Irish Politics, Current Affairs and Magazine Archive - Politico.ie

On an evening in 1917, Peadar O'Donnelll, twenty five years old and recently appointed full-time organiser for the ITGWU in the north-eastern counties, was sitting at a table in a small hotel in Monaghan having his supper. Four men, three in uniforms and one in a gray suit, approached him. They were members of the staff of the Monaghan County Asylum and had been on strike for three weeks. Unless, they explained, he could bring the power of his Union to bear to cut off the food supply for the asy

One hardly dare say it, one hardly dare think it even, but it's staring us right between the goalposts. With four games played in the international championship, it would seem that, as in last season, there is no outstanding side in the series. And you have to have a very short memory not to realise what that assessment means in a contest of handicappers, Ireland remain the most effective match winning side in the championship!!

Back in 1979, before he bacame Taoiseach, Charlie Haughey was talking to a reporter about the infamous fingerprint scandal arising out of the murder of the British ambassador in July 1976. Haughey remarked that the central point of the scandal had been entirely missed by the press.

He invited the reporter to guess the identity of the person whose fingermark was left on a helmet found at the scene of the explosion. When the reporter fell for the bait and enquired whose it was, Haughey replied: Ge

When An Bord Pleanala was first established, there were hopes that political pressures and the shadowy influence of property developers would at last cease to affect planning decisions. Until January 1 1977 the Minister for Local Government had the final say on all appeals against planning decisions by local authorities. Since that date all appeals are decided by the Board, which is in theory independent and impartial. B

Colm Toibin listens to two supporters of the FitzGerald Amendment.

Professor Kevin O'Driscoll has narrow eyes. At the annual general meeting of Bray SPUC he narrowed them even further as he looked at the thirty-odd people bunched in a back room of the Strand Hotel. A baby began to gurgle as Professor O'Driscoll started talking of the "whole western world going down like a pack of cards." Professor O'Driscoll is stationed in Holles Street, he has second-hand experience of abortion "in five contin...