A newlywed had his speeding fine struck out at Kilkenny District Court after the judge joked he was "beginning a new life sentence". Noel Dempsey sits on the Tonight with Vincent Browne show and jokes about John Terry being more "liquid than Anglo Irish Bank". We are a nation full of comedians; the land of saints has vanished along with the bishops, and all that remains are scholars and journalists.
Sean Moncrieff makes some valid points in his article "Time to get angry and badger our politicians" (Irish Examiner-Wed, Feb 3rd, 2010). He said: "We simply can't stay annoyed about the same subject for long enough to do anything about it". Think about a time in your own life, one that outraged you. What did you do? Just like the many scandals this isle has seen-they have come and gone.
We have been betrayed by our bankers, baffled by our inept politicians and outraged by the actions of our priests. But, this is a temporary state, right? We have been angry for a long time. It has only served in dementing and stressing us out (in Irish terms: "Driving us to drink").
We are truly becoming a negative and backward state. We need to be reborn. In essence, we need to think and then act. The truth hurts: Nobody deserves a free ride. We need to critique and question everything (If your mother tells you she loves you, ask daddy (Remember)). If we fail in our duty as 'public watchdog' to do this, nobody else will.
DK
Thursday, February 4, 2010
What a difference a change makes
Superstition and sports go hand in hand. Rituals vary from the junior hurler who wears one sock up and one sock down to the 23 stone american footballer who hasn't washed his jockstrap all season because he thinks the flies are lucky.
When Tom briefly mentioned the curse of Biddy Earlie in class today, it got me thinking about another curse that Irish sport has had to overcome in recent times. I'm talking about the curse of TV3.
It's almost 12 years since national sport events were first broadcast live on TV3. Qualification for the 2000 European Championships were at stake for the Irish soccer team, who were raring to make it to their first major tournament since the World Cup in '94. On RTÉ, Irish fans were treated to some thrilling wins against Croatia, who finished third at the World Cup in France two months previously, and Yugolsavia, who reached the knockout stages of the same toournament, as well as the drubbing of Malta at Lansdowne Road.
On TV3 however, things fared much differently. Defeat in Belgrade was followed by heartache in Zagreb, as Davor Suker scored a last gasp goal to give the Croats all three points. The curse did it's best to get the better of the Irish in Malta, but Steve Staunton's free-kick snatched a fortunate win, the first positive result in front of the TV3 cameras.
With Ireland one nil up against lowly Macedonia, and a matter of seconds away from qualification for Championships in Holland and Belgium, TV3 were present for the most heartbreaking goal Ireland have conceded in their footballing history (Pre Thierry Henry). The one all draw sent Ireland to the playoffs, where Turkey halted their progress.
When RTÉ resumed full coverage of Irish Internationals for the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, rousing home victories were coupled with dogged draws in Amsterdam and Lisbon, sending Ireland to Korea and Japan for the World Cup finals.
Arguably Ireland's lowest point came in 2006, when TV3 were present for the five goal drubbing against Cyprus, as well as the last gasp win against San Marino, who had conced 20 goals in their two previous games.
After plauging the footballers for long enough, TV3 decided to spread their wings and climb on to the rugby bandwagon, following Ireland's excellent Six Nations campaign. But again the TV3 cameras only saw heartache at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, as the Irish scraped wins against Georgia and Namibia, teams they put over 60 points past in the previous tournament. Ireland were eventually dumped out of the tournament in the group stage against Argentina, signalling the end of Eddie O'Sullivan's largely successful six years in charge. Oh how the fortunes have changed since...
In recent times, TV3 have distanced themselves from Irish national teams, and have concentrated on the GAA championships. Who could blame them though? It would be pretty hard to curse 32 different teams all at once!
NT
Highlighting major issues of sport in the media since 2010.
When Tom briefly mentioned the curse of Biddy Earlie in class today, it got me thinking about another curse that Irish sport has had to overcome in recent times. I'm talking about the curse of TV3.
It's almost 12 years since national sport events were first broadcast live on TV3. Qualification for the 2000 European Championships were at stake for the Irish soccer team, who were raring to make it to their first major tournament since the World Cup in '94. On RTÉ, Irish fans were treated to some thrilling wins against Croatia, who finished third at the World Cup in France two months previously, and Yugolsavia, who reached the knockout stages of the same toournament, as well as the drubbing of Malta at Lansdowne Road.
On TV3 however, things fared much differently. Defeat in Belgrade was followed by heartache in Zagreb, as Davor Suker scored a last gasp goal to give the Croats all three points. The curse did it's best to get the better of the Irish in Malta, but Steve Staunton's free-kick snatched a fortunate win, the first positive result in front of the TV3 cameras.
With Ireland one nil up against lowly Macedonia, and a matter of seconds away from qualification for Championships in Holland and Belgium, TV3 were present for the most heartbreaking goal Ireland have conceded in their footballing history (Pre Thierry Henry). The one all draw sent Ireland to the playoffs, where Turkey halted their progress.
When RTÉ resumed full coverage of Irish Internationals for the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, rousing home victories were coupled with dogged draws in Amsterdam and Lisbon, sending Ireland to Korea and Japan for the World Cup finals.
Arguably Ireland's lowest point came in 2006, when TV3 were present for the five goal drubbing against Cyprus, as well as the last gasp win against San Marino, who had conced 20 goals in their two previous games.
After plauging the footballers for long enough, TV3 decided to spread their wings and climb on to the rugby bandwagon, following Ireland's excellent Six Nations campaign. But again the TV3 cameras only saw heartache at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, as the Irish scraped wins against Georgia and Namibia, teams they put over 60 points past in the previous tournament. Ireland were eventually dumped out of the tournament in the group stage against Argentina, signalling the end of Eddie O'Sullivan's largely successful six years in charge. Oh how the fortunes have changed since...
In recent times, TV3 have distanced themselves from Irish national teams, and have concentrated on the GAA championships. Who could blame them though? It would be pretty hard to curse 32 different teams all at once!
NT
Highlighting major issues of sport in the media since 2010.
Wheel of morality, turn, turn, turn...
Morals. Got some?
The subject of morality is one that we, as journalists, should be both interested in and more importantly have an opinion on. It's an extremely important issue, one that we will no doubt be faced with in one form or another at some stage in our careers.
It comes up in an ever increasing number of situations. Can you trust your source? Why are they telling you this information? What’s in it for them? Is a journalist little more than a cog in the wheel of politics? If Minister A lets it slip that Minister B is secretly dealing drugs out of the back of his new shiny Audi A3 and you write the story, who are you serving? The public’s best interest? Minister A? Personally I feel that as a journalist I should strive to get the truth out even if that means Minister A comes out the victor. My job is public watchdog.
What if you are told you won’t get an interview if you don’t write a nice piece? Do you really want the interview under those conditions? Should you agree not to ask the tough questions but then ask them anyway? Someone else will get the interview if you won’t agree to their standards. You’ll be poor but at least you’ll have your morals. I’m sure there are many opinions on this.
What is most important to you as a journalist? Getting the story out or getting paid? Don’t get me wrong, money is great, but not at the expense of my beliefs.
Today we spoke about the topic of ‘junkets’. Picture this, floating skywards in a first class seat, sipping champagne as you soar effortlessly toward your sunny destination. An all expenses paid trip with only one day of work to tarnish your otherwise spacious schedule. We are all aware that these happen but what is your view on it? I do not wish to come off as if I am on a moral high-ground. To each their own. Just because I feel strongly about this does not mean that I think everyone should. I am of the opinion that the article could be written just as easily from a two star hotel as a five. That I would get there just as easily in business class as I would in first. And that I should come home once the job is done.
Call me old fashioned but personally I intend to keep my morals intact. I am not naive, I am aware there will be many situations that I will have to face that will not be black and white. I plan to stick with what I have said here.
I look forward to being able to stand behind my articles and say: “My writing speaks for itself and my salary pays for my sandwiches.”
OW
The subject of morality is one that we, as journalists, should be both interested in and more importantly have an opinion on. It's an extremely important issue, one that we will no doubt be faced with in one form or another at some stage in our careers.
It comes up in an ever increasing number of situations. Can you trust your source? Why are they telling you this information? What’s in it for them? Is a journalist little more than a cog in the wheel of politics? If Minister A lets it slip that Minister B is secretly dealing drugs out of the back of his new shiny Audi A3 and you write the story, who are you serving? The public’s best interest? Minister A? Personally I feel that as a journalist I should strive to get the truth out even if that means Minister A comes out the victor. My job is public watchdog.
What if you are told you won’t get an interview if you don’t write a nice piece? Do you really want the interview under those conditions? Should you agree not to ask the tough questions but then ask them anyway? Someone else will get the interview if you won’t agree to their standards. You’ll be poor but at least you’ll have your morals. I’m sure there are many opinions on this.
What is most important to you as a journalist? Getting the story out or getting paid? Don’t get me wrong, money is great, but not at the expense of my beliefs.
Today we spoke about the topic of ‘junkets’. Picture this, floating skywards in a first class seat, sipping champagne as you soar effortlessly toward your sunny destination. An all expenses paid trip with only one day of work to tarnish your otherwise spacious schedule. We are all aware that these happen but what is your view on it? I do not wish to come off as if I am on a moral high-ground. To each their own. Just because I feel strongly about this does not mean that I think everyone should. I am of the opinion that the article could be written just as easily from a two star hotel as a five. That I would get there just as easily in business class as I would in first. And that I should come home once the job is done.
Call me old fashioned but personally I intend to keep my morals intact. I am not naive, I am aware there will be many situations that I will have to face that will not be black and white. I plan to stick with what I have said here.
I look forward to being able to stand behind my articles and say: “My writing speaks for itself and my salary pays for my sandwiches.”
OW
Hide & Seek
A man leaves the front of the courthouse. He holds a jumper awkwardly over his head, his hands cuffed together. He navigates the steps carefully with the aid of two Gardaí and bends his head cautiously as he climbs into the car, probably never to be seen again, more than likely never to be recognised again.
Guilty until proven innocent or innocent until proven guilty?
Ireland and America are of two very different mindsets when it comes to the procedure of a court hearing. In Ireland we hand the suspect a newspaper to cover their face with, we make sure they are well-hidden so nobody gets the prizewinning photograph to adorn the front pages of the newspapers in the morning. We know the suspect by name but, unless we catch a glimpse of them in the beginning, we are left to wonder as to what murder suspect or suspected paedophile looks like.
In America the suspect leaves the court in full view of everybody, the press and public included. There is a walk of shame to the car; the head hangs low, the eyes are nervous to meet with anyone else’s. In Ireland there is an almost arrogant swagger from the courthouse, “Ha! You know, I might have been charged, but hell, you still can’t see me”.
If you commit a crime so bad you have a court appearance of media interest, you should have to experience the shame that goes with it. A loss of dignity however, I hear you say. I am of the belief you have lost your dignity the minute you stand up in court.
The Courts Service has a press release on the newly-built Criminal Court of Justice in Dublin. It is such designed so it is the first courthouse in the world that keeps the contact between the families of homicide victims and the accused and their families to a minimum. It also brings “an end to the indignity of persons being paraded in public in handcuffs”.
Why should we respect a citizen’s right to privacy if they have snatched another citizen’s right to safety, privacy, or even worse, their right to life? Would it not be better to see the child paedophile ring leader’s face so you are able to recognise him if you notice a strange man wandering suspiciously around a children’s playground in three or four year’s time? How about our own right to safety?
Away with the newspapers, jackets and arrogant swaggers I say, let the country see the shame on your face. Let the nation plaster your face on the front of the newspapers and let them know your crime. Let people see the look on your face after you sat there in court and witnessed the expressions on the victim or their families. The rape victim who has lost all confidence, all dignity, all sanity, or the family of the murder victim who will never see their son again and lie in fear at night, images of his last few minutes, how he died, his death, running ferociously through their tired and weary minds.
Why should we cater for the privacy of criminals? A crime is on record for life; perhaps if we make the sentence as tough as possible, with no silly games of hide and seek, our country’s criminals might take a second thought in future before committing the crime.
DC
Caught red-handed
It is a bustling room of businessmen. Computers display graphs and presentations, calculations and emails. An economics reporter discusses official interest rates to the camera, his shirt and tie and serious facial expression portraying to us the seriousness of this news story. We are to believe this is a serious workplace of serious employees.
But not all human nature is left at the door of this workplace. Amongst the computers of graphs and presentations a man browses through racy photographs of the model, Miranda Kerr, in full view of his wife, his children, his mother, the nation of Australia.
You have to laugh. A typical male thing to do of course, I mean, a woman would never be caught doing such a thing in the workplace on national television. Maybe not, but how many women stray away from the workplace’s computer program in search of tonight’s agenda for the television, or to browse through Rachel’s photographs of last weekend in Galway with her new boyfriend?
The Internet is a maze of activity, a buzzing centre of entertainment. It is difficult to complete a simple task that involves the Internet without logging into a social network website or watching a quick video on YouTube.
Misuse of the Internet could easily constitute up to a few hours during the working day. Is this affecting our proficiency at work? Are we less productive now in the workplace than we were twenty years ago? There are several precautions employers could take to cease such Internet activity, but we are adults, surely we should not be treated as children? Surely there can be some element of trust involved.
Enjoy the video, it is after all human nature to laugh at other people’s misfortune and humility. Meanwhile, the search continues, worldwide at this stage, to find the man who gazed at photographs of Miranda Kerr on national news… I wonder was Miranda impressed?
DC
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Plastic makes perfect
Knives slicing through the skin, excess fat being suctioned from the adipose tissue, a glorious concoction of dark red blood, pale white skin and creamy yellow fat swirling out from the depths of the human body, tools deftly sculpting the perfect bone structure… and this was only the first five minutes of TV3’s new six-part series 'The Cosmetic Surgery Show', a show which claims to “take an in-depth look at cosmetic surgery in Ireland”.
The familiar face from RTE’s, shall we say, less controversial show, 'Off The Rails', Caroline Morahan stands aside the star of 'Dr 90210', Dr Robert Rey, in a simple studio setting and presents a fly-on-the-wall show that does not shy away from sharing the most intimate of thoughts and body parts with the nation.
Although I did finish my ham and pineapple pizza, it was hard to prevent my, at the best of times slightly erratic, imagination from relating any of the above-mentioned colours to the tomato sauce, cheese and ham on my plate. A man confides to the camera about the bump on his nose that he cannot stand to look at, not even in his wedding photographs. It is literally a problem that he cannot hide. So he decides to become a part of the exclusive crowd that choose to alter the way they physically look and go under the knife, whilst broadcasting it to the nation. Am I being irrational? Should I be happy that the Irish people have joined the masses and are now truly in the 21st Century?
I am in no manner against all forms of cosmetic surgery, I am sure there will be some temptations when I look in the mirror in thirty or forty years time and I suddenly notice that my lips aren’t quite as full as they used to be, my eyes have become framed by a network of wrinkles and the years of late nights as a thriving socialite, scorching beach summers relaxing in the Caribbean sun and fume-filled days in the major city base of my successful career haven’t been all that kind to my skin. Ireland does not seem to be against all forms either-90 percent said “yes” to considering cosmetic surgery on TV3’s online poll.
However, it is when I watch such shows as the All-American 'The Swan' and 'Extreme Makeover’ that I fear for the future generations of Ireland. We may, as a country, be moving quickly towards the trends of lunchtime Botox sessions and we may be planning more ‘Cosmetic Surgery parties’ than ‘Tupperware parties’, but it will not be long until we will casually dismiss the miracle of what our parents’ genes created and stride into a cosmetic surgery branding a portfolio of our chosen celebrity, the ‘Chosen One’, the one we want to look like, the one we want to be.
There is a very fine line between adjusting the bump on your nose that was the catalyst of playground taunts and reshaping the nose entirely to look like that of Carmen Electra’s. It is so easy to become caught up in the world of striving to be physically perfect. As if the airbrushed models on billboards, the L’Oreal goddesses on television, the slim, attractive people in sitcoms and the immaculate girls in magazines weren’t putting enough pressure on the youth of today to look physically perfect, we are now bombarded with television programmes following the “ugly duckling” and their eventual road to “success and happiness”, now that they look like Angelina Jolie or “that one from the O.C”.
Maybe I am not giving my country enough credit, perhaps it will take more to change the Irish mentality. Caroline Morahan herself seemed to stand back in disbelief as she listened to Dr Robert Rey describe the “easiness” and “painlessness” of undergoing plastic surgery to look like your favourite celebrity.
It is absolutely compelling to watch. It is like reaching out for that third muffin or agreeing to go out for a fourth night in a row-it will by no means kill you and it isn’t necessarily bad for you, but you’re interested as to what it will be like, and you want to try it, to do it, to watch it.
Will it be a successful show? I honestly do not know. What I do know is that these shows have the power to influence the vulnerable or easily-led, they portray cosmetic surgery as the route to success and the end results have the ability to tip even the most confident towards re-sculpting their body.
What I also know is that next week I shall change my choice of dinner. Or wait, maybe I am still being irrational…
DC
Is a year really enough?
Former priest Patrick Hughes, who has just been sentenced to a year in prison for sexual abuse, has declared that he is not in fact a paedophile. Why? Because he was only attracted to altar boys.
How could we have been so stupid? A priest with a fetish for altar boys cannot simply be branded a paedophile.
A sick, depraved pervert and a poor excuse for a human being would be more appropriate. But maybe I'm being harsh. Altar boys were just his type.
There was one altar boy in particular, who endured years of repeated abuse from Hughes, which all started when he was a 11-year-old child.
He was groped and fondled by Hughes, who also showed him pornography. The boy was also forced to pose in swimwear his local parish priest photograhed him. He cut locks of his hair and gave his £5 to get his mouth shut. A few of the best years of this child's life were taken away from him. His innocence was lost.
All of this sounds suspiciously like the behaviour of a paedophile. Am I wrong?
In an act of cowardice, Hughes fled Ireland before Gardaí could interview him, due to adverse publicity he was recieving. Did he not feel his crimes warranted punishment? I suppose not.
The Catholic Church must have felt the same way, since the church authorities felt the need to give the Gardaí the runaround for 12 years.
Did anyone think about the child whose innocence was snatched away from him, who was too afraid to tell his mother about the indecent acts that were performed on him?
Meanwhile, Hughes had "wandered into the desert", and began a journey of self-discovery and rehabilitation, sought some counselling in the USA and, just like magic, the nomad was reformed.
So, as a man of God, he must have felt the need to make amends? Apparantly not. Hughes had arranged to meet with Gardai in 2003, but pulled out in the last minute. He was eventually tracked down in 2007.
Imagine how his victim felt. Years of uncertainty, pain and anger were finally over. His abuser would finally be brought to justice.
Patrick Hughes pleaded guilty to the offences of sexual abuse which occured over 30 years ago, and apologised, even though his memory isn't that great anymore and he doesn't really remember what he did.
I'm sure his victim will never forget.
The maximum sentence for his crime is two years.
He recieved one.
10-years on the run, four counts of indecent assault against a child. And he got one year in prison.
But he said sorry, and he's old so it's OK.
Please tell me you all think this is ridiculous.
AH
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0203/1224263660114.html
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0202/hughesp.html
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/former-priest-jailed-for-abuse-of-boy-444555.html
How could we have been so stupid? A priest with a fetish for altar boys cannot simply be branded a paedophile.
A sick, depraved pervert and a poor excuse for a human being would be more appropriate. But maybe I'm being harsh. Altar boys were just his type.
There was one altar boy in particular, who endured years of repeated abuse from Hughes, which all started when he was a 11-year-old child.
He was groped and fondled by Hughes, who also showed him pornography. The boy was also forced to pose in swimwear his local parish priest photograhed him. He cut locks of his hair and gave his £5 to get his mouth shut. A few of the best years of this child's life were taken away from him. His innocence was lost.
All of this sounds suspiciously like the behaviour of a paedophile. Am I wrong?
In an act of cowardice, Hughes fled Ireland before Gardaí could interview him, due to adverse publicity he was recieving. Did he not feel his crimes warranted punishment? I suppose not.
The Catholic Church must have felt the same way, since the church authorities felt the need to give the Gardaí the runaround for 12 years.
Did anyone think about the child whose innocence was snatched away from him, who was too afraid to tell his mother about the indecent acts that were performed on him?
Meanwhile, Hughes had "wandered into the desert", and began a journey of self-discovery and rehabilitation, sought some counselling in the USA and, just like magic, the nomad was reformed.
So, as a man of God, he must have felt the need to make amends? Apparantly not. Hughes had arranged to meet with Gardai in 2003, but pulled out in the last minute. He was eventually tracked down in 2007.
Imagine how his victim felt. Years of uncertainty, pain and anger were finally over. His abuser would finally be brought to justice.
Patrick Hughes pleaded guilty to the offences of sexual abuse which occured over 30 years ago, and apologised, even though his memory isn't that great anymore and he doesn't really remember what he did.
I'm sure his victim will never forget.
The maximum sentence for his crime is two years.
He recieved one.
10-years on the run, four counts of indecent assault against a child. And he got one year in prison.
But he said sorry, and he's old so it's OK.
Please tell me you all think this is ridiculous.
AH
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0203/1224263660114.html
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0202/hughesp.html
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/former-priest-jailed-for-abuse-of-boy-444555.html
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