switched to the Provisional IRA a short time later, when the organisation split. In 1973, he was convicted by the Republic of Ireland’s Special Criminal Court, after being caught with a car containing 250 lb (or 113 kg) of explosives and nearly 5,000 rounds of ammunition. He refused to recognise the Irish court, and was sentenced to six months imprisonment. After his release, and following another conviction in the Republic, for IRA membership, he became increasingly prominent in Sinn Féin, the political wing of the republican movement. McGuinness now believes he should be rewarded by holding the post of President of Ireland.
Dr Walsh told his audience at a literary festival in Tipperary last Friday night that “Standing before the judges in The Hague, answering questions, related to war crimes and IRA activities, would appear to be more fitting that standing before the Irish electorate, seeking to represent the highest office in the Republic.”
Dr Walsh continued “Mr McGuinness has serious questions to answer regarding IRA activities, the IRA’s killing of 644 civilians, sadistic torture, kneecapping, kidnapping and the arbitrary destruction of the lives of its victims, are in clear contravention of the fourth Geneva Convention. Whatever about McGuinness’s direct involvement with acts classified as war crimes, he was in a position of authority within the IRA, during most of the Northern conflict.
Dr Walsh went on to say that the IRA had incinerated people at the La Mon restaurant, their victims included children and they had practised torture, including using kangaroo courts, all of which were considered war crimes.
For those with short memories, the device used at the La Mon Restaurant on 17th February 1978, was a small blast bomb attached to two large petrol canisters, each filled with a type of home made napalm like substance of petrol mixed with sugar. This substance was designed to stick to whoever and whatever it hit, thus causing severe burn injuries to human flesh. Twelve innocent people were killed that night, seven of whom were women and a further thirty were injured, many of them critically. Most of the victims were members of the Irish Collie Club and the Northern Ireland Junior Motor Cycle Club, which were both staging meetings in the restaurant. Some of those injured are still receiving treatment some 23 years later.
Referring to the peace process Dr Walsh stated: “Hume facilitated the entry of IRA/Sinn Féin into the peace process, in return for which they undertook to decommission IRA arms and disband the IRA and its Army Council. The former has been delivered, but there are questions regarding the latter.”
He further stated that the IRA’s long-term objective was control of Dublin, not of Belfast, and while the IRA Army Council may be dormant, we as citizens should see no reason to relax. As long as the IRA remain in existence, so too, one must assume, does its strategy of using the ‘Armalite and the Ballot Box‘ to achieve its goals. While Sinn Fein had made excellent progress in recent years using the ballot box, should they ever fail to get their way at some future juncture, there is a very real danger that they would reactivate their earlier activities.
Dr Walsh warned that “Democracy was a fragile thing, that was particularly vulnerable at times when Nations were under stress. We have seen the consequences in Europe when countries are overtaken by people who don’t believe in democracy, but in guns“.
A couple of people unable to take the heat, walked out during his speech, to which Dr Walsh commented, “He has some supporters here, too.”
Minister for the Environment, Community & Local Government Mr Phil Hogan, today announced further measures aimed at strengthening the present local government system.
A unified County Council will be established here in Tipperary with effect from the local elections to take place in 2014, thus replacing the existing North and South Tipperary County Councils. This new authority will serve a significantly increased population of 159,000 people.
 J. MacGrath, Chairs Tipperary Implementation Group North and South Tipperary were among the authorities for which the 2010 Local Government Efficiency Review Group report, recommended joint management arrangements. Arising from this Government decision, the Minister has now established an Implementation Group, consisting of the following membership: –
Mr. Joe MacGrath, (Chairperson) (Manager, North Tipperary County Council).
Mr. Billy McEvoy, (Manager, South Tipperary County Council).
Mr. Joe Allen, (Former Principal, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government).
Mr. Gerry Kearney,(Former Secretary General, Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs).
The Group has a general mandate to oversee planning, preparatory work and initial implementation of the reorganisation process. The Group will also ensure that Government policy on local government, the public service, the public finances and other relevant matters are reflected, where necessary, in this implementation process. Due account is also to be taken on relevant analysis and recommendations in reports such as the Local Government Efficiency Review.
This Implementation Group will provide progress reports to the Minister, as appropriate, with an initial report to be provided not later than 30th November 2011, which should include a statement of the implications of unification. The Group will adopt an Implementation Plan not later than 31st May 2012 to set a clear agenda and guidance for the continuation and completion of this reorganisation process.
If you are rushing from Thurles to the Regional Hospital in Limerick with a seriously sick aged parent or an infant, do not use route R503.
 Trust me when I say that spending a couple of nights freezing on a trolley in this hospital’s corridors, waiting for a bed, is the least of your worries, such is the dire state of this road’s surface.
Even senior engineer Mr Michael F. Hayes agrees that a lot of this roadway needs realignment and confesses that it is bad in places. Approximately €300,000 has been spent on this road so far this year, filling the potholes. By Christmas parts of this road surface should be almost impassible.
Tourists encouraged to visit the lovely Clare Glens, the solitude of Kilcommon Prayer Garden and the picturesque Walking trails of Upperchurch, will surely have a talking point when they return home.
Of course our North Tipperary political representatives are presently too busy to notice these required road repairs.
Mr Michael Lowry is busy, pencil in hand, downsizing Quirky’s Casino blue prints and anyway there are no wealthy business men residing in that area, who could create 2000 jobs, so chances are he does not travel route R503. To be fair, should he need a hospital, (God forbid,) he would be air lifted to the Blackrock Clinic, no trolley’s there I understand.
Mr Allen Kelly, who according to his website is Minister For Public Transport and Commuter Affairs is possibly trying to pen together further self glorifying text for his website, which has not been updated since 11th March last, his first day in the Dail. Click here to see me “Sitting at my Desk in Department.” Still I suppose it is an improvement on his famous compromised Twitter. I wonder if he is worth approaching (cap in hand mind you, show a little respect for office) what with his power, maybe he could transfer the near €1 million allocated for the unnecessary old R445 cycle track, purely in the interest of creating jobs you understand.
Mr Noel Coonan, and I could be wrong, but I suspect he is behind this new strategy of holding a Pubic Meeting which was recently announced by the Tipperary Star Newspaper. This new type of meeting strategy is expected to overturn the proposed closure of 22 beds at the Thurles Community Hospital of the Assumption by Health Minister James Reilly. The first of these naked meetings will be held on Monday evening next in the Tipperary Institute, at 7.00pm and a massive crowd is expected to turn up, just for a look you understand.
On the other hand, as my granny used to say, “When God closes one door, He opens a window.” Since it will soon be almost impossible to reach Limerick Regional Hospital by road, won’t it take the pressure of all those underpaid and overworked Consultants, Doctors and Nurses.
Maybe a pubic meeting with our politicians is now overdue and could avoid the embarrassment of people stopping payment on their vehicle road tax.
Are roads covered under the Irish Consumer Rights Act does anyone know?
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