Eoin O'Malley: War is not a football match, so put those Palestinian flags away
Irish people have picked a side in the Gaza war but taking such partisan views can be a barrier to peace
Today at 00:30
My flag is back in its drawer. A week after Limerick were put out of the hurling championship, I took it down.
I was a bit surprised at how many people took joy in seeing us lose. But I didn't care.
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Kate Nash says she would love to collaborate with Kneecap
Singer Kate Nash has said she would love to collaborate with Kneecap and added that it 'is really important' the band are using their platform for a political purpose. It came after police said on Saturday that they are assessing videos of comments made by the Belfast rap trio, as well as punk duo Bob Vylan, during their performances at the Glastonbury Festival. The group are known for their provocative lyrics and merchandise, as well as their championing of the Irish language and support for Palestine. I think there's an opportunity to educate people about England and Ireland's history 'I love Kneecap. I'd love to collaborate. I love collaboration, actually,' Nash told the PA news agency. 'I really, really think collaboration is such an amazing and important part of being an artist, because you just learn every time you collaborate with someone different. 'So I just did a duet with Sprints, because they covered Foundations, and that was really fun.' Nash, 37, added: 'Kneecap would be amazing to collaborate with. My mum's from Dublin and I think that the way they use their political platform is really important.' She continued: 'I don't think English people really understand their (Ireland's) history at all, they just don't know it. 'So I think there's an opportunity to educate people about England and Ireland's history, and sort of being half-English, half-Irish myself I have quite a good understanding of that, but I didn't learn it at school. Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap (Ben Birchall/PA) 'There's so many amazing musicians to collaborate with. I love Amyl And The Sniffers.' Before their performance on the West Holts Stage, several politicians called for Kneecap to be removed from the line-up and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said their performance would not be 'appropriate'. During their set, band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh said: 'The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.' In reference to his bandmate's upcoming court date the rapper, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said they would 'start a riot outside the courts', before clarifying: 'No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine.' Bobby Vylan, of rap duo Bob Vylan, had earlier led crowds in chants of 'Free, free Palestine' and 'Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)'. According to reports, Bobby Vylan is called Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, from Ipswich. Robinson-Foster is listed on Companies House as being the director of Ghost Theatre Records, which is operated by Bob Vylan. Starmer said the latter chant was 'appalling hate speech' and urged the BBC to explain how the scenes were broadcast. Speaking on the politics of Glastonbury, Nash said: 'What's the history of Glastonbury? It's about anti-corporation, Greenpeace. 'It is ultimately a political festival, and people come here to find togetherness, community, a sense of hope and to watch people play amazing shows, and to have their lives changed, to be inspired. 'I think that we're seeing a lot of really scary things in the world right now, and people want to feel like they can see what they feel on stage being voiced, and I think that politicians need to get a grip.' Asked about artists who say they do not want to be political, she said: 'Certain people, you can't escape the politics of existing in the world. 'If you are a woman and you're like, 'I'm not political', I'm like, 'You are, you are. Everything about your life is political, whether you want it to be or not'. 'I think if you're a very privileged, white, rich man, sure you don't want to be political, or you don't have to be. If you just want to be a pop band, just be a pop band. 'But also, do you even have to comment that you don't want to be? I'm not really sure it helps. 'I think just don't be, then, in a way, if you just want to be a pop band, just be a pop band. 'That's not how I was raised. So it's really difficult for me to understand somebody saying, 'I don't want to be political'.' It came after The 1975 frontman Matty Healy said the band did not want their legacy to be 'one of politics' during their Friday night headline slot. 'I think we don't need more politics, we need more love and friendship,' he said. Nash headlined Glastonbury's Left Field stage on Saturday evening and performed a secret set on the BBC Introducing stage on Sunday. She has released several studio albums and is known for songs including Mouthwash and Foundations, the latter of which peaked at number two in the UK singles chart. Read More Glastonbury Festival 2025 ends after weekend of controversy and surprises
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
New breakdown shows just who is getting Wexford council houses – ‘There's a real false narrative out there'
You won't have to look too far online to find allegations that foreign nationals arriving into Ireland are being bumped up the queue for social housing at the expense of Irish people who may have been on the local authority housing list for years. It's something that was put to the Wexford councillor on several occasions, but it simply didn't match with his experience on the ground. Following several requests and follow ups with Wexford County Council's housing section, Cllr Forde obtained figures which provide a breakdown of the local authority's own-build social housing allocation. While the figures don't account for the sizeable chunk of social housing provided by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), they do provide a clear pattern in relation to where council houses are going. The figures show that of 3,325 Wexford County Council built houses allocated since 2013, 2,773 (or 83%) went to Irish nationals. The next highest allocation went to people from the EEA (European Economic Area) with 404 (or 12%). Applicants from the UK accounted for 39 allocations (or 1%), while 109 houses (3.3%) were allocated to those from outside of the European Economic Area. It was also pointed out that all of these applicants, over a 12 year period, would have been subject to the same criteria and waiting times. For Cllr Forde, it was important to bust some of the myths circulating online. "I've been looking for these figures for quite a while,' he said. 'There's a narrative out there on social media that foreign nationals are coming into the country and taking social houses and getting them quicker than Irish people. A lot of people have fallen into the trap of believing this. "The figures show that, for the past 12 years, the vast majority of houses have gone to Irish nationals and that reflects my experience on the ground, working with a vast majority of Irish families on housing. ADVERTISEMENT "At the end of the day, foreign nationals are entitled to apply for housing here, as they should be. Many come and contribute greatly to our communities and work hard. They are entitled to apply for housing supports. But they are also held to the same criteria as everybody else.' Cllr Forde noted an influx of people coming from overseas were working their way through the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), but stated this was completely different and had no bearing on social housing allocation. "In Sinn Féin we've called for the IPAS system to be abolished on several occasions,' he said. 'It's not good for the people using the system and the state should be taking the lead rather than it being a cash cow. There's huge money to be made in that system at the moment. I don't think people should be making money of the back of vulnerable people arriving into Ireland.' Returning to the housing allocation figures, Cllr Forde says that the most shocking thing about them was that there were only 3,325 houses allocated over 12 years, although he did conceded that the figures don't include housing provided by AHBs, which accounts for a large chunk of social housing. "I'm waiting on further figures in relation to the breakdown of the allocations from AHBs too,' he said. 'But I would believe that the allocation of houses by AHBs closely mirrors that of Wexford County Council's own-builds. "I think we should be pushing for more Wexford County Council own-builds as well,' he added. 'We need to be more ambitious in that regard and shouldn't be so reliant on AHBs and other developers. We need to start rezoning and identifying land to build houses and be more proactive in that regard." Regardless, Cllr Forde believes that there's a misdirected anger on social media and he hopes that these figures provide some clarity. "The narrative that's out there is false,' he said. 'I'd say the government is very happy with it. It deflects from the real problems – the shortage of housing supply, spiralling cost of living, lack of homeless services. People are venting their anger in the wrong places, aiming it at vulnerable minority groups instead of at the government and government policy. Lack of supply and lack of proper policy is the issue and that's down to the government.'
Extra.ie
4 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Taxpayers picking up €43.5K tab for Irish Ambassador's UK pad -- per month
The London residence of the Irish Ambassador to the UK is costing the taxpayer €43,500 per month – and is just one of a string of high-cost properties being rented by the Department of Foreign Affairs. The department has confirmed that it paid British estate agency Knight Frank €522,394 in 2024 to cover just a single-year lease on the property that's home to Ambassador Martin Fraser, a former Secretary General at the Department of the Taoiseach. The colossal bill for the property on Grosvenor Place – one of London's most expensive areas – was part of at least €3.95m paid out last year in rental costs for residences for senior Irish diplomats across the globe. Martin Fraser. Pic: Photocall Ireland/GIS Other sky-high lease costs included payments of €485,000 for the official residence in Tokyo, €291,000 for an apartment in New York, and €204,000 in payments in San Francisco. Meanwhile, the rental bill in Tel Aviv was almost €200,000, around €176,000 in Boston, and €135,000 in Seoul, South Korea. The department also ran up 15 separate hotel and accommodation bills in excess of €5,000 last year, according to figures that were released under Freedom of Information legislation. This included a spend of €30,480 at the five-star Intercontinental Hotel in Dublin 4 to host a delegation during the state visit by the President of Vietnam last October. There was another bill of €9,300 from the same hotel for a visit by the Egyptian president in December, while €5,241 was paid for accommodation at the Seven Alpina Hotel as part of Ireland's participation in the annual World Economic Forum in Davos. The department said a €8,408 bill at the four-star Fifty Sonesta Hotel in New York was for a staff member who was taking up a new diplomatic posting. Pic:Among the other bills last year were €24,054 paid out to the Dublin Airport Authority for 'platinum services' for visiting dignitaries. The Department of Foreign Affairs said this covered three separate delegations from Vietnam, South Africa, and China. To offset the carbon emissions of globe-trotting diplomatic staff, a sum of €99,623 was paid to the Government's climate action fund. The department said these payments have been government policy since 2020 and that the fund was used to support climate-related projects and initiatives in Ireland. In addition, a total of €97,000 was paid in legal 'settlement costs' at the Passport Office, a database of departmental expenditure for 2024 showed. But the department was tight-lipped on what was involved and stated that 'further details can't be released on confidentiality grounds'. A furniture removal bill of €26,019 was incurred last December, which covered the cost of bringing art back to the National Gallery and the Office of Public Works (OPW) from the continent. The department said: 'Pieces from Berlin and pieces from Stockholm were transported and returned to Ireland. 'The artworks on display in our mission properties are key promotional tools, helping us to promote Irish culture, values and heritage.' The art transport bill was part of at least €900,000 that was spent on removal and storage costs for staff packing up and moving to missions across the world. Other costs for the department included €4.65m for passport booklets and €8.6m for postage and courier costs. Around €64,000 was spent on chauffeured cars, €11,600 for a BMW vehicle in Washington DC, and a further €43,000 for 'items of artistic value'. There were €3.7m worth of invoices for major maintenance on residences overseas, including redecoration and construction. Asked about the high rental bill for the London residence in particular, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the property had been chosen following a market assessment process. On hotel and other VIP costs, they said: '[We are] responsible for the effective management of incoming visits by Heads of State and Government and other high-level foreign dignitaries coming to Ireland. These visits advance Ireland's values and interests, unlock opportunities, strengthen bilateral and multi-lateral relationships and position Ireland as a proactive and influential global partner.' This lavish spending is not new, as nine years ago, the MoS reported that a staggering monthly rent of €46,000 was being paid by the taxpayer for the Irish Ambassador's residence in Tokyo, Japan – when the most expensive property in the city at the time cost 30% less at €33,000 per month. Then-Ambassador Anne Barrington complained to the Irish Times that her husband's privacy had been violated after we revealed that he used the ambassadorial residence as a business address. The paper later printed a clarification which read: 'An article in last Thursday's edition stated that Ed Miliano, husband of Anne Barrington, is a designer and illustrator. Mr Miliano is an artist.'
