Some National News Stories Currently
· Now that the trials of Graham Dwyer and Ian
Bailey have faded from the front pages what are the current issues in the news.
·
The Irish Water saga ploughs on like a derailed
train that has hardly left the station.
·
The HSE and the deficiencies in the health
system.
· Workers who went on a one day stoppage last week
are feeling the heat from Dunnes Stores management. Dunnes, the original
Ryanair of the Irish retail business, do not like being challenged by unionised
workers. This looks like a dispute that will run for some time.
· The cost of rented accommodation in Dublin is
going through the roof for workers and especially students.
·
The Mortgage Crisis Continues in its many hues.
·
The lack of housing in Dublin.
· Drug abuse and homelessness in Dublin. It is
something to see, in the heart of the city, this drug abuse almost openly and
of people sleeping in doorways on the prestige street of the capital. Though
these issues are highlighted regularly they continue with little hope of
redress.
·
The teachers and their dispute regarding teacher
assessment of their own pupils.
House Numbering
While I obviously know the number of my own house I rarely
use it. Neither is it indicated on view on my door or otherwise. Sure wouldn’t
everyone know where I live! It reminds me a story of a visitor looking for a
convent in some part of the country. He asked someone he met on the roadway and
was given directions. He proceeded as directed but he eventually felt he had
gone beyond the requirements of the directions he had been given. He went back and met someone else who
indicated that ‘the convent is just up at the top of that road where the trees
are’. The visitor replied; ‘It’s a wonder they would not put a sign indicate
where it is?’ to which his local assistant replied; ‘What would be the need for
that? Sure doesn’t everyone know where the convent is?’
However while the lack of house numbers may have been ok in
the past their lack must now be a cause of frustration to many in these
different times. Apart from casual visitors and those in the know a whole new
commercial consideration has come into play and that is on line shopping. It must really be challenging to those in the
delivery of these goods when they come into estates, to find poor house
numbering or no numbers at all.
So I too must do better, a phrase I used from time to time
in another life.
Some time ago there was a process underway regarding the
roll out of post codes throughout this country. I have not heard of it in
recently.
GAA GAMES REVIEW
Roscommon’s Fine U 21
Connacht Final Win
There were two great results for Roscommon football, on consecutive
days, last week-end. On Saturday in Tuam, the heartland of Galway football,
Roscommon and Galway served up as good a game of football as I’ve seen for a
considerable time. After an early advantage to Galway when they went five
points ahead Roscommon fought back to lead at half time by 1.10 to 2.5. There
were some great scores through all this. The second half continued in the same
high standard and Galway controlled the opening ten minutes or so of the half
but a Roscommon goal engineered by Enda Smith and finished by Kenny saw the
tide turn. Roscommon ran out three point winners on the score of Roscommon 3.14
Galway 3.11. There was a range of fine displays from players on both sides with
Roscommon’ shining light Diarmuid Murtagh ending up with 1.7 including six
frees. This is a fine Roscommon team with a number of exceptional players but
the strength- in- depth is also there as evidenced by the contribution of the
substitutes. This is the county’s fourth
U 21 title since 2010 with near misses in the interim. Beating Galway in a
Connacht final was also very important.
Well done to the Boyle contributors to Enda Smith and Evan
McGrath
The Roscommon support was in the ascendancy in the five
thousand plus crowd on a lovely evening for football in Tuam the home of
Stockwell and Purcell who are remembered near the dressing rooms in a modest
way.
Roscommon now meet Tyrone the Ulster champions who defeated
Donegal this week. Cavan looks like a possible venue for that All-Ireland Semi-
final next week end 18/19th. In the other semi-final Dublin will
play Tipperary winners over Cork.
Roscommon Seniors
Promoted to Division One
Roscommon continued the good work on Sunday with promotion
to Division One of the League for 2016. Consolidation in Division Two seemed to
be the objective at the beginning but the win over Down, away, meant all
associated with the team and its supporters began to feel an even greater
reward for their efforts was possible. And so it transpired in a poor enough
game, especially in the first half, against a tenacious Westmeath, who were
fighting relegation in Mullingar on Sunday. The injection of the U 21 players
Murtagh, Smith and Harney swung the tide in Roscommon’s favour in the middle of
the second half. Supporters were well tuned in to happenings elsewhere which
also went Roscommon’s way but there were times in that second half when things
looked ominous. So next year Roscommon will be playing Dublin, Kerry, Mayo,
Monaghan, Donegal, Cork and Down. This will really be a challenge but it where
all associated with the games in Roscommon would wish to be especially at this
time when there are so many good young players emerging. These wins were referred to in one local
newspaper as Roscommon’s Easter Rising.
Roscommon CBS v
Dingle in All-Ireland ‘A’ Colleges Final.
On this coming Saturday my former secondary school Roscommon
CBS play their biggest ever game when they take on hot favourites Pobalscoil
Chorca Dhuibhne from Dingle the reigning title holders. CBS have overcome some
big challenges on their way to this final defeating St. Gerald’s of Castlebar,
Summerhill, Sligo and Good Counsel, New Ross. Still any team from Kerry brings
with it a certain high standard as this year’s All-Ireland club finals
re-echoed and one can only hope that the Roscommon School do well. Liam
Gilmartin aged 93 and one of the first students of the CBS on its establishment
in 1937 hopes to be present on Saturday supporting his old Alma Mater.
University
Challenge Finale
Once I watched little television apart from sport and
current affairs. Perhaps it was because I always seemed to be going to
meetings. That phase of my life has abated pretty much. A good few years ago in
our staffroom at St. Mary’s College when something about meetings came up a
staff colleague declared ‘I am secretary of so many different things I am now
often writing to myself!’
Anyway one of my favourite quizzes comes to a finale on Monday
night next on BBC 2 at 8 o’clock when Oxford's Magdalen College take on with
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. A team I thought as having the star of
the show this year, Gabriel Trueblood, was beaten by its sister Oxford College.
You might not know many answers but the format of the quiz in enduring. While
longevity is not always an indicator of a quality series it is in this case.
ERRATA
Obama Legacy
Barack Obama is obviously working on his legacy issues with
the ongoing treaty with Iran and his moves towards rapprochement with Cuba.
Jonathan runs out of
luck
President ‘Good Luck’ Jonathan obviously ran out of luck
with his losing of a recent election in Nigeria.
New Beer Ads
I see an advertisement for a new lager beer titled ‘Hop
House 13’. A catchy name it is not. I actually saw another new beer by the name
of ‘Blonde’. More catchy perhaps!
Sin é ... Slán
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