theirishtimes--2020-12-05--The history wars: A new battleground in Irish politics

Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley ’ s tweet comparing the Kilmichael ambush and the Narrow Water attacks that left 18 British soldiers dead was not just another row about yet another injudicious comment by a politician on social media .
Instead , it illustrates where the new division in Irish politics is ; and how the battle over history will define it – with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on one side and Sinn Féin on the other .
The battleground may be policy and politics – but it is also history .
Stanley ’ s tweet was a classic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something he believed but that it was not advisable to say , likening Kilmichael to the Provisional IRA ’ s attack in Warrenpoint , or Narrow Water as it is called by many .
Though Stanley did not mention it , the same day , in Mullaghmore , Co Sligo , an IRA bomb killed Lord Mountbatten , a senior member of the British royal family , as well as an 83-year-old woman and two teenage boys .
Stanley was widely criticised by opponents for seemingly glorifying the deaths of the British soldiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and publicly censorious : “ A singular , one-off mistake , ” said Mary Lou McDonald .
Taoiseach Micheál Martin issued a thundering rebuke .
Northern First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster complained to the Ceann Comhairle , who replied that a “ credible political response ” was needed from the TD .
Columnists wagged their fingers .
Sinn Féin ’ s social media army leaped to Stanley ’ s defence by attacking anyone who criticised him .
Stanley apologised , and stayed in his job as chairman of the Dáil ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Accounts Committee , though he has landed himself in newer , unconnected strife since about his social media commentaries .
While Stanley may have apologised for his comments , he will never repudiate the sentiment behind them .
He was apologising for expressing his views in the way he did ; he did not – nor would he , nor would he be permitted to – repudiate those views .
Those views are an essential part of the party ’ s identity , its sense of itself and its mission .
Asked if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who would disagree with Stanley ’ s views , one Sinn Féin TD replied : “ I wouldn ’ t think so.
” This is the conventional Sinn Féin theology – that the Provisional IRA ’ s campaign was the direct political and moral descendant of the War of Independence , 1919-1921 , which secured independence for Ireland but only in its partitioned form .
It links Sinn Féin today to the party of Griffith , DeValera , Cosgrave and Collins .
Only last weekend McDonald was tweeting “ happy birthday to us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s founding in 1905 by Arthur Griffith .
This is , to put it mildly , a selective reading of history : the list of parties that can fairly claim to be descended from Griffith ’ s Sinn Féin includes Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil , the Workers ’ Party and Democratic Left .
The claim that the Provisional IRA was the heir to the guerrilla army that fought the War of Independence is even more fiercely contested .
Micheál Martin , who has more than any other politician engaged in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the idea of an “ unbroken chain ” from Patrick Pearse to Gerry Adams is a “ dangerous and corrosive myth ” .
But these contested linkages to the period of the Irish revolution are important to Sinn Féin .
History is important , because disputes over history are almost always about the present .
Seeking to link Sinn Féin and the IRA to the revolutionary period is not about the War of Independence ; it is about the Provisional IRA ’ s campaign , and an effort to retrospectively seek legitimacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t about Kilmichael ; it was about the Troubles .
The legitimacy of Kilmichael is not a point of contemporary political dispute ; the legitimacy of Warrenpoint and the deaths that happened there ( and , far more so , Mullaghmore , which he carefully did not mention ) very much is .
Sinn Féin has always been alert to the opportunities and dangers of the historic comparisons .
In 1985 Sinn Féin ’ s director of publicity and IRA volunteer Danny Morrison published a pamphlet , The Good Old IRA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ ignorance ” and cynicism ” of those who drew a false distinction between the IRA who fought the War of Independence and the Provisionals .
Speaking to The Irish Times this week , Morrison was just as sharp , condemning the “ hypocrisy and double standards ” of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil .
The War of Independence and the Provisionals ’ campaign , he says , had “ exactly the same objective – to get British rule out of Ireland ” .
However , Fine Gael ’ s former minister of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a long-time IRA and Sinn Féin critic , believes the linkage is a bid to “ to launder the IRA campaign ” .
“ They are using the decade of commemorations in a way that is divisive and dishonest , ” Flanagan says .
“ I ’ m really concerned about it .
The Stanley tweet actually goes to the heart of it .
He ’ s seeking to legitimise the IRA of 1979 by linking it to the IRA of the War of Independence.
” This is the heart of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the larger question is a moral and political one : was the Provisional IRA ’ s campaign justified ?
That is really what the argument is about .
Yes , says Sinn Féin .
No , say the old “ establishment ” parties in Dublin .
“ The War of Independence had broad public support , and the democratic legitimacy of the 1918 general election , ” says Flanagan .
“ What democratic legitimacy did Pearse and Connolly have in 1916 ?
” asks Morrison in reply .
For a long time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republic – as well as the North – also said no .
But that picture is not as clear now .
For younger people , too young for the Troubles , the lack of any democratic mandate for the IRA ’ s campaign anywhere is less troublesome .
As the former Green Party election candidate Saoirse McHugh recently tweeted , reflecting on the account of the Mountbatten assassination in the Netflix series The Crown , “ To people in their 20s , the 1970s may as well be the 1920s ” .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire period of the IRA campaign , public support in the South for the violence was minimal , and as a consequence Sinn Féin ’ s electoral performance was negligible .
When the strategy changed from a military one to a political one , Sinn Féin still supported acts abhorred by most others .
Time helped ; but so did a conscious effort to identify the Provisionals ’ campaign with the War of Independence .
That continues today .
Sinn Féin makes no distinction between commemorations of the old IRA and the Provisionals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected by southern voters and , while it is prepared to justify and defend the Provisionals , it prefers to do so by linking to Kilmichael rather than Mullaghmore .
What is not contestable is that Sinn Féin has built a left-wing anti-establishment brand that is compelling to many voters .
For many of those voters , an unpopular armed campaign is no longer an albatross around the party ’ s neck .
For them it ’ s just history .
McHugh is right about one thing : demographics tell much of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is a sharp divide between people who grew up after the ceasefires and those who became politically aware in the days when killings in Northern Ireland were a staple of the evening news .
In February ’ s general election this year , the party won 32 per cent among the under-35s .
“ It ’ s remarkable , ” says Morrison , “ that younger people are so open to Sinn Féin given the demonisation of Sinn Féin by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
” The language wars in the Republic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland : “ I think you see a new faultline starting to appear in southern politics , ” says Prof Peter Shirlow , director of the Institute of Irish Studies at University of Liverpool , “ Unionists are starting to notice it.
” The idea that gives Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil – and many other people in the South – indigestion is the idea of a Sinn Féin taoiseach attending Provisional IRA commemorations .
“ I ’ m depressed about it all , ” says one former minister .
Will there be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 50th anniversary of the hunger strikes , presided over by a Sinn Féin taoiseach who speaks about the Troubles as the “ second War of Independence ” ?
Sinn Féin already plans a 40th anniversary of the hunger strikes in Cork next year .
Then , as now , Sinn Féin will draw on the history of the struggle for independence a century ago .
The death on hunger strike of the lord mayor of Cork Terence MacSwiney in 1920 was one of the totemic moments of the War of Independence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention .
Then , as now , the claim of the unbroken chain from MacSwiney to Bobby Sands will be disputed by Sinn Féin ’ s opponents .
The decade of commemorations approaches more contested territory.The wars over history – and the battle for the future – will only grow hotter .

Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley's tweet comparing the Kilmichael ambush and the Narrow Water attacks that left 18 British soldiers dead was not just another row about yet another injudicious comment by a politician on social media. Instead, it illustrates where the new division in Irish politics is; and how the battle over history will define it – with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on one side and Sinn Féin on the other.
The battleground may be policy and politics – but it is also history.
Stanley's tweet was a classic political gaffe, in which he said something he believed but that it was not advisable to say, likening Kilmichael to the Provisional IRA's attack in Warrenpoint, or Narrow Water as it is called by many.
Though Stanley did not mention it, the same day, in Mullaghmore, Co Sligo, an IRA bomb killed Lord Mountbatten, a senior member of the British royal family, as well as an 83-year-old woman and two teenage boys.
READ MORE
Stanley was widely criticised by opponents for seemingly glorifying the deaths of the British soldiers. His own party was privately furious and publicly censorious: “A singular, one-off mistake,” said Mary Lou McDonald. Taoiseach Micheál Martin issued a thundering rebuke.
Northern First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster complained to the Ceann Comhairle, who replied that a "credible political response" was needed from the TD. Columnists wagged their fingers. Sinn Féin's social media army leaped to Stanley's defence by attacking anyone who criticised him.
Stanley apologised, and stayed in his job as chairman of the Dáil's most important committee, the Public Accounts Committee, though he has landed himself in newer, unconnected strife since about his social media commentaries.
While Stanley may have apologised for his comments, he will never repudiate the sentiment behind them. He was apologising for expressing his views in the way he did; he did not – nor would he, nor would he be permitted to – repudiate those views.
Aftermath of the IRA bombimg of Warrenpoint, or Narrow Water, in 1979
Those views are an essential part of the party’s identity, its sense of itself and its mission. Asked if there was anyone in the entire party who would disagree with Stanley’s views, one Sinn Féin TD replied: “I wouldn’t think so.”
This is the conventional Sinn Féin theology – that the Provisional IRA's campaign was the direct political and moral descendant of the War of Independence, 1919-1921, which secured independence for Ireland but only in its partitioned form.
It links Sinn Féin today to the party of Griffith, DeValera, Cosgrave and Collins. Only last weekend McDonald was tweeting "happy birthday to us" on the anniversary of Sinn Féin's founding in 1905 by Arthur Griffith.
This is, to put it mildly, a selective reading of history: the list of parties that can fairly claim to be descended from Griffith's Sinn Féin includes Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, the Workers' Party and Democratic Left.
The claim that the Provisional IRA was the heir to the guerrilla army that fought the War of Independence is even more fiercely contested. Micheál Martin, who has more than any other politician engaged in the history wars with Sinn Féin, has said the idea of an "unbroken chain" from Patrick Pearse to Gerry Adams is a "dangerous and corrosive myth".
Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Photograph: Julien Behal/Pool/AFP via Getty
But these contested linkages to the period of the Irish revolution are important to Sinn Féin. History is important, because disputes over history are almost always about the present.
Legitimacy for the IRA
Seeking to link Sinn Féin and the IRA to the revolutionary period is not about the War of Independence; it is about the Provisional IRA’s campaign, and an effort to retrospectively seek legitimacy for it.
Stanley’s tweet wasn’t about Kilmichael; it was about the Troubles. The legitimacy of Kilmichael is not a point of contemporary political dispute; the legitimacy of Warrenpoint and the deaths that happened there (and, far more so, Mullaghmore, which he carefully did not mention) very much is.
Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Sinn Féin has always been alert to the opportunities and dangers of the historic comparisons. In 1985 Sinn Féin's director of publicity and IRA volunteer Danny Morrison published a pamphlet, The Good Old IRA, attacking the "hypocrisy", "ignorance" and cynicism" of those who drew a false distinction between the IRA who fought the War of Independence and the Provisionals.
Speaking to The Irish Times this week, Morrison was just as sharp, condemning the “hypocrisy and double standards” of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. The War of Independence and the Provisionals’ campaign, he says, had “exactly the same objective – to get British rule out of Ireland”.
However, Fine Gael's former minister of justice and foreign affairs, Charlie Flanagan, a long-time IRA and Sinn Féin critic, believes the linkage is a bid to "to launder the IRA campaign".
“They are using the decade of commemorations in a way that is divisive and dishonest,” Flanagan says. “I’m really concerned about it. The Stanley tweet actually goes to the heart of it. He’s seeking to legitimise the IRA of 1979 by linking it to the IRA of the War of Independence.”
This is the heart of the matter. Whatever about historical accuracy, the larger question is a moral and political one: was the Provisional IRA’s campaign justified? That is really what the argument is about. Yes, says Sinn Féin. No, say the old “establishment” parties in Dublin.
“The War of Independence had broad public support, and the democratic legitimacy of the 1918 general election,” says Flanagan.
“What democratic legitimacy did Pearse and Connolly have in 1916?” asks Morrison in reply.
For a long time, the overwhelming majority of people in the Republic – as well as the North – also said no. But that picture is not as clear now. For younger people, too young for the Troubles, the lack of any democratic mandate for the IRA’s campaign anywhere is less troublesome.
As the former Green Party election candidate Saoirse McHugh recently tweeted, reflecting on the account of the Mountbatten assassination in the Netflix series The Crown, "To people in their 20s, the 1970s may as well be the 1920s".
What is not contestable is that for the entire period of the IRA campaign, public support in the South for the violence was minimal, and as a consequence Sinn Féin’s electoral performance was negligible.
When the strategy changed from a military one to a political one, Sinn Féin still supported acts abhorred by most others. Time helped; but so did a conscious effort to identify the Provisionals’ campaign with the War of Independence.
That continues today. Sinn Féin makes no distinction between commemorations of the old IRA and the Provisionals. It is conscious that violence was rejected by southern voters and, while it is prepared to justify and defend the Provisionals, it prefers to do so by linking to Kilmichael rather than Mullaghmore.
Anti-establishment brand
What is not contestable is that Sinn Féin has built a left-wing anti-establishment brand that is compelling to many voters. For many of those voters, an unpopular armed campaign is no longer an albatross around the party’s neck. For them it’s just history.
McHugh is right about one thing: demographics tell much of the story. Politicians in every party say there is a sharp divide between people who grew up after the ceasefires and those who became politically aware in the days when killings in Northern Ireland were a staple of the evening news.
In February’s general election this year, the party won 32 per cent among the under-35s. “It’s remarkable,” says Morrison, “that younger people are so open to Sinn Féin given the demonisation of Sinn Féin by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.”
Danny Morrison with Gerry Adams canvassing for the EEC elections in 1984. Photograph: Pacemaker
The language wars in the Republic are beginning to be noticed in Northern Ireland: "I think you see a new faultline starting to appear in southern politics," says Prof Peter Shirlow, director of the Institute of Irish Studies at University of Liverpool, "Unionists are starting to notice it."
The idea that gives Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil – and many other people in the South – indigestion is the idea of a Sinn Féin taoiseach attending Provisional IRA commemorations. “I’m depressed about it all,” says one former minister.
Will there be a national holiday in 2031 to mark the 50th anniversary of the hunger strikes, presided over by a Sinn Féin taoiseach who speaks about the Troubles as the “second War of Independence”? Sinn Féin already plans a 40th anniversary of the hunger strikes in Cork next year.
Then, as now, Sinn Féin will draw on the history of the struggle for independence a century ago. The death on hunger strike of the lord mayor of Cork Terence MacSwiney in 1920 was one of the totemic moments of the War of Independence, bringing Ireland’s struggle to world attention.
Then, as now, the claim of the unbroken chain from MacSwiney to Bobby Sands will be disputed by Sinn Féin's opponents. The decade of commemorations approaches more contested territory.The wars over history – and the battle for the future – will only grow hotter.


theirishtimes--2020-12-05--Val McDermid: ‘There will be a united Ireland within five years’

In the bookshops of Edinburgh , Val McDermid ’ s name is everywhere .
The award-winning crime writer ’ s books have sold 16 million copies and been translated into 40 languages .
This month , her latest work , a “ chilling ” short story collection , Christmas Is Murder , fills bookshop windows .
McDermid is also a proud pro-independence Scot ; her other titles include Imagine a Country , with her partner Jo Sharp , in which they asked a cross-section of Scottish voices to describe “ a country you want to live in , a country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ d feel truly at home ” .
It was published in mid-March , just as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Scotland .
The year since , says McDermid , “ has emphasised the differences between Scotland and the rest of the UK in many respects , and the frustrations felt by the Scottish government because of the reserved powers ” .
She sums it up : “ It feels like a shift.
” That movement in public opinion has been demonstrated at the polls , which since June have for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of about 54 per cent in support of an independent Scotland .
“ Strategically , I don ’ t think Nicola Sturgeon will jump before she ’ s sure she ’ s got a majority that will be demonstrable in the case of the polls , ” says McDermid .
“ I ’ ve heard her say that she never wants to wake up again on a morning like [ the day after the independence referendum in ] 2014.
” That said , McDermid predicts that next year ’ s elections in Scotland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the SNP [ Scottish National Party ] ...
If they run on a mandate of independence it ’ s hard to argue against that as a mandate of the people , and if Westminster say no , arguably there ’ s nothing there but frustration and fury .
“ That ’ s when I suppose , if it was me , I would start talking about a programme of civil disobedience , stuff like withholding your taxes , non-co-operation with the national authorities in all sorts of areas .
Take your Trident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election will lead to another independence referendum , “ which will be successful , which will win this time ” .
This will have its consequences for Ireland , and for the union .
“ I don ’ t know which way round it will come but I think it ’ ll be the domino effect , whichever goes first will be the trigger for the other .
Obviously I would prefer if it was Scotland going first.
” She believes there will be “ a united Ireland , one way or another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think Brexit ’ s going to destroy the union .
“ The notion of having a border up the Irish Sea and pretending that somehow it ’ s okay and it doesn ’ t change anything , it ’ s manifest nonsense.
” McDermid is not an SNP member ; she is , however , a friend of the Scottish First Minister – “ I ’ d like to think so .
She might think otherwise ” – and praises her “ presentational skill , obviously , but I think she ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ One of the reasons why Scotland hasn ’ t on the face of it done better [ in tackling coronavirus ] ... has been in a large measure because our hands are tied in many areas .
Where it has done better is in terms of national morale .
“ People do feel they ’ re in this together , even though we ’ re not all in the same boat – God knows , we ’ re not all in the same boat – but we ’ re in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genuine reader , she loves crime fiction ” ; McDermid notes that “ the leaders who have performed most effectively in the Covid crisis all read fiction ... fiction promotes empathy .
“ You can ’ t read a substantial amount of fiction and not understand how other people live .
You can read any amount of political biography and not have a clue about how anybody else thinks.
” A lot of the opposition she sees targeted towards Sturgeon “ is pure misogyny , the Jimmy Krankie stuff , the ‘ nippy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way they treat male politicians.
” McDermid lived in England for many years , and returned to Scotland in 2014 .
“ I left Scotland because I couldn ’ t have the life I wanted as an out lesbian in Scotland at that time .
It was hard enough having the life I wanted as a woman , but now Scotland ’ s been voted the best country to be gay in Europe .
“ There are so many respects in which over the last 40 years we have changed .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a time when England seems to have developed a frightening strand of the little-Englander world view.
” In this context , the vibrancy of the arts scene in Scotland is “ a reflection of how we see ourselves in the world now ” ; she sees Scottish writer Douglas Stuart ’ s recent Booker Prize win is “ an amazing step forward ” , and is encouraged by the diversity of Scottish voices .
“ We have come to embrace the idea of what they call the new Scots , the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their lot in with us are as entitled to call themselves Scottish if they join our communities and become part of us.
” While the “ economic cake ” post-independence may be smaller , “ if you slice it differently it doesn ’ t necessarily mean an increase in poverty , it just means the people at the top of the tree dig a little bit deeper ” .
She has sensed “ a willingness to try and engage with the economic inequalities , to try and find levers that we can pull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to us , but I think there ’ s a lot of people thinking about the future.
” For McDermid , it is an exciting time to be Scottish .
“ There ’ s genuinely a sense of openness , ” she says .
“ I ’ m not saying for a moment that Scotland is this great Nirvana , this great Shangri-la where everything will be lovely and the haggis will flow in the streets .
We have our problems like any modern democracy , but I think the country we could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are at the moment .
”

Val McDermid: ‘Scotland has become a modern, outward-looking nation at a time when England seems to have developed a frightening strand of the little-Englander world view.’ Photograph: Awakening/Getty
In the bookshops of Edinburgh, Val McDermid's name is everywhere.
The award-winning crime writer’s books have sold 16 million copies and been translated into 40 languages. This month, her latest work, a “chilling” short story collection, Christmas Is Murder, fills bookshop windows.
McDermid is also a proud pro-independence Scot; her other titles include Imagine a Country, with her partner Jo Sharp, in which they asked a cross-section of Scottish voices to describe "a country you want to live in, a country you wish existed, a country where you'd feel truly at home".
It was published in mid-March, just as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Scotland. The year since, says McDermid, "has emphasised the differences between Scotland and the rest of the UK in many respects, and the frustrations felt by the Scottish government because of the reserved powers".
READ MORE
She sums it up: “It feels like a shift.”
That movement in public opinion has been demonstrated at the polls, which since June have for the first time shown a consistent majority of about 54 per cent in support of an independent Scotland.
"Strategically, I don't think Nicola Sturgeon will jump before she's sure she's got a majority that will be demonstrable in the case of the polls," says McDermid. "I've heard her say that she never wants to wake up again on a morning like [the day after the independence referendum in] 2014."
That said, McDermid predicts that next year’s elections in Scotland “will result in a thumping majority for the SNP [Scottish National Party] ... If they run on a mandate of independence it’s hard to argue against that as a mandate of the people, and if Westminster say no, arguably there’s nothing there but frustration and fury.
“That’s when I suppose, if it was me, I would start talking about a programme of civil disobedience, stuff like withholding your taxes, non-co-operation with the national authorities in all sorts of areas. Take your Trident home.”
‘Domino effect’
Her hope is that the election will lead to another independence referendum, “which will be successful, which will win this time”.
This will have its consequences for Ireland, and for the union. "I don't know which way round it will come but I think it'll be the domino effect, whichever goes first will be the trigger for the other. Obviously I would prefer if it was Scotland going first."
She believes there will be “a united Ireland, one way or another, within five years ... because I think Brexit’s going to destroy the union.
“The notion of having a border up the Irish Sea and pretending that somehow it’s okay and it doesn’t change anything, it’s manifest nonsense.”
McDermid is not an SNP member; she is, however, a friend of the Scottish First Minister – “I’d like to think so. She might think otherwise” – and praises her “presentational skill, obviously, but I think she’s genuinely a talented and intelligent politician”.
“One of the reasons why Scotland hasn’t on the face of it done better [in tackling coronavirus] ... has been in a large measure because our hands are tied in many areas. Where it has done better is in terms of national morale.
“People do feel they’re in this together, even though we’re not all in the same boat – God knows, we’re not all in the same boat – but we’re in the same storm.”
Sturgeon is a “genuine reader, she loves crime fiction”; McDermid notes that “the leaders who have performed most effectively in the Covid crisis all read fiction ... fiction promotes empathy.
“You can’t read a substantial amount of fiction and not understand how other people live. You can read any amount of political biography and not have a clue about how anybody else thinks.”
A lot of the opposition she sees targeted towards Sturgeon "is pure misogyny, the Jimmy Krankie stuff, the 'nippy sweetie' stuff. These are not the way they treat male politicians."
Being gay in Scotland
McDermid lived in England for many years, and returned to Scotland in 2014. "I left Scotland because I couldn't have the life I wanted as an out lesbian in Scotland at that time. It was hard enough having the life I wanted as a woman, but now Scotland's been voted the best country to be gay in Europe.
“There are so many respects in which over the last 40 years we have changed. We have become a modern, outward-looking nation at a time when England seems to have developed a frightening strand of the little-Englander world view.”
In this context, the vibrancy of the arts scene in Scotland is "a reflection of how we see ourselves in the world now"; she sees Scottish writer Douglas Stuart's recent Booker Prize win is "an amazing step forward", and is encouraged by the diversity of Scottish voices.
“We have come to embrace the idea of what they call the new Scots, the idea that people who come here and cast their lot in with us are as entitled to call themselves Scottish if they join our communities and become part of us.”
While the “economic cake” post-independence may be smaller, “if you slice it differently it doesn’t necessarily mean an increase in poverty, it just means the people at the top of the tree dig a little bit deeper”.
She has sensed “a willingness to try and engage with the economic inequalities, to try and find levers that we can pull. Most of those levers are closed to us, but I think there’s a lot of people thinking about the future.”
For McDermid, it is an exciting time to be Scottish. “There’s genuinely a sense of openness,” she says.
“I’m not saying for a moment that Scotland is this great Nirvana, this great Shangri-la where everything will be lovely and the haggis will flow in the streets. We have our problems like any modern democracy, but I think the country we could become is better than the country we are at the moment.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-05--Thinking Anew – ‘Prepare a way for the Lord’

Tomorrow is the Second Sunday of Advent .
Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ at the end of time , and a reminder of his first coming at Christmas .
In tomorrow ’ s Gospel , Mark ( 1 : 1-8 ) quotes from the Prophet Isaiah that God is going to send a messenger .
Isaiah writes : “ Prepare a way for the Lord/make his paths straight ” .
In a commentary on this passage , Dominican priest , scripture scholar and Corkman Wilfrid Harrington writes that St Mark focuses on John the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Coming One , that is , Jesus Christ .
That idea of someone being a witness , someone with advance news of what is to come , brings us gently to receiving the Good News of Jesus Christ .
Harrington gives examples of John the Baptist-like figures .
Among them are Rosa Parks , the woman of colour , who refused to cede her seat on a bus to a white man , as required by law on that famous day in 1955 in Montgomery , Alabama .
That small but gigantic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights movement .
Rosa Parks was not an important person in society .
And that ’ s important for Harrington and for our understanding .
Reading through the different examples that help remind him of Jesus , I find myself thinking of the amazing person Harrington is himself .
Imagine , at age 93 , contributing articles to scholarly journals and still writing books .
Yes , he has been fortunate and blessed to live such a long life in good health and to be a man of great scholarship , but there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Fr Harrington taught me in the 1970s .
Back then he stood out as a giant .
He has devoted his life ’ s work to the study of the Bible but for me one of his most endearing qualities is his refusal to allow himself to be swallowed up by an institutional church .
Back in the 1970s he had the wit , wisdom and indeed , irreverence to cast a cold eye at the failings of the institutional church .
He has become one of the country ’ s leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been seduced by clericalism or become a “ company man ” .
His outstanding integrity is strongly anchored within his Christian faith .
But that has never stopped him from being critical of troubling aspects of the institutional church .
And to top it all , he is a person of great humility .
I have found his willingness to challenge church officials and bureaucrats an inspiration to me to stand back , consider and ask awkward questions .
It ’ s true to say that across the world many Christian churches are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ireland is not in a healthy place .
Within the church there is division and large numbers of people have spoken with their feet .
We need courageous people who will speak truth to power .
We urgently need prophetic people who will point a way for us that will lead us to Jesus Christ .
Far too many holy and good people have been alienated from an organisation that refuses to shed all the trappings of entitlement .
In this newspaper , Patsy McGarry , writing recently about the qualities the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ praises the good work on the painful topic of child sex abuse that Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has done since he took office in 2004 .
But in that same piece McGarry also quotes Dublin abuse survivor Marie Collins : “ Reports , excuses , promises , mean little to me anymore .
Clericalism is alive and well , marching forward unhindered ” .
All his life Harrington has thrown scorn on clericalism and that ’ s one of the reasons why he stands out for me .
He is a pointer , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means to be challenged by the Good News of Jesus Christ .
When Harrington mentions people whom he personally sees as witnesses or those who point the way to God , I ’ m thankful for him and people like him who help me in my search for God .

“Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ at the end of time, and a reminder of his first coming at Christmas.” Photograph: Getty Images
Tomorrow is the Second Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ at the end of time, and a reminder of his first coming at Christmas.
In tomorrow’s Gospel, Mark (1: 1-8) quotes from the Prophet Isaiah that God is going to send a messenger. Isaiah writes: “Prepare a way for the Lord/make his paths straight”.
In a commentary on this passage, Dominican priest, scripture scholar and Corkman Wilfrid Harrington writes that St Mark focuses on John the Baptist as a pointer or witness to the Coming One, that is, Jesus Christ. That idea of someone being a witness, someone with advance news of what is to come, brings us gently to receiving the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Harrington gives examples of John the Baptist-like figures. Among them are Rosa Parks, the woman of colour, who refused to cede her seat on a bus to a white man, as required by law on that famous day in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. That small but gigantic act was a catalyst for the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks was not an important person in society. And that's important for Harrington and for our understanding.
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Reading through the different examples that help remind him of Jesus, I find myself thinking of the amazing person Harrington is himself. Imagine, at age 93, contributing articles to scholarly journals and still writing books. Yes, he has been fortunate and blessed to live such a long life in good health and to be a man of great scholarship, but there is much more to him than that.
Fr Harrington taught me in the 1970s. Back then he stood out as a giant. He has devoted his life’s work to the study of the Bible but for me one of his most endearing qualities is his refusal to allow himself to be swallowed up by an institutional church. Back in the 1970s he had the wit, wisdom and indeed, irreverence to cast a cold eye at the failings of the institutional church. He has become one of the country’s leading scripture scholars, but he has never been seduced by clericalism or become a “company man”. His outstanding integrity is strongly anchored within his Christian faith. But that has never stopped him from being critical of troubling aspects of the institutional church. And to top it all, he is a person of great humility.
I have found his willingness to challenge church officials and bureaucrats an inspiration to me to stand back, consider and ask awkward questions. It's true to say that across the world many Christian churches are close to meltdown. The Catholic Church in Ireland is not in a healthy place. Within the church there is division and large numbers of people have spoken with their feet.
We need courageous people who will speak truth to power. We urgently need prophetic people who will point a way for us that will lead us to Jesus Christ. Far too many holy and good people have been alienated from an organisation that refuses to shed all the trappings of entitlement.
In this newspaper, Patsy McGarry, writing recently about the qualities the next archbishop of Dublin will need, praises the good work on the painful topic of child sex abuse that Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has done since he took office in 2004. But in that same piece McGarry also quotes Dublin abuse survivor Marie Collins: "Reports, excuses, promises, mean little to me anymore. Clericalism is alive and well, marching forward unhindered".
All his life Harrington has thrown scorn on clericalism and that’s one of the reasons why he stands out for me. He is a pointer, a reminder to me, of what it means to be challenged by the Good News of Jesus Christ. When Harrington mentions people whom he personally sees as witnesses or those who point the way to God, I’m thankful for him and people like him who help me in my search for God.


theirishtimes--2020-12-04--Criminal’s character can be taken into account in compensation claim, court rules

The conduct and character of a career criminal can be taken into account in any application he makes for compensation for injuries he got after being hit with an axe during a row , the Court of Appeal ( CoA ) ruled .
However , the three-judge CoA ruled in favour of Paul Doyle ( 44 ) over his claim that his inability to access information in relation to the State ’ s crime compensation scheme was a breach of his constitutional rights .
Ms Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh , on behalf of the CoA , also said a recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court of Justice of the EU , which meant that Irish residents who are victims of crime have a right to fair and appropriate compensation under a 2004 EU Directive , had ramifications for cases like Mr Doyle ’ s .
Since 1986 , the State compensation scheme has only paid crime victims for medical and loss of earnings , not pain and suffering .
Ms Justice Ní Raifeartaigh dismissed Mr Doyle ’ s claim that the scheme here was inadequate under EU law because our Criminal Injuries Tribunal had not yet dealt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doyle ( 44 ) was left having difficulties walking , standing and speaking after he was hit with an axe during a row in 2014 with another man who was later jailed for four-and-half years for the attack .
Mr Doyle , whose brothers Barry and the late Paddy were involved in gangland crime , has himself a long record of crime having been sentenced on some 34 occasions for offences including threatening behaviour , possession of knife , handling stolen property with his longest sentences of between seven and 10 years for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tribunal sought more information from him regarding his exclusion from the scheme over “ way of life ” criteria , his lawyers sought information in relation to other “ way of life ” decisions and how they were made .
When the Tribunal said it did not have the resources to provide such information and that there was no provision in the scheme for payment of legal costs , he brought a High Court challenge .
The main grounds of his complaints related to the absence of any provision for legal aid for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the “ way of life ” criteria .
He also complained about the absence of any method to access previous decisions in the scheme related to “ way of life ” , and about the exclusion of pain and suffering from the scheme .
The Tribunal , the Minister for Justice and the State opposed the application .
Along with the case of another man , the High Court rejected his challenge .
He appealed and both appeals were ruled on by Ms Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh on Friday .
Ms Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was before the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union decision last July and this had ramifications for the appeal .
It was argued on behalf of Mr Doyle and the other man that the Grand Chamber decision made it clear a 2004 Directive applied to all victims of violent intentional crime without distinction and that the “ way of life criteria ” did not meet the obligation to provide effective protection to victims .
The Tribunal and the State opposed the appeal .
Ms Justice Ní Raifeartaigh said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not require that all member states are mandated to give an award of compensation which completely disregards his criminal history and lifestyle .
She found there was nothing under EU laws or rules that required legal aid had to be provided to applicants to vindicate their rights .
The claim relating to the exclusion of pain and suffering from the scheme was premature in the absence of any Tribunal decision on the cases as of yet and she dismissed that aspect of the appeal , she said .
She found however the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how “ way of life ” criteria has been applied in the past by the Tribunal was in breach of their constitutional right to fair procedures .

Paul Doyle was left having difficulties walking, standing and speaking after he was hit with an axe during a row in 2014 with another man who was later jailed for four-and-half years for the attack. Photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times
The conduct and character of a career criminal can be taken into account in any application he makes for compensation for injuries he got after being hit with an axe during a row, the Court of Appeal (CoA) ruled.
However, the three-judge CoA ruled in favour of Paul Doyle (44) over his claim that his inability to access information in relation to the State's crime compensation scheme was a breach of his constitutional rights.
Ms Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh, on behalf of the CoA, also said a recent ruling by the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the EU, which meant that Irish residents who are victims of crime have a right to fair and appropriate compensation under a 2004 EU Directive, had ramifications for cases like Mr Doyle’s.
Since 1986, the State compensation scheme has only paid crime victims for medical and loss of earnings, not pain and suffering.
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Ms Justice Ní Raifeartaigh dismissed Mr Doyle’s claim that the scheme here was inadequate under EU law because our Criminal Injuries Tribunal had not yet dealt with his claim for compensation.
Mr Doyle (44) was left having difficulties walking, standing and speaking after he was hit with an axe during a row in 2014 with another man who was later jailed for four-and-half years for the attack.
Mr Doyle, whose brothers Barry and the late Paddy were involved in gangland crime, has himself a long record of crime having been sentenced on some 34 occasions for offences including threatening behaviour, possession of knife, handling stolen property with his longest sentences of between seven and 10 years for robbery with a syringe.
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When the Tribunal sought more information from him regarding his exclusion from the scheme over "way of life" criteria, his lawyers sought information in relation to other "way of life" decisions and how they were made. When the Tribunal said it did not have the resources to provide such information and that there was no provision in the scheme for payment of legal costs, he brought a High Court challenge.
The main grounds of his complaints related to the absence of any provision for legal aid for applicants to the scheme and the existence of the “way of life” criteria. He also complained about the absence of any method to access previous decisions in the scheme related to “way of life”, and about the exclusion of pain and suffering from the scheme.
The Tribunal, the Minister for Justice and the State opposed the application.
Along with the case of another man, the High Court rejected his challenge.
He appealed and both appeals were ruled on by Ms Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh on Friday.
Ms Justice Ní Raifeartaigh noted the High Court decision was before the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union decision last July and this had ramifications for the appeal.
It was argued on behalf of Mr Doyle and the other man that the Grand Chamber decision made it clear a 2004 Directive applied to all victims of violent intentional crime without distinction and that the “way of life criteria” did not meet the obligation to provide effective protection to victims.
The Tribunal and the State opposed the appeal.
Ms Justice Ní Raifeartaigh said she was absolutely persuaded that the Directive does not require that all member states are mandated to give an award of compensation which completely disregards his criminal history and lifestyle.
She found there was nothing under EU laws or rules that required legal aid had to be provided to applicants to vindicate their rights.
The claim relating to the exclusion of pain and suffering from the scheme was premature in the absence of any Tribunal decision on the cases as of yet and she dismissed that aspect of the appeal, she said.
She found however the inability to access any information as to how “way of life” criteria has been applied in the past by the Tribunal was in breach of their constitutional right to fair procedures.


theirishtimes--2020-12-04--Sexual assault accused fails in challenge over change of plea

A man on trial for sexual assault has failed in a High Court challenge seeking to change a guilty plea back to not guilty after two more alleged victims were allowed give evidence against him .
The man had been on trial pleading not guilty to assaulting two women , but when the trial judge ruled the evidence of two other women , who alleged he also assaulted them , could be admitted , he changed it to guilty .
He sacked his legal team and said the change of plea to guilty was a mistake .
He said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the guilty plea was made in a state of panic and he was on the anxiety drug Xanax at the time .
The trial judge in the Circuit Criminal Court ruled he could not alter his plea , saying the accused had full mental capacity at the time he changed his plea to guilty and had full and extensive legal advice from his ( first ) legal team that he was likely to get a less severe sentence with a guilty plea .
The trial judge also said it appeared the rationale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guilty was that the State was going to seek that he be remanded in custody pending sentencing on a guilty plea .
The accused was on trial in 2018 for alleged assaults on two women in August and September in his business premises .
Another case was pending in relation to assaults on two other women but had not been listed for hearing .
When the Circuit Court refused to allow him to change back to not guilty , he brought a High Court challenge against that ruling .
The State opposed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Justice Garrett Simons dismissed his challenge on the basis that there is an adequate alternative remedy available to the accused – namely his right of appeal to the Court of Appeal against conviction and sentence .
He was satisfied the trial judge had not erred and that the judge ’ s findings of fact which the accused complained of were all ones which were open to the judge to make on the basis of the affidavit evidence before him .

The man sacked his legal team and said the change of plea to guilty was a mistake. Photograph: Collins Courts
A man on trial for sexual assault has failed in a High Court challenge seeking to change a guilty plea back to not guilty after two more alleged victims were allowed give evidence against him.
The man had been on trial pleading not guilty to assaulting two women, but when the trial judge ruled the evidence of two other women, who alleged he also assaulted them, could be admitted, he changed it to guilty.
He sacked his legal team and said the change of plea to guilty was a mistake. He said he wanted to revert to pleading not guilty as the guilty plea was made in a state of panic and he was on the anxiety drug Xanax at the time.
The trial judge in the Circuit Criminal Court ruled he could not alter his plea, saying the accused had full mental capacity at the time he changed his plea to guilty and had full and extensive legal advice from his (first) legal team that he was likely to get a less severe sentence with a guilty plea.
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The trial judge also said it appeared the rationale for wanting to change back to not guilty was that the State was going to seek that he be remanded in custody pending sentencing on a guilty plea.
The accused was on trial in 2018 for alleged assaults on two women in August and September in his business premises. Another case was pending in relation to assaults on two other women but had not been listed for hearing.
When the Circuit Court refused to allow him to change back to not guilty, he brought a High Court challenge against that ruling. The State opposed the judicial review challenge.
On Friday, Mr Justice Garrett Simons dismissed his challenge on the basis that there is an adequate alternative remedy available to the accused – namely his right of appeal to the Court of Appeal against conviction and sentence.
He was satisfied the trial judge had not erred and that the judge’s findings of fact which the accused complained of were all ones which were open to the judge to make on the basis of the affidavit evidence before him.


theirishtimes--2020-12-04--Man who admitted stabbing fisherman found guilty of manslaughter

A man who was wearing blood-stained clothes and carrying a knife when he walked into a garda station and admitted to stabbing a fisherman 40 times has been found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by a Central Criminal Court jury .
The panel of eight men and four women unanimously accepted the defence case that Darren Houlden had “ lost control and snapped ” when he stabbed Stephen “ Apples ” Kavanagh in a “ frenzied attack ” .
It was the defence contention that “ fear ” was at “ the heart of the case ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for “ his own skin ” but that the victim had also threatened his family , which had “ set him off ” .
Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC with Edmund Sweetman BL , instructed by Padraig Hyland Solicitors , asked for a verdict of manslaughter on the basis of the partial defence of provocation , which can reduce an intentional killing from murder to manslaughter .
Mr Grehan said provocation was an act done by the deceased to an accused , which would cause a reasonable person “ a sudden and temporary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no longer master of his own mind and compel him to act in a way that he would not ordinarily act .
Evidence was given that Houlden drove to Arklow Garda Station covered in blood at around 00.35am on the morning of May 6th following a weekend of smoking crack cocaine and taking a medley of drugs with the victim and his girlfriend .
The accused handed a “ bloodied knife ” to the member-in-charge at the hatch of the public office and told him : “ It ’ s my fault @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s all on me.
” Houlden told gardaí in his interviews that Mr Kavanagh was angry when he discovered that his cocaine was missing and made a phone call to someone saying : “ There is trouble down here , your stuff has been taken , get bodies down here.
” The accused told detectives that he begged Mr Kavanagh not to make a second phone call after the victim threatened him that “ gangsters ” would bring him to “ the woods ” and shoot him over the missing cocaine .
Whilst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the upstairs landing , Houlden said he was “ like a lunatic ” and “ went into a rage ” as he “ went for ” the deceased ’ s brain with the knife .
Mr Kavanagh ’ s girlfriend Rachel Kearney gave evidence that she saw the accused “ slaughtering ” and “ overkilling ” her boyfriend .
The witness said that Houlden was on top of her partner and had his knees on his back as he stabbed the victim .
The juror rejected the State ’ s case that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no loss of control was evident by how the defendant had “ weighed up his options ” and “ reasoned things out in his mind ” before attacking Mr Kavanagh .
In his closing speech , prosecution counsel John Fitzgerald SC remarked that the missing cocaine was later found without any great difficulty by gardaí in a bookcase in the accused ’ s bedroom , which the barrister said was very hard to reconcile with the “ life and death situation ” presented by the accused .
Houlden ( 44 ) , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Arklow , Co Wicklow had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Kavanagh ( 37 ) at the same location in the early hours of May 6th , 2019 .
However , his plea was rejected by the State .
Former Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis testified that Mr Kavanagh died after receiving “ around 40 knife wounds ” to the head , neck and face , which included the slicing of the right jugular vein and the thyroid artery , which cut the pharynx in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 jurors found Houlden not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by unanimous verdict after three hours and 16 minutes considering their verdict .
Following Friday ’ s verdict , Ms Justice Carmel Stewart thanked the jury for the attention they had given the case .
“ You serve a very important function in our criminal justice system and I thank you again , ” she added .
Ms Justice Stewart exempted them from jury service for the next five years .
The judge expressed her condolences to the Kavanagh family saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visited upon you and it can ’ t have been easy to sit through the evidence during the course of the trial.
” Ms Justice Stewart adjourned sentencing until February 1 and remanded Houlden in custody until that date , when a victim impact statement will be before the court .
The judge also directed a probation report .
The trial heard that Mr Kavanagh ’ s phone records showed that he made a call to his friend Rory “ Tar ” Kavanagh at 10.24pm on May 5th .
Under cross-examination , Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deceased man had asked him to go to the accused ’ s house in Meadowvale that night .
However , the witness denied that the victim had asked him to come to Meadowvale because some of his crack cocaine had gone missing and he wanted help with the problem .
The court also heard that an unsuccessful call , lasting one second , was made from Mr Kavanagh ’ s phone to another friend , Jason Farrell , at 00.18 on the morning of May 6th .
At the outset of the trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4th she went to the accused ’ s house with her boyfriend Stephen Kavanagh , whom she had been in a relationship with for a few weeks .
Ms Kearney said the three of them spent the night smoking crack cocaine from a pipe in Houlden ’ s bedroom .
The witness said that the accused had smoked heroin in the house that weekend and once he was “ getting plenty of drugs and smoking whatever , everything was alright ” .
Ms Kearney said her boyfriend noticed that his crack cocaine was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave Houlden ’ s house on the evening of May 5 .
She said Mr Kavanagh had hid the drugs behind the door in Houlden ’ s room .
“ When [ Mr Kavanagh ] noticed it was gone , there was arguing going on back and forwards .
Stephen was saying where is my drugs and Darren was saying he didn ’ t take it but he did have them , ” she continued .
The witness said her boyfriend was angry that he had been “ robbed ” by the accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a phone call to a friend .
Ms Kearney said that when she later went to the top of the stairs she saw the accused stabbing Mr Kavanagh .
The witness told Mr Fitzgerald that her boyfriend was face down on the floor and the accused had his two knees on his back as he stabbed him .
“ He was slaughtering him , over-killing him , ” she said .
The witness explained that her boyfriend said to her “ will you help me , he is going to kill me ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I wasn ’ t strong enough to stop him .
I said please stop you are killing him and he [ Houlden ] answered me calmly saying ‘ Ok , I will ’ , ” she said .
However , Ms Kearney said the accused then inflicted two final stab wounds to Mr Kavanagh ’ s neck and head .
The witness said she thought she would be killed next so she grabbed a mobile phone and rang 999 .
In cross-examination , Ms Kearney told defence counsel Mr Grehan that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was going to make a phone call but did not see or hear him make any phone calls .
Mr Grehan suggested to the witness that his client had attacked her boyfriend to stop him from making a phone call “ to get people to come up to the house to shoot Darren ” .
“ No , that ’ s all lies , ” she said .
Garda Dean Bolger said he received a call from the control unit at around 00.30 on May 6th informing him that there had been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he found a male with a faint pulse , lying on his right hand side in one of the bedrooms of the house .
Gda Bolger said he recognised that it was Stephen Kavanagh when he rolled the man over onto the flat of his back .
Gda Bolger observed a large laceration to the back of the victim ’ s head as well as a large number of cuts to his neck and forearms .
Paramedic Laura Hogan testified that Mr Kavanagh arrived at St Vincent ’ s Hospital at 2am and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of May 6th .
Garda Patrick Phelan gave evidence that he was the member in charge at Arklow Garda Station in the early hours of May 6th , when Houlden arrived at the hatch of the public office at 00.35 .
Gda Phelan said Houlden , who was covered in blood , told him that he had been accused of stealing cocaine at his house and handed him “ a bloodied knife ” .
Reading from his notes , Gda Phelan said that Houlden told him at the desk : “ I attacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head and ears .
He had a scissors .
It ’ s my fault .
I attacked him .
It ’ s all on me .
Face , neck and back .
I don ’ t effing know .
I couldn ’ t find my phone to call an ambulance .
I drove down here in my car.
” Gda Phelan said that Houlden had “ blood smeared on his face , arms and all of his clothing ” and was “ distressed and agitated ” .
CCTV footage was shown to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the station with the knife , which has a 10.5cm blade , in his right hand .
Former Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis gave evidence that Mr Kavanagh died after receiving “ a multiplicity ” of “ around 40 ” stab and slash wounds .
He said that Mr Kavanagh died of “ multiple stab wounds targeting the head , neck and face ” , which included a severed right jugular vein , thyroid artery , cut voice box , fractured cheekbone and injuries to his ears .
Dr Curtis said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slicing of the right jugular vein , and the thyroid artery , which cut the pharynx in the throat .
The witness said that these wounds caused blood to enter Mr Kavanagh ’ s airwaves and “ multiple defence wounds ” were found on both his arms .
A toxicology report recorded that cocaine , morphine , methadone and cannabinoids were found in the deceased ’ s system .
Det Gda Liam Flynn gave evidence that he arrested the accused man in the custody area of Arklow Garda Station and in reply to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You should arrest me for attempted murder .
I have never been so angry or so scared .
I was doing coke with him and his girlfriend .
I haven ’ t done coke in four or five years , I enjoyed myself.
” The accused man said Mr Kavanagh told him that he was going to ring someone and named a man .
“ I heard him talking to someone .
Then we started to search the house everywhere , he kept saying we are going to get shot , we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and shot because of this .
He kept saying that they will come after you and your family , ” said Houlden .
The defendant said he went to the kitchen in his house and got a knife .
“ I kept it down by my side .
Then I just started stabbing him in the neck , in the face , in the head , in the back .
I must have stabbed him at least seven times .
He was saying as I was stabbing him ‘ I think she took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , he wasn ’ t talking shit .
I know he could have me shot , ” he said .
Houlden continued : “ Stephen is his first name , he ’ s a fisherman .
I don ’ t trust him .
Why did he do it .
I only stabbed him to stop him making that second call otherwise the lads with the guns were on the way and we will be shot.
” In his interviews , Houlden told detectives that he “ went for ” the deceased ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the victim threatened him that “ gangsters ” would bring him “ up to the woods ” and shoot him over the missing cocaine .
“ I was so terrified in my own house .
I tried everything to avoid this but he kept pushing it .
I know this fella .
I know he was connected .
I know he was able to get drugs and a gun and who he owed money to ; big guys in the city .
I am so ashamed of what I done [ sic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked the accused what had prompted him to take the knife out of his pocket .
He replied : “ To make sure he didn ’ t make that phone call so that those people don ’ t come to my house .
Even when I had knife in my hand I was thinking to myself , I can ’ t do this .
The devil had taken me over for those two minutes [ sic ] ” .
Sgt Jenny Carrig gave evidence that she found two bags of cocaine at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s bedroom .
In cross-examination , the witness told Mr Grehan that the bags would not have been “ obvious to the eye initially ” and one would have had to look for them .
The court heard that the two bags of cocaine were valued at €591.50 .
Gda David Hamlin testified that he examined the deceased ’ s phone and it showed that he had made a call to Rory “ Tar ” Kavanagh at 10.24pm on May 5th .
The witness also said that an unsuccessful call , lasting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deceased ’ s phone to Jason Farrell at 00.18 on the morning of May 6th .
Rory “ Tar ” Kavanagh testified that he knew the deceased since they were teenagers and Mr Kavanagh rang him at 10.30pm on the night of May 5th .
Under cross-examination , Mr Kavanagh agreed with Mr Grehan that the deceased had asked him to go to Houlden ’ s house in Meadowvale that night and said he was “ now disgusted ” that he had not gone .
Mr Grehan put it to the witness that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to Meadowvale that night because he [ Mr Kavanagh ] had loads of crack cocaine , some went missing and he wanted help with the problem .
“ Where the f**k did you get that from , [ that ] he had ‘ loads of crack cocaine ’ , ” replied Rory “ Tar ” Kavanagh .
The lawyer asked the witness if he was denying this suggestion .
“ I ’ m completely denying that .
He wasn ’ t looking for someone to come up because anything went missing , @ @ @ @

It was the defence contention that ‘fear’ was at ‘the heart of the case’ and the accused was not only afraid for ‘his own skin’ but that the victim had also threatened his family, which had ‘set him off’. Photograph: Collins Courts
A man who was wearing blood-stained clothes and carrying a knife when he walked into a garda station and admitted to stabbing a fisherman 40 times has been found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by a Central Criminal Court jury.
The panel of eight men and four women unanimously accepted the defence case that Darren Houlden had "lost control and snapped" when he stabbed Stephen "Apples" Kavanagh in a "frenzied attack". It was the defence contention that "fear" was at "the heart of the case" and the accused was not only afraid for "his own skin" but that the victim had also threatened his family, which had "set him off".
Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC with Edmund Sweetman BL, instructed by Padraig Hyland Solicitors, asked for a verdict of manslaughter on the basis of the partial defence of provocation, which can reduce an intentional killing from murder to manslaughter. Mr Grehan said provocation was an act done by the deceased to an accused, which would cause a reasonable person "a sudden and temporary loss of self-control" that meant he was no longer master of his own mind and compel him to act in a way that he would not ordinarily act.
Evidence was given that Houlden drove to Arklow Garda Station covered in blood at around 00.35am on the morning of May 6th following a weekend of smoking crack cocaine and taking a medley of drugs with the victim and his girlfriend. The accused handed a "bloodied knife" to the member-in-charge at the hatch of the public office and told him: "It's my fault. I attacked him. It's all on me."
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Houlden told gardaí in his interviews that Mr Kavanagh was angry when he discovered that his cocaine was missing and made a phone call to someone saying: "There is trouble down here, your stuff has been taken, get bodies down here."
The accused told detectives that he begged Mr Kavanagh not to make a second phone call after the victim threatened him that “gangsters” would bring him to “the woods” and shoot him over the missing cocaine.
Whilst Mr Kavanagh was making the second call on the upstairs landing, Houlden said he was “like a lunatic” and “went into a rage” as he “went for” the deceased’s brain with the knife.
Mr Kavanagh's girlfriend Rachel Kearney gave evidence that she saw the accused "slaughtering" and "overkilling" her boyfriend. The witness said that Houlden was on top of her partner and had his knees on his back as he stabbed the victim.
The juror rejected the State’s case that Houlden was not “provoked” and no loss of control was evident by how the defendant had “weighed up his options” and “reasoned things out in his mind” before attacking Mr Kavanagh. In his closing speech, prosecution counsel John Fitzgerald SC remarked that the missing cocaine was later found without any great difficulty by gardaí in a bookcase in the accused’s bedroom, which the barrister said was very hard to reconcile with the “life and death situation” presented by the accused.
Houlden (44), with an address at The Crescent, Meadowvale, Arklow, Co Wicklow had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Kavanagh (37) at the same location in the early hours of May 6th, 2019. However, his plea was rejected by the State.
Former Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis testified that Mr Kavanagh died after receiving "around 40 knife wounds" to the head, neck and face, which included the slicing of the right jugular vein and the thyroid artery, which cut the pharynx in the victim's throat.
The 12 jurors found Houlden not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by unanimous verdict after three hours and 16 minutes considering their verdict.
Following Friday's verdict, Ms Justice Carmel Stewart thanked the jury for the attention they had given the case. "You serve a very important function in our criminal justice system and I thank you again," she added.
Ms Justice Stewart exempted them from jury service for the next five years.
The judge expressed her condolences to the Kavanagh family saying: “The court appreciates the difficulty visited upon you and it can’t have been easy to sit through the evidence during the course of the trial.”
Ms Justice Stewart adjourned sentencing until February 1 and remanded Houlden in custody until that date, when a victim impact statement will be before the court. The judge also directed a probation report.
The trial heard that Mr Kavanagh’s phone records showed that he made a call to his friend Rory “Tar” Kavanagh at 10.24pm on May 5th. Under cross-examination, Mr Kavanagh agreed with Mr Grehan that the deceased man had asked him to go to the accused’s house in Meadowvale that night. However, the witness denied that the victim had asked him to come to Meadowvale because some of his crack cocaine had gone missing and he wanted help with the problem.
The court also heard that an unsuccessful call, lasting one second, was made from Mr Kavanagh's phone to another friend, Jason Farrell, at 00.18 on the morning of May 6th.
Evidence heard
At the outset of the trial, Rachel Kearney testified that on May 4th she went to the accused's house with her boyfriend Stephen Kavanagh, whom she had been in a relationship with for a few weeks. Ms Kearney said the three of them spent the night smoking crack cocaine from a pipe in Houlden's bedroom.
The witness said that the accused had smoked heroin in the house that weekend and once he was “getting plenty of drugs and smoking whatever, everything was alright”.
Ms Kearney said her boyfriend noticed that his crack cocaine was missing when they were getting ready to leave Houlden’s house on the evening of May 5. She said Mr Kavanagh had hid the drugs behind the door in Houlden’s room. “When [Mr Kavanagh] noticed it was gone, there was arguing going on back and forwards. Stephen was saying where is my drugs and Darren was saying he didn’t take it but he did have them,” she continued.
The witness said her boyfriend was angry that he had been “robbed” by the accused and said he was going to make a phone call to a friend.
Ms Kearney said that when she later went to the top of the stairs she saw the accused stabbing Mr Kavanagh. The witness told Mr Fitzgerald that her boyfriend was face down on the floor and the accused had his two knees on his back as he stabbed him. "He was slaughtering him, over-killing him," she said.
The witness explained that her boyfriend said to her “will you help me, he is going to kill me” before she grabbed Houlden by the arm. “I wasn’t strong enough to stop him. I said please stop you are killing him and he [Houlden] answered me calmly saying ‘Ok, I will’,” she said. However, Ms Kearney said the accused then inflicted two final stab wounds to Mr Kavanagh’s neck and head. The witness said she thought she would be killed next so she grabbed a mobile phone and rang 999.
In cross-examination, Ms Kearney told defence counsel Mr Grehan that she had heard her boyfriend say he was going to make a phone call but did not see or hear him make any phone calls. Mr Grehan suggested to the witness that his client had attacked her boyfriend to stop him from making a phone call “to get people to come up to the house to shoot Darren”.
“No, that’s all lies,” she said.
Garda Dean Bolger said he received a call from the control unit at around 00.30 on May 6th informing him that there had been a stabbing in Meadowvale. The witness said he found a male with a faint pulse, lying on his right hand side in one of the bedrooms of the house. Gda Bolger said he recognised that it was Stephen Kavanagh when he rolled the man over onto the flat of his back. Gda Bolger observed a large laceration to the back of the victim's head as well as a large number of cuts to his neck and forearms.
Paramedic Laura Hogan testified that Mr Kavanagh arrived at St Vincent's Hospital at 2am and died at 2.35am in the early hours of May 6th.
‘Bloodied knife’
Garda Patrick Phelan gave evidence that he was the member in charge at Arklow Garda Station in the early hours of May 6th, when Houlden arrived at the hatch of the public office at 00.35.
Gda Phelan said Houlden, who was covered in blood, told him that he had been accused of stealing cocaine at his house and handed him "a bloodied knife". Reading from his notes, Gda Phelan said that Houlden told him at the desk: "I attacked him with a knife. Neck, head and ears. He had a scissors. It's my fault. I attacked him. It's all on me. Face, neck and back. I don't effing know. I couldn't find my phone to call an ambulance. I drove down here in my car."
Gda Phelan said that Houlden had “blood smeared on his face, arms and all of his clothing” and was “distressed and agitated”. CCTV footage was shown to the jury of Houlden entering the public area of the station with the knife, which has a 10.5cm blade, in his right hand.
Former Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis gave evidence that Mr Kavanagh died after receiving “a multiplicity” of “around 40” stab and slash wounds. He said that Mr Kavanagh died of “multiple stab wounds targeting the head, neck and face”, which included a severed right jugular vein, thyroid artery, cut voice box, fractured cheekbone and injuries to his ears.
Dr Curtis said the two most serious injuries were the slicing of the right jugular vein, and the thyroid artery, which cut the pharynx in the throat. The witness said that these wounds caused blood to enter Mr Kavanagh’s airwaves and “multiple defence wounds” were found on both his arms. A toxicology report recorded that cocaine, morphine, methadone and cannabinoids were found in the deceased’s system.
Det Gda Liam Flynn gave evidence that he arrested the accused man in the custody area of Arklow Garda Station and in reply to the caution, Houlden said: "You should arrest me for attempted murder. I have never been so angry or so scared. I was doing coke with him and his girlfriend. I haven't done coke in four or five years, I enjoyed myself."
The accused man said Mr Kavanagh told him that he was going to ring someone and named a man. “I heard him talking to someone. Then we started to search the house everywhere, he kept saying we are going to get shot, we are going to get brought up the mountains and shot because of this. He kept saying that they will come after you and your family,” said Houlden.
The defendant said he went to the kitchen in his house and got a knife. “I kept it down by my side. Then I just started stabbing him in the neck, in the face, in the head, in the back. I must have stabbed him at least seven times. He was saying as I was stabbing him ‘I think she took it not you’. I know him, he wasn’t talking shit. I know he could have me shot,” he said.
Houlden continued: “Stephen is his first name, he’s a fisherman. I don’t trust him. Why did he do it. I only stabbed him to stop him making that second call otherwise the lads with the guns were on the way and we will be shot.”
In his interviews, Houlden told detectives that he “went for” the deceased’s brain with a knife after he said the victim threatened him that “gangsters” would bring him “up to the woods” and shoot him over the missing cocaine.
“I was so terrified in my own house. I tried everything to avoid this but he kept pushing it. I know this fella. I know he was connected. I know he was able to get drugs and a gun and who he owed money to; big guys in the city. I am so ashamed of what I done [sic],” he said.
Gardaí asked the accused what had prompted him to take the knife out of his pocket. He replied: “To make sure he didn’t make that phone call so that those people don’t come to my house. Even when I had knife in my hand I was thinking to myself, I can’t do this. The devil had taken me over for those two minutes [sic]”.
Cross-examination
Sgt Jenny Carrig gave evidence that she found two bags of cocaine at the edge of a bookcase in the accused's bedroom. In cross-examination, the witness told Mr Grehan that the bags would not have been "obvious to the eye initially" and one would have had to look for them. The court heard that the two bags of cocaine were valued at €591.50.
Gda David Hamlin testified that he examined the deceased's phone and it showed that he had made a call to Rory "Tar" Kavanagh at 10.24pm on May 5th. The witness also said that an unsuccessful call, lasting one second, was made from the deceased's phone to Jason Farrell at 00.18 on the morning of May 6th.
Rory “Tar” Kavanagh testified that he knew the deceased since they were teenagers and Mr Kavanagh rang him at 10.30pm on the night of May 5th. Under cross-examination, Mr Kavanagh agreed with Mr Grehan that the deceased had asked him to go to Houlden’s house in Meadowvale that night and said he was “now disgusted” that he had not gone.
Mr Grehan put it to the witness that the deceased had asked him to come up to Meadowvale that night because he [Mr Kavanagh] had loads of crack cocaine, some went missing and he wanted help with the problem. “Where the f**k did you get that from, [that] he had ‘loads of crack cocaine’,” replied Rory “Tar” Kavanagh.
The lawyer asked the witness if he was denying this suggestion. “I’m completely denying that. He wasn’t looking for someone to come up because anything went missing,” he replied.


theirishtimes--2020-12-04--Judge awards couple €2m in damages over spray foam insulation exposure

A couple who claimed they were exposed to toxic chemicals after spray foam insulation was installed in their home have been awarded some €2 million damages by a High Court judge .
Mr Justice Kevin Cross said he had come to the conclusion , beyond any doubt whatsoever , that Patrick and Anita Duffy sustained “ life-altering serious injuries as a result of exposure to chemicals.
” The probable cause was the foam that had been injected into the roof , he found .
He found the injuries were caused beyond a reasonable doubt by exposure to the product as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the balance of probabilities , he found , due to the nature and extent of the Duffys ’ injuries , it was due to exposure to Isocyanate .
The insulation foam product itself is “ essentially safe ” if properly applied with the proper safeguards , he said .
But he found the installer was negligent in failing to advise the Duffys they were required to be out of the house during the spraying and for at least two hours afterwards , and in failing to communicate with them the potential risks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safeguards were not adhered to .
The couple had claimed they were exposed to fumes and toxic chemicals and they and their young daughter had to leave the dream home they had built near the sea in Donegal because they did not feel safe there .
The family now live in a mobile home .
Mr Duffy told the court all three in the family became incredibly sensitised since to certain products and “ now live in a bubble.
” They paid €4,000 to have the insulation installed in their home four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Annagry , Co Donegal , had sued Brendan McGee trading as McGee Insulation Services , Largenreach , Downings , Letterkenny , Co Donegal who was responsible for the installation and the application of spray foam insulation at the family home on February 18th , 2016 .
They had also sued GMS Insulations Ltd , Legga , Moyne , Co Longford which imports and supplies spray foam insulation material .
Mr Justice Cross previously granted an application to dismiss the case against GMS Insulations Ltd on the basis there was no evidence against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mr Justice Cross found the couple were not at any stage appraised their absence from the house was required as a matter of personal safety for themselves and their daughter .
“ I have no doubt whatsoever had they been so appraised that Mrs Duffy would have left the house with her daughter before the spraying commenced and none of the Duffys would have returned until they were assured it was safe to do so , ” the judge said .
Mr Justice Cross said Mr McGee ’ s recollection of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” but the judge fully accepted that Mr McGee believes at this stage he did tell the Duffys they should not be in the property during the spraying and for two hours afterwards .
The judge also accepted this is Mr McGee ’ s usual practice .
He said Mr McGee was the local supplier of Icynene .
He found Mr McGee was “ clearly negligent in a number of matters ” .
He accepted Mr McGee was an installer with great experience who clearly believed in his product and its general safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resulted in “ an extremely lax approach to the necessary safeguards ” , he said .
Mr Justice Cross found Mr McGee was negligent in that he failed to advise the Duffys they were required to be out of the house during the spraying and for at least two hours afterwards .
He also failed to communicate with the Duffys as to the potential risks and hazards involved in the product if the safeguards were not adhered to .
The judge said “ most importantly ” he found Mr McGee was negligent in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the property .
Mrs Duffy and her daughter were allowed to remain on the property while the workers were spraying in contravention of all safety requirements and were allowed that night to sleep in a bedroom without any natural ventilation , he said .
He did not find the breaches were in any way “ irrelevant to the events ” or could be excused by Mr McGee ’ s claim he wasn ’ t good on paper work .
The judge said there are clear obligations on Mr McGee to properly advise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relation to the product and also what they must do in order to ensure their own safety .
The Duffys were entirely truthful witnesses who did not exaggerate their complaints , he said .

A couple who claimed they were exposed to toxic chemicals after spray foam insulation was installed in their home have been awarded some €2 million damages by a High Court judge.
Mr Justice Kevin Cross said he had come to the conclusion, beyond any doubt whatsoever, that Patrick and Anita Duffy sustained “life-altering serious injuries as a result of exposure to chemicals.”
The probable cause was the foam that had been injected into the roof, he found.
He found the injuries were caused beyond a reasonable doubt by exposure to the product as sprayed by the insulation installers.
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On the balance of probabilities, he found, due to the nature and extent of the Duffys’ injuries, it was due to exposure to Isocyanate.
The insulation foam product itself is “essentially safe” if properly applied with the proper safeguards, he said.
But he found the installer was negligent in failing to advise the Duffys they were required to be out of the house during the spraying and for at least two hours afterwards, and in failing to communicate with them the potential risks and hazards involved in the product if the safeguards were not adhered to.
The couple had claimed they were exposed to fumes and toxic chemicals and they and their young daughter had to leave the dream home they had built near the sea in Donegal because they did not feel safe there. The family now live in a mobile home.
Mr Duffy told the court all three in the family became incredibly sensitised since to certain products and “now live in a bubble.”
They paid €4,000 to have the insulation installed in their home four years ago.
The couple, of Meenderryowern , Annagry, Co Donegal, had sued Brendan McGee trading as McGee Insulation Services , Largenreach, Downings, Letterkenny, Co Donegal who was responsible for the installation and the application of spray foam insulation at the family home on February 18th, 2016.
They had also sued GMS Insulations Ltd, Legga, Moyne, Co Longford which imports and supplies spray foam insulation material. Mr Justice Cross previously granted an application to dismiss the case against GMS Insulations Ltd on the basis there was no evidence against it.
In his judgment on Friday, Mr Justice Cross found the couple were not at any stage appraised their absence from the house was required as a matter of personal safety for themselves and their daughter.
“I have no doubt whatsoever had they been so appraised that Mrs Duffy would have left the house with her daughter before the spraying commenced and none of the Duffys would have returned until they were assured it was safe to do so,” the judge said.
Mr Justice Cross said Mr McGee’s recollection of the entire event “is less than accurate” but the judge fully accepted that Mr McGee believes at this stage he did tell the Duffys they should not be in the property during the spraying and for two hours afterwards. The judge also accepted this is Mr McGee’s usual practice.
He said Mr McGee was the local supplier of Icynene. He found Mr McGee was “clearly negligent in a number of matters”.
He accepted Mr McGee was an installer with great experience who clearly believed in his product and its general safety. This general belief seems to have resulted in “an extremely lax approach to the necessary safeguards”, he said.
Mr Justice Cross found Mr McGee was negligent in that he failed to advise the Duffys they were required to be out of the house during the spraying and for at least two hours afterwards. He also failed to communicate with the Duffys as to the potential risks and hazards involved in the product if the safeguards were not adhered to.
The judge said “most importantly” he found Mr McGee was negligent in relation to the air extraction and ventilation of the property.
Mrs Duffy and her daughter were allowed to remain on the property while the workers were spraying in contravention of all safety requirements and were allowed that night to sleep in a bedroom without any natural ventilation, he said.
He did not find the breaches were in any way “irrelevant to the events” or could be excused by Mr McGee’s claim he wasn’t good on paper work . The judge said there are clear obligations on Mr McGee to properly advise the Duffys as to the risks in relation to the product and also what they must do in order to ensure their own safety.
The Duffys were entirely truthful witnesses who did not exaggerate their complaints, he said.


theirishtimes--2020-12-04--Astronaut Chris Hadfield surprises Adam King of the Late Late Toy Show

Former astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield has turned up on The Late Late Show to surprise six-year-old Adam King .
Adam , who has brittle bones , was one of the stars of the RTÉ Late Late Toy Show on Friday night last week .
He expressed an interest on it of being a capsule commander ( Capcom ) because his condition meant he could not be an astronaut .
His appearance came to the attention of Cmdr Hadfield who flew two missions on the space shuttle and was commander of the International Space Station in 2013 when he tweeted on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maidin mhaith from the international Space Station !
Happy Saint Patrick ’ s Day to the Irish all around the globe.
” His daughter was studying in Trinity College Dublin at the time and he has since become a regular visitor to Ireland .
On Friday Adam was on the Late Late Show again , this time via Zoom when he was linked up with Cmdr Hadfield .
Cmdr Hadfield first spoke to host Ryan Tubridy and told him how Adam had caught his attention : “ There was such a social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person that he [ Adam ] is .
Immediately it just lit up with ‘ hey , Commander Hadfield , you have got to meet this kid ’ and so I just responded back that I ’ d love to and comment on the type of person that he is , and I obviously wasn ’ t alone in [ thinking ] that .
It has been really nice to see and have a little more direct contact with Adam and his family.
” Cmdr Hadfield told him that he had been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Capcom is a fascinating job , you are right in the thick of it , it ’ s like a mystery , solving things constantly .
You have to rely on your own skill and the skill of the people around you , ” he explained .
“ That type of environment , it seems to me that he [ Adam ] might thrive in .
Maybe more importantly now [ aged 6 ] it inspires him right now to pursue things that otherwise he might never have felt the freedom to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important .
“ Sure , he will end up doing something superb with his life , but the process and the inspiration I think is so important and that ’ s part of the reflection that I really like to see also.
” Cmdr Hadfield asked Adam where he went on his imaginary space missions to which Adam responded : “ Sometimes I go to the moon and sometimes I go to some other places , like different planets.
” Cmdr Hadfield responded : “ I don ’ t know if you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sisters and when I was your age , we did the exact same thing , we dreamed about flying in space .
“ The cool thing Adam is that , when I got older , I got the chance to actually fly in space , three times .
It ’ s amazing what can happen in life , and I was a Capcom .
”

Former astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield has turned up on The Late Late Show to surprise six-year-old Adam King.
Adam, who has brittle bones, was one of the stars of the RTÉ Late Late Toy Show on Friday night last week.
He expressed an interest on it of being a capsule commander (Capcom) because his condition meant he could not be an astronaut.
Six-year-old Adam King melted the hearts of the nation when he appeared on the Late Late Toy Show last week.
This week he was back on air, to 'talk space with former ISS commander @Cmdr_Hadfield
|#LateLateShow | @RTELateLateShow | pic.twitter.com/Q5syNLRf3r — RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 4, 2020
His appearance came to the attention of Cmdr Hadfield who flew two missions on the space shuttle and was commander of the International Space Station in 2013 when he tweeted on St Patrick’s Day: “Maidin mhaith from the international Space Station! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to the Irish all around the globe.”
READ MORE
His daughter was studying in Trinity College Dublin at the time and he has since become a regular visitor to Ireland.
On Friday Adam was on the Late Late Show again, this time via Zoom when he was linked up with Cmdr Hadfield.
Cmdr Hadfield first spoke to host Ryan Tubridy and told him how Adam had caught his attention:
“There was such a social media response, just to the type of person that he [Adam] is. Immediately it just lit up with ‘hey, Commander Hadfield, you have got to meet this kid’ and so I just responded back that I’d love to and comment on the type of person that he is, and I obviously wasn’t alone in [thinking] that. It has been really nice to see and have a little more direct contact with Adam and his family.”
Cmdr Hadfield told him that he had been a Capcom too for space shuttle missions.
“Capcom is a fascinating job, you are right in the thick of it, it’s like a mystery, solving things constantly . You have to rely on your own skill and the skill of the people around you,” he explained.
“That type of environment, it seems to me that he [Adam] might thrive in. Maybe more importantly now [aged 6] it inspires him right now to pursue things that otherwise he might never have felt the freedom to pursue and that may be just as important.
“Sure, he will end up doing something superb with his life, but the process and the inspiration I think is so important and that’s part of the reflection that I really like to see also.”
Cmdr Hadfield asked Adam where he went on his imaginary space missions to which Adam responded: “Sometimes I go to the moon and sometimes I go to some other places, like different planets.”
Cmdr Hadfield responded: “I don’t know if you know but I have two brothers and two sisters and when I was your age, we did the exact same thing, we dreamed about flying in space.
“The cool thing Adam is that, when I got older, I got the chance to actually fly in space, three times. It’s amazing what can happen in life, and I was a Capcom.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-04--Three killed in crash were chatting only moments before, inquest told

Three young people were killed when their cars were involved in a head-on collision on a country road in Co Donegal , just minutes after they had been seen chatting to each other .
Theresa Robinson ( 20 ) , Kaylem Ó Murachaidh ( 19 ) and Steven McCafferty ( 19 ) all lost their lives in the collision at Corravady , outside Drumkeen , on July 27th , 2016 .
An inquest into the deaths was held on Friday at Letterkenny Courthouse by coroner Dr Denis McCauley .
The court heard that all three knew each other , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame to anyone .
The three people killed were among four who were involved in the two-car collision which took place on the a dark country road .
Another man , Sean Ward , suffered serious injuries in the crash .
His solicitor , Mr Kieran O ’ Gorman , told the court that his client , of Hilltop , Stranorlar , was ill , and could not attend the inquests .
Witness Hugh Sweeney told the court that he had been delivering silage bales and he came across the collision in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw a man kneeling on the road and recognised him as Sean Ward , whom he knew .
When he went to investigate further he saw two cars : a maroon Toyota Avensis and a blue Peugeot 306 .
He said he saw a man crumpled behind the steering wheel of one car , while another person , understood to be Ms Robinson , was partially out of another car .
In a statement , his son Adrian Sweeney told how he had come across all four in his yard earlier , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ward and Mr Ward had told him that he was going to buy the Peugeot .
He was later telephoned by his father and told there was a bad smash up at Coravaddy .
Garda Michael Kilcoyne was the first officer on the scene , and he described the scene of the incident .
The area was cordoned off and local priest Fr Eamonn Kelly had arrived to say prayers and read the Last Rites .
A doctor from the local NowDoc service had arrived and pronounced three people dead , while Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Damien Mulkearn told the court that the fronts of both cars had “ massive frontal damage ” .
However , the court was told that both cars were in serviceable pre-accident condition when examined .
Garda Sgt Hugh McCann told the court that he examined the scene which was governed by an 80km/h speed limit .
However , he said it was impossible to tell what exact speed both cars had been travelling at .
He said that the Avensis was still on the road but the Peugeot car had been pushed back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the verge .
Solicitor for Stephen McCafferty , Frank Dorrian , said it was impossible to determine what speed either car had been travelling at , and that there should be no further conjecture by Sgt McCann as this only led to suspicion .
A lengthy legal debate then ensued between Mr Dorrian , the coroner and solicitor for Mr Ward , Kieran O ’ Gorman .
Pathologist Dr Katrina Dillon told the court that in her opinion all three people died from multiple injuries as a result of being involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCauley said he agreed , and recorded a finding of death by misadventure .
He sympathised with the families of all three victims , as did Garda Inspector Siobhan Mollhan on behalf of An Garda Síochána .
“ These three people were just having a normal day and probably had plans for the rest of their lives .
Circumstances just dictated that a terrible accident would occur , and we can only imagine the heartbreak the families feel , ” added Dr McCauley .

Steven McCafferty, Theresa Robinson and Kaylem Ó Murachaidh, who lost their lives in a collision in Co Donegal in 2016. Photographs: North West Newspix
Three young people were killed when their cars were involved in a head-on collision on a country road in Co Donegal, just minutes after they had been seen chatting to each other.
Theresa Robinson (20), Kaylem Ó Murachaidh (19) and Steven McCafferty (19) all lost their lives in the collision at Corravady, outside Drumkeen, on July 27th, 2016.
An inquest into the deaths was held on Friday at Letterkenny Courthouse by coroner Dr Denis McCauley. The court heard that all three knew each other, and this was not an exercise to apportion blame to anyone.
The three people killed were among four who were involved in the two-car collision which took place on the a dark country road. Another man, Sean Ward, suffered serious injuries in the crash.
READ MORE
His solicitor, Mr Kieran O’Gorman, told the court that his client, of Hilltop, Stranorlar, was ill, and could not attend the inquests.
Witness Hugh Sweeney told the court that he had been delivering silage bales and he came across the collision in the townland of Stranlongford.
He said he saw a man kneeling on the road and recognised him as Sean Ward, whom he knew. When he went to investigate further he saw two cars: a maroon Toyota Avensis and a blue Peugeot 306. He said he saw a man crumpled behind the steering wheel of one car, while another person, understood to be Ms Robinson, was partially out of another car.
In a statement, his son Adrian Sweeney told how he had come across all four in his yard earlier, where they were chatting. He knew Sean Ward and Mr Ward had told him that he was going to buy the Peugeot. He was later telephoned by his father and told there was a bad smash up at Coravaddy.
Garda Michael Kilcoyne was the first officer on the scene, and he described the scene of the incident.
The area was cordoned off and local priest Fr Eamonn Kelly had arrived to say prayers and read the Last Rites. A doctor from the local NowDoc service had arrived and pronounced three people dead, while Mr Ward was taken to hospital.
Garda Damien Mulkearn told the court that the fronts of both cars had “massive frontal damage”.
However, the court was told that both cars were in serviceable pre-accident condition when examined.
Garda Sgt Hugh McCann told the court that he examined the scene which was governed by an 80km/h speed limit. However, he said it was impossible to tell what exact speed both cars had been travelling at.
He said that the Avensis was still on the road but the Peugeot car had been pushed back up to eight metres off the road into the verge.
Legal debate
Solicitor for Stephen McCafferty, Frank Dorrian, said it was impossible to determine what speed either car had been travelling at, and that there should be no further conjecture by Sgt McCann as this only led to suspicion.
A lengthy legal debate then ensued between Mr Dorrian, the coroner and solicitor for Mr Ward, Kieran O’Gorman.
Pathologist Dr Katrina Dillon told the court that in her opinion all three people died from multiple injuries as a result of being involved in a road traffic collision.
Coroner Dr McCauley said he agreed, and recorded a finding of death by misadventure. He sympathised with the families of all three victims, as did Garda Inspector Siobhan Mollhan on behalf of An Garda Síochána.
“These three people were just having a normal day and probably had plans for the rest of their lives. Circumstances just dictated that a terrible accident would occur, and we can only imagine the heartbreak the families feel,” added Dr McCauley.