Telegraph style book: Dd
dad: Not unless in a quote. Use father
Dáil: The lower house of the Irish parliament
Dalai Lama
dashcam
data: Are plural
database: one word
Day-Glo
Debrett's
decimate: Means to reduce by a tenth. Use only literally
deepfake
defrocked: Prefer this to unfrocked
Delevingne, Cara
de Klerk, de Gaulle, but De Niro and DeVito.
Dennis the Menace, Denis Law, Dennis Bergkamp, Denis Lawson
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Department of Health: And so on. All become lower case 'department' in later references. Write out Defra but prefer health department, education department to DoH DoE etc
department of government efficiency (Doge): lower case for all foreign government departments, ministries etc
dependant (noun): People, especially children, who rely on the support of another
dependent (adjective): Of an outcome that is decided or determined by something else, as in 'the result is dependent on xyz happening'
deplane: Americanism deserving of defenestration
Derry: See Londonderry
despoil: noun is despoliation or despoilment, but not despoilation
devastated: Use if a large geographical area has been obliterated by forces of war or nature, never to describe someone who has suffered grief or disappointment
Diana, Princess of Wales, subsequently the Princess, never Diana except in heads
DiCaprio, Leonardo
dietitian
different from
Director-general: Of the BBC is not capped
the disabled, the handicapped, the blind, the deaf. Write disabled people, blind people, deaf people. Be respectful and be guided by people's preferences where possible
disc/disk: Computer disks (should we ever write about them again) - otherwise, disc
discreet: Means tactful or prudent
discrete: Means separate, as in 'discrete units of speech'
disenfranchised not disfranchised
Disney: It is Disneyland, California; Disney World, Florida; Disneyland Paris, France
Dispatch Box: In the Commons, mentioned in despatches
dissociate: Not disassociate
distinct: Means separate
distinctive: Means characteristic of one person or thing, and so distinguishing it from others
Dolce e Gabbana
Dostoevsky
dotcom
double entendre: Is bad French: they would say double entente
down under: When referring to Australia and New Zealand is not capped
Down's syndrome
Dr Martens
draconian: Draco was a maker of harsh laws. Use this adjective only in a legal or regulatory context; otherwise use harsh or severe
drama: In a non-theatrical context is tabloid speak. Use sparingly
dreamt: Not dreamed
Duchess of Sussex: Can be Meghan in headlines and sparingly in text to avoid overly repetitive use of 'the Duchess'. Never Meghan Markle unless in historical context
Duchess of York: Is never Fergie. And no longer HRH
due to: Must follow a form of the verb to be 'The cancellation was due to bad weather'. Otherwise use owing to 'Owing to bad weather, the match was cancelled'
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The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
Kathleen Rigby obituary
My wife, Kathleen Rigby, who has died aged 81, put her love of justice, writing, history and the arts to public good throughout her life. She did her best to improve things while having fun, and usually found like-minded collaborators. Her first jobs were in counter-intelligence as an officer with MI5 and MI6. She subsequently worked widely in the education sector and finally as a volunteer with the National Trust and Chetham's Library in Manchester. She also published a book of poetry. Kath was born in Edinburgh to Paddy (nee Wylie), a nursery nurse, and William Philips, who left the army as a major after the second world war to work in the London office of the English China Clays mining company. They lived in Enfield, north London, and Kath attended Palmers Green high school, until the family relocated again to St Austell, Cornwall, when her father moved to the company's head office there. Kath then boarded at West Cornwall school in Penzance. She studied history at University College London, where we met, and graduated in 1964. We married the following year. Having been recommended to MI5 by a family friend, Kath attended an interview without knowing it was for the Security Service. She was offered the job of counter-intelligence officer, which she did for five years. We moved to Manchester in the early 1970s for my work. Kath completed an MA in economic history at Manchester Polytechnic (now Manchester Metropolitan University) then in 1975 trained as a teacher. Her first post was at Priestnall secondary school. She then became head of history at Brinnington community high school, rising to deputy head. In 1987 she took the position of vice-principal of North Area College. Following a medical procedure that made it difficult for her to stand for long, Kathleen took early retirement in 1991. Shortly after, she gained an MSc in educational leadership at Manchester Metropolitan University, then became a senior lecturer at its Centre for Educational Leadership. Having held several positions on school governing boards, she was elected chair of the board of Tameside College in 1992, and became a member of the Greater Manchester learning and skills council. For many years she was a magistrate on the Manchester city bench and chair of its advisory council, taking compulsory retirement at 70. Then she became a volunteer at Dunham Massey, a National Trust house, writing blogs and leading tours. With a colleague she researched and wrote three histories of former residents of the house, two of which were published by the Altrincham History Society. She also volunteered at the 18th-century Chetham's Library. Poetry that she wrote was soon published in poetry magazines and in the Spectator. In one of her poems she mused that if she had spent less time doing the Guardian cryptic crossword she might have become leader of the Labour party, or a judge. In 2024 she published a collection of her poems, How to Be a Pear, under the name Kate Rigby. Another volume, The Winter Blackbird, is being prepared. Kath is survived by me, our children, William and Jessica, and a grandson, Alex.
BreakingNews.ie
7 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Bank of Ireland apologises after oil spill at Dublin park
Bank of Ireland has apologised after a 'really heavy' oil spill at a park in south Dublin. A family of swans were removed from the park by an animal charity which described the oil pollution incident as one of the worst it has attended. Advertisement Kildare Wildlife Rescue (KWR) said it removed four cygnets and two adult swans from Kilbogget Park near Cabinteely in south Dublin on Wednesday. KWR's rescue co-ordinator Pearse Stokes said the charity had attended a 'really heavy' oil spill at what he described as a 'jewel in the crown' for south Dublin biodiversity. 'I have been a wildlife first responder for 12 years and it is the worst fumes I have encountered on an oil spill, and we get a lot of them, but this was really heavy,' Mr Stokes said. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said booms and pads have been installed to absorb the pollution. Advertisement 'Swans were removed with the help of local (council) staff, Kildare Wildlife Rescue and volunteers and are currently in the care of Kildare Wildlife Rescue,' it added. It said council staff would visit the park over the weekend to monitor the situation and encouraged people walking their dogs in the park to keep them on leads. A spokesman for Bank of Ireland said: 'We have been engaged with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCOCO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in relation to a spillage at one of our sites in Cabinteely. 'Action was immediately taken to contain the incident, and no further pollution has been identified. Advertisement 'We would like to sincerely apologise to the local community for the impact caused. We will continue to engage fully with DLRCOCO and the EPA over the coming period.' Local councillor Dave O'Keeffe said the clean-up is estimated to cost tens of thousands of euros and the council should not foot the bill. 'An apology is fine but this is going to cost tens of thousands, if not more, to rectify,' he told PA. 'There is environmental damage done, there has already been a lot of money spent on the actual clean up. Advertisement 'Kilbogget was turning into a great place for biodiversity. We had wild otters there, which is really rare, there was a lot of diversity of species and that's all been put in jeopardy now. 'There's a financial cost to this, but there's an awful lot more that needs to be done to make sure it gets back to there in the long term. 'I don't expect the council or the local people to foot that bill.' He said he would not walk a dog in the park this weekend and monitor the progress of the clean up after that. Advertisement 'Even yesterday the smell of diesel was still quite strong,' he said. 'It was still in a pretty bad condition yesterday and speaking to some of the guys from Kildare Wildlife, they weren't sure when or if the swans could ever be brought back.' The incident is the second oil spill Kildare Wildlife Rescue has responded to in the past few days. It removed another family of swans after an oil spill at ponds in a park in Kilminchy in Portlaoise, Co Laois last weekend. Mr Stokes said the heat made conditions for rescuing wildlife particularly complex. 'Rescuing wildlife is very difficult. Rescuing oiled wildlife is additionally difficult because you need to wear PPE, like facemasks and gowns, to protect yourself from the contaminates,' Mr Stokes told RTÉ Radio. Ireland More than 900 speeding fines revoked following 'hu... Read More 'Working in the high heat that we had last weekend… also comes the added complication where the oil and the water is evaporating and becoming quite toxic fumes for people, so it is a public safety concern as well as a concern for the first responders and the wildlife.' He said swans cannot be released until the spills are cleared up, and if they are released at another location they will fly back to their original home and risk being exposed to oil again. He said there were risks in keeping them at the centre and near humans for too long, as they can become stressed.
BreakingNews.ie
7 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Funeral of Ireland's oldest person hears she often thought God had forgotten to take her
Ireland's oldest person, Sarah Coyle, who died at the age of 108 earlier this week, often wondered whether God had forgotten to take her, but ultimately decided that he would call her when he needed her. her funeral mass has heard. Mrs Coyle lived through two pandemics, the Irish Civil War and the War of Independence. Advertisement She was a native of Knockatomcoyle, Co Wicklow but resided with her daughter Marian Galligan in Castleknock in Dublin. She passed away peacefully on Monday surrounded by her family. Her granddaughter Anne Marie told mourners at St Brigid's Church in Blanchardstown in Dublin today that her 'Nana' was the 'personification of sunshine.' 'You felt her warmth. She radiated a positive energy and you would be left with a glow from simply basking in her presence. Like the song goes she made you happy when skies were grey. Advertisement It is true Nana had much suffering or heartache in her life. She didn't dwell on it. She refused to let it define her. She actively chose happiness and love. Repeatedly.' Anne Marie said that her grand mother had lost her sight by the age of forty. 'Despite living in total darkness for much of her long life she brought light to so many. She was a masterclass in resilience. "She proved your energy creates a ripple. When you choose healing over hate, peace over pride and love over fear you become the light that someone end was praying for. Advertisement "Today Nana we marvel at your courage, we celebrate your strength and we are forever grateful for your sunshine. The world is so much brighter from you having been in it. "Your love and sunbeams will continue to shine through all of us whom you have loved so fiercely. You can rest in peace now Nana knowing that you were the very best in nana's and the very best in women.' Anne Marie added that her grandmother was a person of many skills. Sarah, who was widowed in 1968, was a 'talented seamstress and avid gardener' who could single handedly flip a double mattress and change sheets until her nineties when her family ' begged her to stop.' Advertisement Meanwhile, her son in law Anthony said that Sarah often marvelled at her longevity. 'She used to say 'I can't believe I'm a hundred years old and I'm still here. I wonder if God has forgotten about me? And we would say 'Far from it. He hasn't forgotten about you. But you still have important work on earth and he is leaving you here.' She would break in to a lovely smile and say 'I suppose he will call me when he needs me.' Anthony said that his mother in law had a great sense of fun and would want her funeral to be a happy event. Advertisement Her remembered her 'lovely smile and 'kind words' and indicated that she was a role model to her loved ones. 'By the age of forty she was almost totally blind. You would think that was as a parent of a young family a tremendous challenge. I can only imagine what it must have been like. "She quickly gathered herself. She said there was two choices 'I could either go under or spend the rest of my life feeling sorry for myself.' She was an inspiration.' Meanwhile, Fr John Gilligan, who celebrated the mass, said that it was being watched online by Sarah's 103 year old sister Lily, who is based in Birmingham in the UK and by her son Patrick who resides in Melbourne, Australia. Fr Gilligan said that they were in the church to celebrate a 'life well lived.' 'Almost 109 years of life. What changes she would have seen from the Ireland of 1916 to the Ireland of today. When you look at her life she was one who lived it to the full. Her advice to people was 'don't bear grudges. Be kind to people.' We think of all the things she went through in life. The history. 1916. Raised in the that time. She even talks about the Black and Tans. All the stories we hear of in history she experienced so much of in her life. She loved to have the Minister of the Eucharist come to her in the parish. I have always been impressed by the care (her daughter) Marian and (her son in law) Anthony gave to her. This day three weeks ago I went up to visit her after the ten o clock mass here. We brought her communion and we anointed her. And I said 'I hear you have a big birthday coming up.' And she had a lovely big smile. I said 'when were you born?.' She said 'the 24th of July 1916.' She was full of joy living life to the full. It was wonderful to see the type of person she was. She was always a lady with a great sense of fun. She loved people and she loved chatting with them. She kept herself informed with current affairs. Radio Eireann and Liveline. She was always one step ahead with the quick retort.' Offertory gifts at the 10am mass included holy water signifying her deep faith, a 'talking book', seeds to represent her love of gardening and a picture of Sarah with her family on the occasion of her 100th birthday. Meanwhile, as a young woman Sarah worked in Foxrock in Dublin where she was employed as a housekeeper. She met her husband Tom Coyle at a dance. He was a native of Cavan who worked as a postman until ill health set in in his late fifties. The couple lived in Drumcondra. They had four children two of whom died as newborns. Mrs Coyle became the oldest person in Ireland following the death on March 20th last in Letterkenny in Co Donegal of 109 year old Ruby Druce. Mrs Coyle is survived by her two adult children, her son in law, her grandchildren, great grandchildren, extended family and friends. She was pre deceased by eight of her nine siblings. She was laid to rest in Glasnevin cemetery in Dublin.
