Taoiseach in Grave Dispute with the Minister for the Disappeared.

Yesterday in the Dail there was a lot of accusations, heated exchanges, angry finger wagging and gesticulating as the Minister for the Disappeared continues to insist on leading with his chin.

It’s Austerity Doh’a

As the Dail sits to ponder the budget and how best the Fine Gael/Labour coalition can screw Irish society’s most vulnerable, those likely to be hardest hit should not be too ungracious in their deliberations. They should give some appreciation to Big Phil Hogan’s troubles. While the rest of us can sit in our one shirt grumbling Phil has the problem of deciding which of his week’s supply of blue shirts to wear on any given day.

And while we can stay at home bemoaning our impoverished state, apprehensive about the budget cuts, big Phil in the service of the nation has to struggle so far from home in Doh’a on rotten red wine while having to support the burden of some female who arrived unsolicited on his shoulder. As if he hasn’t enough to carry already.


This is hardly virgin territory for the man termed ‘the Blueshirt Bully. In June Phil ran up €9000 during the course of a one day trip to Luxemburg. He and four of his cronies stayed in a five star hotel. Such was his worry about the poor back home that he toasted their health with a round that ran to €47 ‘which should have been subtracted from his expenses, but was not deducted until the Sunday Independent queried the charge.’ In the first sixteen months after taking office he and his government buddies ran up a €92,000 bill jet setting. A lot of good work there no doubt being performed by this public servant. Big amounts to worry about whereas for us its a mere tenner here or €2 here. With what other than deep begrudgery could the welfare junkies be harsh to him?

To top it all off, in an act of solidarity with those struggling to make ends meet with their mortgage upkeeps he refused to pay service charges on his luxury apartment in the Algarve.

Sometimes, just occasionally, the thought has to be entertained that Robespierre did some things right.


Rafa and Rasputin

Rafa Benitez has taken on the job as Chelsea coach. A brave man, a foolish one, maybe even a desperate one. Roman Abramovitch doesn’t like 'failure' even when to the rest of us it is hard to distinguish from success. Benitez, if he is not to sink in the quicksand that has enveloped Stamford Bridge, must not only outmatch teams he must also overcome Abramovitch.

The greatest failure at Chelsea football club is not any of the nine managers who have laboured under the whip of the Russian oligarch, but Abramovitch himself. Each of the the managers under his reign as Czar has managed one failed team. Abramovitch has managed eight ‘failed’ coaches and seems poised to find fault with a ninth. He is as much a delinquent as any of the fans from the Chelsea Headhunters gang.

Each cat has nine lives. When it is time for Rafa to go, Rasputin should go with him.

This & That: Take 17

Taoiseach in Grave Dispute with the Minister for the Disappeared.

Yesterday in the Dail there was a lot of accusations, heated exchanges, angry finger wagging and gesticulating as the Minister for the Disappeared continues to insist on leading with his chin.

It’s Austerity Doh’a

As the Dail sits to ponder the budget and how best the Fine Gael/Labour coalition can screw Irish society’s most vulnerable, those likely to be hardest hit should not be too ungracious in their deliberations. They should give some appreciation to Big Phil Hogan’s troubles. While the rest of us can sit in our one shirt grumbling Phil has the problem of deciding which of his week’s supply of blue shirts to wear on any given day.

And while we can stay at home bemoaning our impoverished state, apprehensive about the budget cuts, big Phil in the service of the nation has to struggle so far from home in Doh’a on rotten red wine while having to support the burden of some female who arrived unsolicited on his shoulder. As if he hasn’t enough to carry already.


This is hardly virgin territory for the man termed ‘the Blueshirt Bully. In June Phil ran up €9000 during the course of a one day trip to Luxemburg. He and four of his cronies stayed in a five star hotel. Such was his worry about the poor back home that he toasted their health with a round that ran to €47 ‘which should have been subtracted from his expenses, but was not deducted until the Sunday Independent queried the charge.’ In the first sixteen months after taking office he and his government buddies ran up a €92,000 bill jet setting. A lot of good work there no doubt being performed by this public servant. Big amounts to worry about whereas for us its a mere tenner here or €2 here. With what other than deep begrudgery could the welfare junkies be harsh to him?

To top it all off, in an act of solidarity with those struggling to make ends meet with their mortgage upkeeps he refused to pay service charges on his luxury apartment in the Algarve.

Sometimes, just occasionally, the thought has to be entertained that Robespierre did some things right.


Rafa and Rasputin

Rafa Benitez has taken on the job as Chelsea coach. A brave man, a foolish one, maybe even a desperate one. Roman Abramovitch doesn’t like 'failure' even when to the rest of us it is hard to distinguish from success. Benitez, if he is not to sink in the quicksand that has enveloped Stamford Bridge, must not only outmatch teams he must also overcome Abramovitch.

The greatest failure at Chelsea football club is not any of the nine managers who have laboured under the whip of the Russian oligarch, but Abramovitch himself. Each of the the managers under his reign as Czar has managed one failed team. Abramovitch has managed eight ‘failed’ coaches and seems poised to find fault with a ninth. He is as much a delinquent as any of the fans from the Chelsea Headhunters gang.

Each cat has nine lives. When it is time for Rafa to go, Rasputin should go with him.

21 comments:

  1. Good on Gerry Adams for highlighting the effects welfare cuts are having in the south.

    He and is party represent and give a voice to the working class, the poor and the vulnerable. Thank goodness theyre in power in the 6, they'd never allow welfare cuts, I mean 'reform'... Oh wait...

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  2. The plebs will continue to be on the receiving end of all these austerity measures both here and in the republic while the fat cats carry on much as usual,until the penny drops the lack of protest both peaceful and violent is an indication how well the system has subdued the working class,these bastards will only take notice when buildings are burning,sooner the better,

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  3. The contempt with which elected parasites live it-up and bankers continue to take a bonus is proof that only a turd lacking in concience and any shred of moral fiber seem to be be interested in those jobs.

    People are fickle though and change with the wind and the media builds them all up only to tear them down. To hell with the lot of it. It's a perfect combination.

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  4. Just finished the 1st part of Voices from the Grave (seen the documentary on youtube).Had to read it twice (some parts more than twice).

    Now I have a better understanding why 'The powers that be' want their hands on the tapes. Personally I reckon the Jean McConville argument is a smoke screen.

    I think for some the truth is too ugly to handel.

    Beggars my belief that someone with the experience, expertise, foresight etc of Brendan Hughes was so easily dissmissed as being paranoid.

    The best way I can describe what I've just read is this (I'm sure it's been said before), It reads like what was once a happy marriage ending in a bitter divorce.

    I hope someone in the American Justice system has the common sense to keep them in Boston.

    I'm off to read the 2nd part.
    It's been an excellent read so far.

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  5. Watching a programme about evictions and homeless people in England and my blood boils,if the people would only say No and the banks and their employees became the target not the enforcers,then I think we would see a chance in this awful state...

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  6. Frankie I thought David Ervines testimony was weak as water...

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  7. Marty; 'Watching a programme about evictions and homeless people in England and my blood boils,if the people would only say No and the banks and their employees became the target not the enforcers,then I think we would see a chance in this awful state...'

    And meanwhile in county Wicklow a young homeless man with mental health and addiction problems freezes to death sleeping rough.

    33 years old he was. How can this be happening?

    Bray council has stipulated that some public buildings be kept open to allow homeless people to get in out of the cold. A positive move & other councils should follow suit but that its even come down to this is an indictment on us all.

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  8. A positive move no doubt a cara,and I note the generosity of comedian Brendan Carroll donating over a thousand turkeys to the needy in Dublin, and the bankers and the politicians will sit back and leave the good will gestures to good people like Brendan,if the people would just say no more homeless no more evictions we are taking back our country,and forcing the issue by stopping evictions and boycotting the banks,then we would surely see a change in attitude by these parasites..

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  9. Marty:belfastbookworm.

    When i was a nipper the bailiff's were in and out of our street everyday, more out than in, the people stood with each other and chased them out, and the RUC done a runner as well, but in thsoe days there was no Republican MP/MLA, all the voting was rigged against them, but in this day and age everything is still the same, Politicians lining there pockets, corrupt to the hilt, looking after there own, making sure the middle and upper class don't suffer, reep it of the poor, or, as they say, the lower class, Put up the taxes, lets have the British system of Council Tax but we can call it a different name, OH, they get to much Unemployment benefit,we can cut that as well, they have to get work, WHAT WORK?, since the bankers lined there pockets and got bailed out by tax payers money, companies are closing down or going overseas to get cheaper tax rates and lower wages, but lets not forget, the bank crisis was world wide, well planned that was, Edna had a rough time with Adams, sorry, but I have to stick up for the latter, he had the session suspended because he would not be seated, but isn't he lucky, he has something to sit on.

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  10. Marty..I've just started the David Ervine part. I'm susprised he joined the UVF. He father by all accounts comes across as a socialist. Who gave Ervine a book on Henry Joy to read a 15..Had no time for Big Ian..he just wanted to keep a roof over his head (as I said I've only started)

    The testimony by Brendan Hughes..Powerfull is to weak a word. It is a brutally honest account of his life in the RM. Fair play to him for telling it as it was. Someone should make a movie about his life.

    I was shocked to read that the new leadership in prison wanted to beat up an elderly protestant so they could get segregation. So much for Wolftone and uniting catholics, protestants and dissenter. Brendan Hughes line of thought of non seperation and finding common ground in prison should have been followed through. The friendship he forged with Basher Bates of all people. That speaks volumes. Then Basher defends him. I'd heard David Morley's name mentioned in other books (Tim pat Coogan book on the IRA, Eamon Maile book too). You can't get respect with force or threat of. In my world respect has to earned.

    Paddy Crawford's only crime was he broke under questioning???? Thats not a reason to hang anyone!!!!

    I'm still trying to get my head around what I've just read in part 1...

    I've just ordered Liam mellows and the Irish Revolution. I've loads to learn about my country. Once thats finished the next is The Death of Irish Republicanism. I once read 'Hope & History' in 2007/8 and even with my limited knowledge, I found it a terrible read. Biased is an understatement.

    The program on homeless people on the BBC. I'll watch it on catch up tomorrow. If you watch the show after it's broadcast, you don't need a license.

    But now I know what Brownie meant.

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  11. Frankie.books I suggest you read are Anthony,s Good Friday Death Of Irish Republicanism. Richard O Rawes Afterlives and Blanketmen. and Ernie O Malleys On Another Mans Wounds and The Singing Flame also the womems ex pows book In the Footsteps Of Anne. lol a cara I watch the programmes when they are broadcast and I dont need a licence....
    Itsjustmacker a cara during the 80,s the H.E in this area were left in no doubt that evections were NOT happening unless it was people driven. and there was a really good working relationship between the republican movement and the DHSS..that was back in the day when being a republican and a socialist really meant what it said on the tin..

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  12. Marty, keep the faith Anthonys book is on my short list. Before I read Richard o'Rawes books I want to get myself a copy of 10 men dead and read that again (kinda cross reference them)..As for the other books you mentioned. I'll get them. Sometime next week I'm starting on the Liam Mellows book. It'll arrive this monday.

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  13. The talk of evictions reminds me of a true story which happened in Derry in the 70s.

    The family of a Republican prisoner who was in the cages at the time had fallen on hard times. Having gone bankrupt they were being evicted from their home on the Racecourse Road area of Shantallow.

    During the eviction two guys go into the house and ask to see the person in charge.

    "Who wants to know?" Asks a right cocky looking fucker who was clearly the head bailiff.

    "Smith and Wesson." Says one of the guys.

    "Who the fuck are Smith and Wesson?" Asks the head bailiff.

    One of the guys produces a revolver and says, "Meet Smith and Wesson. Now get to fuck out and don't come back."

    Needless to say the family weren't evicted.

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  14. Dixie.

    I love that one, but, in my early days that was an impossibility, the whole RUC would have been out from Leapold St and Oldpark Rd, and possibly from Brown Square as well with guns blazing, that was the norm in the 50s and early 60s., but then again it would have been the old 45 revolver. lol

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  15. Marty a cara

    I understand what you mean about the 80s, I was on about the early 50s and early 60s, sorry I thought I stipulated that.

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  16. Itsjustmacker a cara I did indeed understand you. what I tried to point out was that by the 80,s the people had got back some control of their lives through the aid of the the OIRA/PIRA and INLA and in this area there was not one eviction while this remained the case,a good friend and a good man the late vol John Boyd gave the district manager a pistol whipping which had the effect of focusing the workers attention to the job and not their careers,and things that needed done got done, I have since almost had a stand up fight with their maintenance manager over a lock on a womans toilet door this they say is not necessary,that and the 18 plus year old arrogant fuckers who now treat these communities as if they were something picked up on their shoe,yes a cara we are back to the days you talked of and what makes me sick is that we dont have to be ...

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  17. Frankie

    Beggars my belief that someone with the experience, expertise, foresight etc of Brendan Hughes was so easily dismissed as being paranoid.

    It at least explains why they had to malign him.

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  18. Frankie

    I've just started the David Ervine part. I'm surprised he joined the UVF.

    I think they are always surprised at how we on the republican side can’t allow for them to have socialist credentials. They tend to feel they they are no different from people on the left in London, Glasgow or Cardiff. I have noticed in recent posts that some have characterised them as fascists. That should prompt us to remember the strange mix of ideas including left ones that feed into fascist ideology.

    I was shocked to read that the new leadership in prison wanted to beat up an elderly protestant so they could get segregation. So much for Wolf Tone and uniting catholics, protestants and dissenter. Brendan Hughes line of thought of non separation and finding common ground in prison should have been followed through.

    There was not a chance in hell of it working. On top of that republicans had other imperatives specific to the jail that integration would not have facilitated.

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  19. Marty,

    I knew big John myself. He was one good guy

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  20. Marty,

    A whore would never bring herself down to the level of a bishop.

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  21. Dixie,

    that's a great story about the eviction

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