Seán Gallagher issued the following statement through his solicitors, Cassidy Law on Sunday. The statement calls for a "public inquiry into the production and airing" of the final presidential debate in 2011, broadcast on RTÉ's Frontline.
On March 1, five judges of the Supreme Court upheld Ian Bailey's appeal against an extradition request made by French authorities in connection with the murder of film-maker Sophie Toscan du Plantier in west Cork in 1996. The extradition request was refused as "there was no actual intention by the French authorities to try Mr Bailey at this stage, as required by Irish law – section 21.A of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) Act, 2003".
In the early days of the presidential race, Pat Kenny held an illuminating interview on the value of social media in an election campaign. On September 5, he interviewed Ewan McIntosh, a social media strategist who co-directed a “digital election arms race” that helped the Scottish National Party (SNP) sweep to an historic majority in May of this year. The strategy involved a “daily cycle of news", which "enthused volunteers" and "allowed people to feel ownership of the party”.
Just six days from the 2011 Presidential election, Helen Lucy Burke has reignited the controversy surrounding comments made by David Norris on pederasty in a 2001 interview. Ms Lucy Burke provided audio tapes of the interview to RTE which were broadcast on the Joe Duffy show. [The audio is below].
The Commercial Court today ordered construction company M&J Wallace Ltd and Independent TD Mick Wallace to repay borrowings of more than €19m to ACC Bank. The Wexford TD personally guaranteed five loans taken out with the bank between 2004 and 2008, before he was elected to the Dail. Mr Wallace issued the following statement on the judgement:
David Norris delivered an impassioned oration to a small crowd gathered at an open house on North Great George's Street in Dublin on Sunday. Mr Norris emotively railed against the banking bailout and "the policies of the last decade which are untrue to the principles of the Easter Rising".
A former South African government minister and ANC activist has given a gushing endorsement of Martin McGuinness's presidential bid. In a video address posted below, Ronnie Kasrils says "we South Africans are very pleased and interested" to hear of Martin McGuinness's nomination. Kasrils says that activists and leaders of the ANC, including Nelson Mandela, recognise in Mr. McGuinness "the same qualities that served [South Africa] so well in [its] endeavous to bring about a united free democratic South Africa".
Israeli legal experts have presented differing opinions on whether letters written by David Norris appealing for clemency on behalf of his former partner, Ezra Nawi could be deemed legally non-disclosable. In 1997, Mr. Nawi was convicted of statutory rape arising from a relationship he had with a 15 year old Palestinian boy. Nawi was aged 39.
Brian O'Nolan was a funny man. His Cruiskeen Lawn columns in the Irish Times hilariously desconstructed colloquaial sayings, pompous journalism and godawful clichés. He effortlessly penned anecdotes on the poets Keats and Chapman, attacked Sean O'Faolain - then editor of The Bell - pretentious artists and the 'professional classes'. October 5 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of O'Nolan's birth.
Presidential candidate Gay Mitchell made a representation to the EU Commission in 2009 on behalf of a controversial Ukrainian aviation businessman who supplied Congolese armed forces with military aircraft. The businessman is attempting to reclaim planes confiscated by Ukraine's government in 2001. By Malachy Browne and Graham Stack.