Former ruling party of Mexico voted out for corruption and incompetence in 2000 returned to power today.
Hang on in there FF
I encountered the Stroke Fahy at a funeral last week. Not worth reporting in the Celeb thread but this is a perfect spot for it.
http://www.irishelection.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/stroke_fahy.jpg
Waterford jury acquits developer Michael Ryan of making corrupt payments to Fred Forsey.
Good Jesus.
Riddle me this? How does Fred Forsey be found guilty of receiving a corrupt payment while the alleged payee of the payment be found not guilty of not making the payment?
[quote=âRocko, post: 52092, member: 1â]Corruption, National Stadium, Random anecdote
Over Christmas I heard a story about a guy I know (older lad, but a friend of the familt) who was contacted by JP McManus a few years ago (10 or so probably) about building a national stadium. McManus wanted to pay for a stadium himself as long as there were a few conditions attached - it wasnât to be sponsored, couldnât be named after anyone and it was to be for multiple sports.
Anyway the guy I know was asked to sound out a few construction companies and draft proposed projects to facilitate the stadium being built. He went to the US and met a few people and in California met one of the largest stadium construction companies in the world (Turner Construction I think).
He met some guy there and had an informal meeting and left it at that. He was about to leave when the CEO of the company called and asked to be speak to the Irish guy. He called him into another rooom and told him that heâd been over in Ireland before to pitch for a national stadium with the government. In the middle of their proposal he was called away into another room where he met then Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, Bertie and a few financiers. He said that what they asked of him and what they told him about the project was the single most disgraceful thing he had ever heard in all his years of construction and that at that point the company decided theyâd never pitch for a construction contract of any sort in Ireland again.
Moral of this story: We could have had a cracking second stadium built for nothing but the meddling and interference from gombeens ruined it on us.[/quote]
Now thatâs a story!
Virtually no coverage in the Irish media about the Irish Independent firing Gemma OâDoherty who seems to have upset the GardaĂ. The case of the murdered priest at the heart of this is very interesting, but the way the Irish media have been running away from the case is damning. For the Indo, Paul Williams represents âinvestigative journalismâ - basically call your mates in the GardaĂ and print what they say.
Good article in the Guardian:
http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/sep/17/irish-independent-ireland
Controversy over firing of leading Irish investigative journalist
One of [U]Ireland[/U][/URL]'s leading investigative journalists has been fired after being called âa rogue reporterâ. The departure from the [URL=âhttp://www.theguardian.com/media/irish-independentâ][U]Irish Independent[/U] of Gemma OâDoherty, a multi award-winning senior features writer, has received almost no coverage in the rest of the media.
But an article in the satirical magazine, The Phoenix, has revealed incidents that occurred before her sacking.
One of [U]Ireland[/U][/URL]'s leading investigative journalists has been fired after being called âa rogue reporterâ. The departure from the [URL=âhttp://www.theguardian.com/media/irish-independentâ][U]Irish Independent[/U] of Gemma OâDoherty, a multi award-winning senior features writer, has received almost no coverage in the rest of the media.
But an article in the satirical magazine, The Phoenix, has revealed incidents that occurred before her sacking.
In April this year, she doorstepped Irelandâs police chief, Garda commissioner Martin Callinan, and questioned his wife while seeking to confirm a story that penalty points had been wiped from Callinanâs driving record.
The article states that two executives at OâDohertyâs paper were âappalledâ at her making the approach without previously informing her bosses.
Stephen Rae, editor-in-chief of the Dublin-based Independent titles, was also furious at OâDohertyâs action. Rae is a former editor of the Garda Review magazine.
[U]Her story about Callinan was eventually run[/U] in what the Phoenix calls a âsanitisedâ fashion. Weeks later, she was informed that she was to be made redundant. She refused to go voluntarily and was told she would be made compulsorily redundant (the only Indo journalist to suffer that indignity).
These incidents were the culmination of years of dogged, single-minded [U]investigative journalism[/U] by OâDoherty that brought her into conflict with senior police officers, leading politicians, the judiciary and the prosecuting authorities.
It concerned the mystery surrounding the death of a priest, Father Niall Molloy, who was found dead in the home of a couple - Richard and Therese Flynn - in Clara, Co Offaly, in 1985.
Richard Flynn was charged with manslaughter but his trial and its aftermath was suffused with controversy. The judge, who knew the family, was accused of a conflict of interest. Flynnâs counsel suggested Molloy had died of natural causes. And the jury then returned a not guilty verdict.
However, a later inquest revealed that Molloyâs injuries were consistent with his having suffered a serious blow to the head.
The story rumbled on in the background for years until OâDoherty took it up and patiently exposed a series of inconsistencies in the approach of police and prosecutors. She mounted evidence that pointed to collusion and a cover-up.
Her stories from 2010 onwards helped to put the âFather Molloy murderâ on the news agenda, boosting his familyâs demand for an independent inquiry. (Examples [U]here[/U][/URL] and [URL=âhttp://www.independent.ie/irish-news/family-seek-fresh-probe-in-priests-death-as-new-evidence-uncovered-26692218.htmlâ][U]here[/U][/URL] and [URL=âhttp://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dramatic-new-moves-in-fr-molloy-murder-investigation-28812147.htmlâ][U]here[/U][/URL] and [URL=âhttp://www.independent.ie/irish-news/murdered-priests-horse-and-paintings-vanished-after-death-28812713.htmlâ][U]here[/U]).
In November 2012, in an article by OâDoherty headlined [U]âMolloyâs murder will rock the stateâ[/U], she reported with approval a politicianâs claim that the case amounted to âthe biggest cover-up in the history of the state.â She wrote:
[INDENT]âA two-year investigation by this newspaper into the priestâs killing has exposed a litany of damning evidence and glaring inconsistencies which point to nothing less than a cover-up of staggering proportions, involving several institutions of the State and the Catholic Church.â
[/INDENT]
OâDohertyâs subsequent enforced departure from the Independent has received no coverage in the rest of the Irish mainstream media.
But she has had backing from the [U]National Union of Journalists[/U]. Its Irish secretary, Seamus Dooley, said: âWe believe she has been badly treated and has a case for unfair dismissal.â
Now a concerned group of campaigners on behalf of Molloyâs family along with relatives of other murder victims who have grievances against the police have taken up OâDohertyâs case.
They have written an open letter to Rae. Here it is in full:
[INDENT]Dear Mr Rae,
We write to you in disbelief at your decision to fire Gemma OâDoherty, chief features writer at the Irish Independent and one of the countryâs most talented and courageous journalists.
Gemma is a reporter of the highest professionalism and integrity, who has done huge service for her country, and her newspaper, through her work in exposing injustice and Garda corruption.
We are the parents of children who have been murdered. We represent Irish people who have lost family members in violent circumstances. Some of us have been very badly treated by the Gardai.
When the criminal justice system and the Gardai failed us, Gemma listened. Now you seek to silence her. In doing so, you must also want to silence us.
Ms OâDohertyâs remarkable journalistic pedigree speaks for itself. In her 16 years with the Irish Independent, she has won numerous awards - from campaigning journalist of the year to medical journalist of the Year, and last year, she was nominated for two national media awards, crime journalist of the year, and feature writer of the year.
Her ground-breaking journalism has led to the establishment of two state investigations in recent months, and she is singlehandedly responsible for the reopening of the 30-year-old murder file into Fr Niall Molloy.
Her campaigning writing is regularly raised on the floor of Leinster House, and on television and radio. Indeed, your own Sunday Independent recently wrote a lengthy article praising her astonishing work on the horrific murder of Fr Molloy.
As Irish citizens, we see her dismissal as nothing less than a grotesque attack on press freedom, human rights and democracy.
Your silencing of Gemma - the only person you have handpicked for sacking in INM - is a morally repugnant and indefensible act which has consequences for all of your readers and the broader public.
There can be no higher law in journalism than to tell the truth and shame the devil. Gemma had no problem doing that. It is high time that others followed her lead.
We await an explanation from you, to your readers and the Irish public, as to why you have treated such a fine journalist in this way.
[/INDENT]
It is signed by Catherine Costelloe (Searching for the Missing/Irish Families for Justice/ex-Scotland Yard); Liz Molloy (Justice for Fr Molloy, Roscommon/Offaly); Lucia OâFarrell (Justice for Shane OâFarrell, Monaghan); John Nugent (Justice for Patrick Nugent, Clare);
Nancy Shanahan (Justice for Aongus Shanahan, Limerick); Julia Walsh (Justice for Desmond Walsh, Limerick); Genevieve and Walter Smith (Victims of Garda harassment, Cavan); Nuala OâGabhnain (Justice for Jim Goonan, Offaly); David Walsh (Justice for Mary and Molly Walsh, Waterford).
It goes to show that there is no independant news in this country.
[QUOTE=âRocko, post: 834767, member: 1â]Virtually no coverage in the Irish media about the Irish Independent firing Gemma OâDoherty who seems to have upset the GardaĂ. The case of the murdered priest at the heart of this is very interesting, but the way the Irish media have been running away from the case is damning. For the Indo, Paul Williams represents âinvestigative journalismâ - basically call your mates in the GardaĂ and print what they say.
Good article in the Guardian:
http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2013/sep/17/irish-independent-ireland
Controversy over firing of leading Irish investigative journalist
One of [U]Ireland[/U][/URL]'s leading investigative journalists has been fired after being called âa rogue reporterâ. The departure from the [URL=âhttp://www.theguardian.com/media/irish-independentâ][U]Irish Independent[/U] of Gemma OâDoherty, a multi award-winning senior features writer, has received almost no coverage in the rest of the media.
But an article in the satirical magazine, The Phoenix, has revealed incidents that occurred before her sacking.
One of [U]Ireland[/U][/URL]'s leading investigative journalists has been fired after being called âa rogue reporterâ. The departure from the [URL=âhttp://www.theguardian.com/media/irish-independentâ][U]Irish Independent[/U] of Gemma OâDoherty, a multi award-winning senior features writer, has received almost no coverage in the rest of the media.
But an article in the satirical magazine, The Phoenix, has revealed incidents that occurred before her sacking.
In April this year, she doorstepped Irelandâs police chief, Garda commissioner Martin Callinan, and questioned his wife while seeking to confirm a story that penalty points had been wiped from Callinanâs driving record.
The article states that two executives at OâDohertyâs paper were âappalledâ at her making the approach without previously informing her bosses.
Stephen Rae, editor-in-chief of the Dublin-based Independent titles, was also furious at OâDohertyâs action. Rae is a former editor of the Garda Review magazine.
[U]Her story about Callinan was eventually run[/U] in what the Phoenix calls a âsanitisedâ fashion. Weeks later, she was informed that she was to be made redundant. She refused to go voluntarily and was told she would be made compulsorily redundant (the only Indo journalist to suffer that indignity).
These incidents were the culmination of years of dogged, single-minded [U]investigative journalism[/U] by OâDoherty that brought her into conflict with senior police officers, leading politicians, the judiciary and the prosecuting authorities.
It concerned the mystery surrounding the death of a priest, Father Niall Molloy, who was found dead in the home of a couple - Richard and Therese Flynn - in Clara, Co Offaly, in 1985.
Richard Flynn was charged with manslaughter but his trial and its aftermath was suffused with controversy. The judge, who knew the family, was accused of a conflict of interest. Flynnâs counsel suggested Molloy had died of natural causes. And the jury then returned a not guilty verdict.
However, a later inquest revealed that Molloyâs injuries were consistent with his having suffered a serious blow to the head.
The story rumbled on in the background for years until OâDoherty took it up and patiently exposed a series of inconsistencies in the approach of police and prosecutors. She mounted evidence that pointed to collusion and a cover-up.
Her stories from 2010 onwards helped to put the âFather Molloy murderâ on the news agenda, boosting his familyâs demand for an independent inquiry. (Examples [U]here[/U][/URL] and [URL=âhttp://www.independent.ie/irish-news/family-seek-fresh-probe-in-priests-death-as-new-evidence-uncovered-26692218.htmlâ][U]here[/U][/URL] and [URL=âhttp://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dramatic-new-moves-in-fr-molloy-murder-investigation-28812147.htmlâ][U]here[/U][/URL] and [URL=âhttp://www.independent.ie/irish-news/murdered-priests-horse-and-paintings-vanished-after-death-28812713.htmlâ][U]here[/U]).
In November 2012, in an article by OâDoherty headlined [U]âMolloyâs murder will rock the stateâ[/U], she reported with approval a politicianâs claim that the case amounted to âthe biggest cover-up in the history of the state.â She wrote:
[INDENT]âA two-year investigation by this newspaper into the priestâs killing has exposed a litany of damning evidence and glaring inconsistencies which point to nothing less than a cover-up of staggering proportions, involving several institutions of the State and the Catholic Church.â
[/INDENT]
OâDohertyâs subsequent enforced departure from the Independent has received no coverage in the rest of the Irish mainstream media.
But she has had backing from the [U]National Union of Journalists[/U]. Its Irish secretary, Seamus Dooley, said: âWe believe she has been badly treated and has a case for unfair dismissal.â
Now a concerned group of campaigners on behalf of Molloyâs family along with relatives of other murder victims who have grievances against the police have taken up OâDohertyâs case.
They have written an open letter to Rae. Here it is in full:
[INDENT]Dear Mr Rae,
We write to you in disbelief at your decision to fire Gemma OâDoherty, chief features writer at the Irish Independent and one of the countryâs most talented and courageous journalists.
Gemma is a reporter of the highest professionalism and integrity, who has done huge service for her country, and her newspaper, through her work in exposing injustice and Garda corruption.
We are the parents of children who have been murdered. We represent Irish people who have lost family members in violent circumstances. Some of us have been very badly treated by the Gardai.
When the criminal justice system and the Gardai failed us, Gemma listened. Now you seek to silence her. In doing so, you must also want to silence us.
Ms OâDohertyâs remarkable journalistic pedigree speaks for itself. In her 16 years with the Irish Independent, she has won numerous awards - from campaigning journalist of the year to medical journalist of the Year, and last year, she was nominated for two national media awards, crime journalist of the year, and feature writer of the year.
Her ground-breaking journalism has led to the establishment of two state investigations in recent months, and she is singlehandedly responsible for the reopening of the 30-year-old murder file into Fr Niall Molloy.
Her campaigning writing is regularly raised on the floor of Leinster House, and on television and radio. Indeed, your own Sunday Independent recently wrote a lengthy article praising her astonishing work on the horrific murder of Fr Molloy.
As Irish citizens, we see her dismissal as nothing less than a grotesque attack on press freedom, human rights and democracy.
Your silencing of Gemma - the only person you have handpicked for sacking in INM - is a morally repugnant and indefensible act which has consequences for all of your readers and the broader public.
There can be no higher law in journalism than to tell the truth and shame the devil. Gemma had no problem doing that. It is high time that others followed her lead.
We await an explanation from you, to your readers and the Irish public, as to why you have treated such a fine journalist in this way.
[/INDENT]
It is signed by Catherine Costelloe (Searching for the Missing/Irish Families for Justice/ex-Scotland Yard); Liz Molloy (Justice for Fr Molloy, Roscommon/Offaly); Lucia OâFarrell (Justice for Shane OâFarrell, Monaghan); John Nugent (Justice for Patrick Nugent, Clare);
Nancy Shanahan (Justice for Aongus Shanahan, Limerick); Julia Walsh (Justice for Desmond Walsh, Limerick); Genevieve and Walter Smith (Victims of Garda harassment, Cavan); Nuala OâGabhnain (Justice for Jim Goonan, Offaly); David Walsh (Justice for Mary and Molly Walsh, Waterford).[/QUOTE]
Unreserved apology by Independent Newspapers to Gemma OâDoherty today. Theyâve paid her damages and covered her legal fees.
Is there an article anywhere which names the names involved in the priest murder, and what went on? I remember my parents discussing it when I was a snapper and being deliberately vague when I quizzed them about it. It has always been something I wondered about. I donât think that any of her published articles went into the full details. I may be wrong.
[QUOTE=âRaylan, post: 1060970, member: 2891â]http://frniallmolloy.com/tag/offaly-independent/
I presume itâs covered there[/QUOTE]
Nope, not a bean.
Donât know what I said to dislike Kev. There are absolutely no details.
Thatâs just lazy on your part, do you want to be spoonfed?
No,wouldnât mind a clue though. I have read loads of articles all of which spin vague theories of conspiracy and cover up. None name any names of who did, or covered up what, and why.
A pointer to somewhere which tells the likely version if events would be gratefully received.
Thatâs the nature of innuendo I guess, there is a good Gemma Doherty article there somewhere that details the whole thing fairly convincingly. I have to work in the morning so I may as well be off
Here you go ladsâŚmy boss manâs wedding and all
What a story!
[QUOTE=âGary Birtles Lovechild, post: 1064210, member: 2585â]Here you go ladsâŚmy boss manâs wedding and all
http://www.broadsheet.ie/2013/08/23/the-troublesome-priest/[/QUOTE]
Thanks gblc. Fucking hell. What a lovely little ruling clique it was. Gubu, one might say, somewhat ironically.
Supposedly brian lenihan snr and A.N other ffer were at the party