Showing posts with label people. Show all posts
Showing posts with label people. Show all posts

Tuesday, 20 June 2017

No Apologies

Grenfill Tower


Conservative corporate criminals 
Patently corrupt all human law
avoided fire recommendations
Cared nothing for Safety
other than a rich salary
or a knighthood, perhaps ?


It was avoidable you know 
those tides of hot dense smoke
flamed a flow of terrible anguish
ceasing as cindered corpses
or as unrecognisable dust.
All of those deaths unnecessary. 


Survivors at your feet mrs may
only wanted words of remorse
care, respect and tenderness.
Your burden. Tory truth prevented
Killed immediate contact silenced
your poisonous tongue. dead.


We know now what was hidden…
Decision to avoid action. 
Take a risk, Save a few pound.
2009 to 2017 was it worthwhile mrs may ?
Not your life gone up in smoke
and none of them your relations.


Callous Conservatives caused
Grenfill Tower deaths.

©MRL 2017



Extract from Irish Examiner 19th June 2017

Ministers in the UK were repeatedly warned that fire regulations were not keeping people safe, the BBC says leaked letters reveal.

The broadcaster said letters show ministers were warned that people living in high rise blocks like Grenfell Tower were "at risk".

The dozen letters, sent by the All-Party Parliamentary Fire Safety and Rescue Group in the aftermath of a 2009 fatal fire in Lakanal House, south London, warned the British Government "could not afford to wait for another tragedy", according to Panorama.

The parliamentary group wrote in March 2014: "Surely ... when you already have credible evidence to justify updating ... the guidance ... which will lead to saving of lives, you don't need to wait another three years in addition to the two already spent since the research findings were updated, in order to take action?

"As there are estimated to be another 4,000 older tower blocks in the UK, without automatic sprinkler protection, can we really afford to wait for another tragedy to occur before we amend this weakness?"
After further correspondence, then government minister Liberal Democrat Stephen Williams, replied: "I have neither seen nor heard anything that would suggest that consideration of these specific potential changes is urgent and I am not willing to disrupt the work of this department by asking that these matters are brought forward."

The group replied: "We're at a loss to understand, how you had concluded that credible and independent evidence which had life safety implications, was NOT considered to be urgent.

"As a consequence the group wishes to point out to you that should a major fire tragedy, with loss of life, occur between now and 2017, in for example, a residential care facility or a purpose built block of flats, where the matters which had been raised here, were found to be contributory to the outcome, then the group would be bound to bring this to others' attention."

Former cabinet minister Eric Pickles received a letter about fire regulations from the parliamentary group in February 2014, according to the BBC.

In December 2015, the all-party group wrote to the former Conservative minister James Wharton, and warned about the risk of fires spreading on the outside of buildings with cladding.

"Today's buildings have a much higher content of readily-available combustible material. Examples are timber and polystyrene mixes in structure, cladding and insulation.

"This fire hazard results in many fires because adequate recommendations to developers simply do not exist. There is little or no requirement to mitigate external fire spread."

"This fire hazard results in many fires because adequate recommendations to developers simply do not exist. There is little or no requirement to mitigate external fire spread."

Former Conservative minister Gavin Barwell, who was recently appointed British Prime Minister Theresa May's chief of staff, received further calls for action in September last year.

In November 2016 Mr Barwell replied to say his department had been looking at the regulations, and would make a statement "in due course".

In April 2017 Mr Barwell wrote to say he did "acknowledge that producing a statement on building regulations has taken longer than I had envisaged", 

Tuesday, 9 May 2017

The Hill of Truth !

Our intention this time was to visit several places that Mrs. H has had her beady eye on for the past few weeks so at the weekend we set off on a round trip of two hundred and thirty-three miles. The weather was perfect, the coffee in the flask was strong and the road was ours.


Apart from visiting the places that were on our schedule, my navigation brought us to a small home that I had long heard about but had never seen. Finding it was a surprise and a treat for sore eyes.

Eamon De Valera’s home-place at Bruree in Co. Limerick. 


&



The Galtee Mountains
photo taken from Lattin in Co. Tipperary

The highest peak in the Galtee range is Galtymore which rises to 917 m (3,009 ft). Although not the highest mountain in Ireland it is very impressive and can be seen as a great backdrop on the skyline. Some of the best views can be found when approaching Cashel, Co.Tipperary from the north and onwards towards Tipperary Town. 
The Galtees are classified as having a High Fall risk for ramblers, with steep and dangerous areas as well as being very wet underfoot so great care must be taken when walking there.  



My favourite view of The Galtees

By mentioning The Galtee Mountains and Eamon De Valera it has brought to mind a song about a comrade-in-arms of his which I share with you here:

The song of the Galtee Mountain Boy




We continued along our route, travelling further south until we finally saw the outline of Cnoc Fírinne, Co. Limerick. Known as the Hill of Truth or of truthful prediction, because it serves as a weather glass to the people of the surrounding plains who can predict whether the day will be wet or dry by the appearance of the summit in the morning. It is here by tradition that the Irish God, Donn, has another home. 

The Hill of Truth

Cnoc Fírinne

I find it humorous that the male gods are more than likely to be found in the high places and associated with weather, death and truth, whilst their female counterparts are generally found lower in the landscape, in caves, valleys and rivers. 


On the drive home we both felt a bit weary and yet satiated from all that we had seen, the happy memories of which will remain with us. Thank you for visiting this blog and I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed sharing it.








Monday, 1 August 2016

Guinness goes West

On leaving Shannonbridge we retraced our route for home and made a detour to the attractive Shannon Harbour. A place that holds fond memories for me of my early time in Ireland, for here I would visit and take a relaxing stroll along it’s banks to look at what floats in its waters. I loved and still love the sense of an ambiguous freedom that glides above the surface to permeate the very air that we breathe.



Looking West

Shannon Harbour built in 1803 is the terminus for Grand Canal which starts in Dublin and connects to the River Shannon via a lock at the western end. The GC whose waters were once used for making Guinness, also provided a means of transporting the great beverage to all hostelries en route to and including the City of Limerick. On their return journey they would bring back various cargoes such as turf (peat), potatoes and other goods. 

All types of craft moor here including a few
English narrow boats.

I have to admit to being intrigued by the name of this boat
SLY FOX which I think might have been named by a woman.

This beautiful yacht bears the name of famous Irish woman Granuaile also known as known as The Pirate Queen Gráinne Ní Mháille  or Grace O’Malley in English (c 1530- 1603)

The narrow boat SNOWBALL in the dry dock being prepared for bottom blacking.

I could not quite work out as to what the thumb-stick was for because he
seemed to be quite able to walk.

The Irish canal barges were 80 feet long by 17 feet-1 inch wide and made of iron and later of steel. Today the remaining barges have been converted into houseboats.


LOOKING EAST.
The first or the last road bridge over the Grand Canal, depending on which end you count from !






Friday, 25 March 2016

The Centenary of the Easter Rising


All around Ireland new monuments are being
erected to commemorate the 1916 Rising.



This is a fine example of what can occur when like minded people,
from different walks of life work together for the benefit of the greater community.
It is situated at Derrycloney Bridge on the outskirts of Mountmellick in Co. Laois
and will be unveiled on 3rd April 2016.

The Floral Tribute at Derrycloney.


In Dublin today 

Several thousand people have marched from Kilmainham to Arbour Hill Cemetery in Dublin to commemorate the events of Easter 1916.

Those taking part included the Cabra Historical Society and flute and pipe bands - including two from the US.

The gathering was addressed by Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams.

Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness was also present. 

Mr Adams said relatives of 1916 should not have been forced to go the High Court to protect the Moore Street battlefield site.

Mr Adams said the State had lost the Moore Street case and the people had won.

He honoured Colm Moore who took the action in order save the site from demolition by developers.

Addressing the crowd at Arbour Hill Cemetery, Mr Adams said the State was "not the Republic proclaimed in 1916" and he added "efforts to pretend that it is, is an insult to the brave men who lie here".

Mr Adams also accused acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny of turning his back on the border.

"Enda Kenny thinks Northern Ireland is a foreign country." he said.

Mr Adams added that the proclamation remains the mission statement for Irish republicanism.


© RTE



James Connolly Herron (right) unveils a new statue with Northern Ireland Culture Minister Caral Ni Chuilin, for his great grandfather James Connolly, one of the 1916 Easter Rising leaders on Falls Road, Belfast.

James Connolly Heron said it was an honour and a privilege to attend the event on the Falls Road in the west of the city.
Addressing a crowd of hundreds, he said: "I feel in some ways that I have come home.
"This is west Belfast and the Falls Road is very much the spiritual home of James Connolly.
"He had many homes. He was a son of Edinburgh; he was a son of New York; he was a son of Dublin and a very proud son of Belfast.
"His family forged their politics in and around this area."
The life-size bronze sculpture, which weighs 200 kilograms, was designed by artist Steve Feeny and is located on the Falls in the west of the city.
It was funded by Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
Sinn Fein councillor Jim McVeigh, a member of the James Connolly Society, said it was an "exciting day".
He said: "This is the best place for James Connolly, in the place where he lived and among the people whom he fought for."
Culture Minister Caral ni Chuilin described Connolly as one of the greatest ever leaders and revealed that his photograph had taken pride of place in the home where she grew up alongside a picture of the Sacred Heart and US President John F Kennedy.
Connolly was born in Edinburgh to Irish parents, rose to prominence during the Dublin lockout of 1913 as general secretary of Irish Transport and General Workers Union and commander of Irish Citizen Army (ICA), which was set up to defend workers from police brutality.
He had close ties with Belfast and lived at Glenalina Terrace close to the Falls Road for a number of years from 1911.
He has been hailed as one of the most influential and effective leaders of the rebellion and on Easter Monday, April 24 1916 led more than 220 ICA members to the General Post Office from where he commanded military operations.
He was executed by firing squad at Kilmainham Gaol in May 1916.
© Belfast Telegraph

Saturday, 20 February 2016

CAUGHT WITH TROUSERS DOWN!

Revealed – 'Concerned citizen' who challenged Mary Lou McDonald on fair taxes is top banker.


Fergus Crawford, CEO of the Irish branch of Sarasin & Partners, which is based at 120 St Stephen's Green and is part of private Swiss Bank J Safra Sarasin.


THE 'CONCERNED CITIZEN' who claimed he was a small business owner when he confronted Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald about tax reform during a press event on Grafton Street in Dublin on Friday is actually the CEO of a Swiss investment firm.

The man who refused to divulge his name to reporters despite repeated requests claimed he was a “small business owner”. 

An Phoblacht learned that the man is Fergus Crawford, CEO of the Irish branch of Sarasin & Partners, which is based at 120 St Stephen's Green and is part of private Swiss Bank J Safra Sarasin.

The asset management firm manages more than €15billion in assets. Some of the services it provides includes offshore hedge funds based in overseas locations such as the Channel Islands which help reduce the tax liabilities for clients in places like Ireland.

During his exchange with Mary Lou McDonald, Crawford criticised Sinn Féin's plans to ask higher earners to pay an extra 7 cent on each euro earned in excess of €100,000 per year.

Crawford shouted that his children didn't want to “aspire to €69,000 a year” while ludicrously claiming that Sinn Féin wants to tax people “out of existence”.

During the exchange he told reporters he would "probably vote for Fine Gael".

Mary Lou McDonald pointed out to him that more than 50% of the workforce in Ireland earns less than €28,500 a year and that Sinn Féin wants to ease the tax burden on low and middle earners while asking those at the top to pay a little more.

Fergus Crawford*From 1996 to July 2008 he served in various roles, including Head of Investment, for ACC Bank.

Main article by Mark Moloney of An Phoblacht

Foot note by aheronsview
When searching for his company’s web site www.sarasin-alpen.com it now appears to be non operational! 
Well,so much for opening his big mouth and telling lies about being a small business man.

Wednesday, 17 February 2016

Gerry Adams - a caring society

The women, who have set up the Circle of Hope suicide support group on the northside of Cork City, issued their plea yesterday, as Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams met them and several other groups involved in suicide support programmes.
They told Mr Adams, and his party’s two candidates in Cork North Central, TD Jonathan O’Brien and Thomas Gould, how five young people in one small area of Ballyvolane and Dublin Hill died by suicide within a few months of each other in 2013.

Link for video:
Gerry Adams in Limerick - Irish Examiner


“It was a horrible year — one after the other. Our group came out of that,” said Lynda Haynes.
Her son, Corey O’Callaghan, died by suicide three weeks before his 21st birthday. Fiona Mackey’s son, John, took his own life a few months later. He was 14.
Ms Haynes said the pain never leaves, but having a support group, where people can talk and remember their loved ones, helps them cope.

“Everyone knew Corey. He was just an old soul. It was like he was here before. He gave his heart and time to everyone. He was so happy-go-lucky,” she said.

Corey left a note in which he said he had the best friends. “But he also said he had pain — pain we didn’t see,” said Ms Haynes.



Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams waving to some of the staff and children looking out the window from the Little Learners Educare room as he left following a visit to Togher Family Centre, Cork. Picture: Denis Minihane

“I think he just got tired. He counselled a lot of people. The one person he needed to help was himself.”
Ms Mackey said John left two notes for his family.
“He didn’t do this to cause us pain. It was to get rid of his own pain, but we don’t know what that pain was. Only for this support group. I wouldn’t be here,” she said.
Both women told Mr Adams they want politicians to commit to mental health awareness campaigns.
“Money doesn’t come into it. We fundraise ourselves. We just want them to commit to awareness,” said Ms Haynes.
Mr Adams praised the support groups and called for an all-island approach to tackling suicide, including the introduction of a sustained advertising campaign modelled on road-safety campaigns.
“These groups can take some succour from the fact that even though some of them have lost loved ones, they have saved a lot of other people by the work they are doing,” he said.
“There are people alive today who would otherwise be dead only for the advocacy work and awareness work they are doing.”
Statistics show 459 people — 368 men and 91 women — took their own lives in Ireland last year, but the real suicide figure could be as high as 1,000.
“Despite the fact that 644,000 people — one in seven adults — have experienced mental-health issues in the last year, successive governments have neglected the mental health area,” said Mr Adams. He said if Sinn Féin was in government, it would increase the mental health budget in year one by €35m, complete the rollout of suicide crisis assessment nurses, and reverse cuts to guidance counsellors.
By Irish examiner reporter Eoin English
***

My own experience during the twenty-five years that I have lived in this part of Ireland, is that I have known several people from different walks of life who have taken their own lives and when the financial downturn came that number unfortunately grew.


Thursday, 11 February 2016

ELECTIONITUS

Electionitus is a serious condition that afflicts most of the adult population at election times. The symptoms range from acute lethargy to fanaticism. What I was unaware of was that many of the election candidates suffer from an egoistical condition which described in great detail by Gerry Adams in his blog Leargas.  http://leargas.blogspot.ie



I have an extract below where he explains the condition:


"Every candidate and everyone else should be mindful of the particular and peculiar stresses and strains that comes with being a candidate. It’s a form of ailment called Candidatitis. It begins with the candidate coming to believe – with a certainty known only to the prophets of old – that they are going to win.

This syndrome is capable of moving even the most rational aspirant or shy wallflower into a state of extreme self belief. It strikes without warning, is no respecter of gender, and can infect the lowly municipal hopeful, the aspiring Parliamentarian, as well as the lofty presidential wannabe.

The late Screaming Lord Sutch, or his Irish equivalent, who stands just for the craic, can fall victim to candidatitis as much as the most committed and earnest political activist. I believe this is due to two factors. First of all most people standing for election see little point in telling the voters that they are not going to win. That just wouldn’t make sense. Of course not. So they say they are going to win.

Listen to Joan Burton the Labour leader. Does she admit that Labour is going to lose seats. Not a chance. Or does Micheál Martin admit that his refusal to consider going into coalition with Fine Gael or Sinn Féin (not that there’s much chance of that) means that Fianna Fáil will not be in government after this election? Not on your nelly. He spent five minutes vainly trying to convince listeners to RTE that Fianna Fáil can be in government. Even though they are clearly not running enough candidates.

That's when Candidatitis starts. As the 'we are going to win' is repeated time and time again it starts to have a hypnotic effect on the person intoning the mantra. By this time it’s too late."
A good example of the affliction see below:




On Thursday 6th Ms Burton said "I'm very confident as ever of our chances. It's a good time for an election"

On Monday 8th Joan Burton said "No seat is safe in this election for any party", but when asked if her own seat was safe, she replied: “Absolutely!"

Today Thursday16th: Tánaiste Joan Burton is facing a massive battle to save her own political career!

A poll result in her constituency shows


According to herself she gave the pensioners a generous increase of €3 per week after having stood by and allowed them to face Water Charges and Property Tax and cuts in their Winter Fuel allowance. The lady is falling in popularity I wonder why ?

Friday, 30 October 2015

A SWEET EXCURSION

The other day our visitors from England treated Lady H and myself to a tour through three
counties to one of our favourite destinations The Chocolate Garden in county Wicklow 



We each felt very undecided in making a choice from the menu board, thus our selection seemed to take a good deal of time. Lady H chose for herself an Ice Cream Sundae, I went for a slice of chocolate Fudge Cake accompanied by a vanilla ice cream and the other two had slices of Carrot Cake and fresh cream. All with a mug of Hot Chocolate each.


Following on from a surfeit of chocolate Lady H and I became quite giddy, high would be another description anyway, we spotted this bijou cottage and wondered whether to down size.
As you can see it comes complete with all of the necessary domestic equipment and we would very much appreciate your thoughts ?

Thursday, 22 October 2015

Prevalent Attitudes

I do not call myself a Christian, a humanist is as close as I can get. 

Recently I have found my self feeling absolutely disgusted with the very shameful attitude of the settled community of the Rockville Drive residents in Carrickmines who opposed the emergency halting site; this towards their fellow citizens namely The Travellers.  

So I was glad to read the following on the RTE web site because it needed to be voiced. 



"A priest has criticised many settled people for failing to empathise with what he called their Traveller brothers and sisters following a fatal fire at a halting site.

Father Dermot Lane was speaking after the remains of five of the people who lost their lives in the fire in Carrickmines were brought to the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Balally, Co Dublin this evening.

Fr Lane, who is the parish priest of Balally, not far from Carrickmines, urged everybody to become involved in a new consultation process embracing local authorities and the settled and Traveller communities.

He prayed that what he called the national tragedy which struck eleven days ago may become a turning point in the difficult tasks of healing, reconciliation and mutual trust that lie ahead.

Fr Lane greeted the Connors family and hundreds of other mourners at the church after five hearses bearing the coffins of Thomas and Sylvia Connors and their children Jim, Christy, and baby Mary arrived for their removal service.

Fr Lane said the grief of the Connors family is also the grief of Balally Parish because they were, and are, an important part of the local community.

Describing them as well-known and respected in the parish, he said they worshipped in its church where Thomas and Sylvia, conscientiously as parents, presented their five children for baptism over the past seven years. 

He recalled having the privilege of baptising Michael and Thomas Connors, the family's only survivors.

He said important lessons are to be learned from the national tragedy that claimed ten lives 11 days ago and which "has disturbed the consciences of us all".

Unaware of the resolution of the impasse over the local authority allocating the grieving families accommodation, which coincided with the church service, he urged that they be offered an appropriate place to live as soon as possible. 

He told the congregation: "We must learn, above all, to walk in the shoes of the other if we are to develop genuinely inclusive and pluralistic societies."

And he observed that many settled people had "failed to walk with empathy in the shoes of our brothers and sisters in the Traveller community".

Dismissing blame-games about the tragedy as unhelpful, Fr Lane urged everybody to move beyond mis-understanding, standard stereotypes and caricatures.

"If we are to move forward," he said, "all must be involved in a new consultation and a new conversation, and that means bringing together local authorities, local communities and the Traveller Communities."

Fr Lane prayed that the tragedy - which he repeated was national in character - may become a turning point in what he called "the difficult tasks of healing, reconciliation and mutual trust that lie ahead".

He said  the tragedy has raised serious questions about our priorities as a society, and searching questions about the responses or lack of responses by successive governments to a variety of reports going back 50 years, to the mid-1960s.

He said these questions touch on a number of very serious issues for all of us about the provision of adequate sites and housing for the Traveller community; about the persistent reality of social inequalities between the Traveller community and the settled community; and about deeply ingrained cultural prejudices.

In the meantime, he said, the Connors family must be allowed to grieve and to mourn the death of their loved ones.

The funeral Mass for the Connors will be celebrated in Balally at 11.30am tomorrow and they will be buried together on Friday in Wexford."

An article worth reading can be found here
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/apartheid-hasnt-gone-away-when-it-comes-to-travellers-34137234.html

Tuesday, 29 September 2015

Hare today.....

 Haring along the road

We left home this morning to travel to a nearby town to do some messages for Mrs H.  Within a couple of hundred yards from home we met this fellow running along the road just in front of the car. Very quickly I grabbed the camera whilst Mrs H continued driving. I pointed and clicked not knowing exactly how the photo would turn out. 
Eventually Mr Hare made a sharp right turn and ducked under the bottom of some wrought iron entrance gates and up someones driveway. A good decision by him for a minute later we met a large tractor coming towards us.

Of all the Game that there is to be had I have never eaten hare and doubt that I ever will. 
The reason is that within my pagan tradition The Hare is seen as a shape shifter and might  be the incarnation of a dead friend. 

Some of you may very well be inclined to eat a hare so here is a recipe for Jugged Hare, so called so because the chefs of old would cook the skinned and jointed hare in a jug. Today a casserole will suffice.


Hare on plate



Ingredients:
• 1 hare. 
• 1 teaspoon of vinegar. 
• Olive oil. 
• Seasoned flour. 
• Game stock. 
• 1 onion, studded with cloves. 
• Bunch of thyme, marjoram & parsley. 
• 1 bay leaf. 
• Pinch of nutmeg. 
• Pinch of mace. 
• 2 tblsp redcurrant jelly. 
• 150ml (5floz) port or claret. 
• Salt & pepper. 
Method: 
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. 
• Joint the hare, saving the blood & liver. 
• Mix the blood with the vinegar to prevent it congealing. 
• Heat some oil in a pan, dust the hare pieces with seasoned flour and brown them in the oil. 
• Transfer to an ovenproof dish and pour over the stock to cover. 
• Add the onion, herbs and spices. 
• Cover tightly and place in the oven for about 3 hours. 
• Strain the liquid into a pan and return it to the boil. 
• Add the redcurrant jelly. 
• Pour a little liquid into the blood and stir until smooth. 
• Add the blood to the gravy and cook to thicken, but do not boil. 
• Add the wine and season to taste. 
• Arrange the meat on a dish and pour over the sauce.

Saturday, 5 September 2015

Ireland of the Welcomes



For the latest news go here http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/austrian-aid-convoy-heads-hungary-refugees-150906142209841.html





CITIZENS across Ireland are "pledging a bed" in their homes to house refugees fleeing war and conflict as the Irish Government comes under increasing criticism for not doing enough to deal with Europe's refugee crisis. 

In a campaign initiated by UpLift Ireland, hundreds of people from across the island have signed a pledge to take refugees into their own homes.

UpLift Founding Director Siobhán O'Donoghue said translating public anger into action is vital in order to force political leaders to respond to the crisis:

"The massive response from people across the country really shows up our Government's inaction. We need Taoiseach Enda Kenny to step up and agree to welcome more refugees into Ireland".

UpLift is also holding a number of solidarity demonstrations across the country as well as calling on the public to donate to front-line charities working with refugees.

The public reaction came as the Irish Government continues to be non-committal as to how many refugees it would take although Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald told radio stations on Friday that the Irish Government would certainly increase the number of refugees it would accept from 600 to "thousands".

In the North, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin (pictured) said most people in the North of Ireland "would gladly welcome any moves to allow more refugees to come here."




Accepting refugees in the North of Ireland usually requires cooperation with the British Government, but the Deputy First Minister said he was looking into ways of taking unilateral action if moves by Britain's Conservative Government is not forthcoming:

"My Department has already been exploring the feasibility of how we can do that," he said, but added that cooperation with David Cameron's Government would be the "most effective" way.
© MARK MOLONEY
 Find out more or pledge a bed HERE




Currently more than 12,000 people in Ireland have  pledged beds to the refugees.