We must never repeat the colossal damage we inflicted on ourselves during Covid-19
As I write, Ireland still awaits the outcome of the review process chaired by Prof Anne Scott, an expert in medical ethics, into the State’s response to the Covid pandemic of 2020. And rather than waiting further for the outcome of that report, I feel compelled to express my own opinions on how the Irish State (and […]
Orbán’s defeat is a ‘dunt in the snot’ for Trump – and a lesson for Ireland
It has been an abysmal week for US president Donald Trump and his vice-president JD Vance. For Vance in particular, things could not have been worse. Ordered by the idiot king to fly to Budapest in a forlorn last-minute mercy dash to save the government of Viktor Orbán, he abased himself by a combination of lies and bombast. […]
There’s a Bermuda Triangle of dereliction in Dublin. The solution lies in Leinster House
Last week Olivia Kelly reported in The Irish Times that Dublin City Council was “finally” appearing “to be arming itself” in the battle against dereliction. Its superweapon, apparently, will be the Dublin City Development Corporation, a special-purpose vehicle (SPV) dedicated to city regeneration. This will happen “in the coming months”. The non-statutory SPV will have an “independent” board of directors […]
War in the Middle East has cooled enthusiasm of conservatives for an Irish Trump
Less than three months ago, US Ambassador to Ireland Edward Walsh attended both days of the inaugural IRL Forum organised by Eddie Hobbs. Hobbs reportedly told the Irish Examiner that there was potential for an “Irish Trump” in the ranks of the Independent Ireland party. The newspaper reported that Walsh’s office had contacted Hobbs to facilitate his attendance at […]
US and Israel have inflicted long-term damage on themselves in their war with Iran
Nobody is telling the truth. Why did the war on Iran start? Was it because Israel had decided to launch a go-it-alone air war, as Marco Rubio said? Was it because Pete Hegseth convinced Donald Trump to go to war? Was it because Binyamin Netanyahu persuaded the US president that an American-Israeli assault was risk-free and would topple the regime of the Ayatollahs? The only […]
Nato allies must not save Donald Trump from himself
Almost incredibly, Trump has asked China, the UK, France and other countries to deploy warships to the Persian gulf to ensure that international shipping – especially oil tankers – have safe passage through the Straits of Hormuz in the face of Iranian threats to blockade and mine such traffic. I say “almost”, because nothing is […]