On Friday 2nd Oct. 2009, use your vote to secure Irelands future in Europe.
Vote Yes to Lisbon.

With the sad death of Ted Kennedy an era of American politics has come to a close. He will be missed by his family, friends and his always loyal constituents. He will also be missed by the many Irish politicians both North & South who always found an open door and a welcome on Capitol Hill.
The past few weeks have been a very sad period for the entire Kennedy family, to lose a brother and sister in such a short space of time.
The void Ted Kennedy leaves in American public life may never again be filled by just one man.
As a friend of Ireland he was never slow to be critical when it was necessary, for who else but a true friend will tell you when you have done wrong and for Ireland Ted Kennedy was a true friend.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam (old Irish blessing -May his soul be on God’s right side)

RTE ( Irish National TV Station) ran a extremely watchable documentary about former Taoiseach Sean Lamass earlier this week.
It is available to watch on RTE Player http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1051284
Well worth an hour of your time, its also very imformative in relation how far we have come since the 1960’s.
A man a head of his time , Sean Lemass.

Check out the website for www.irelandforeurope.ie, a new non- political group set up to campaign for a YES vote in the Lisbon 2 Treaty Referendum to be held in early October. Headed up by former MEP and President of the European Parliament Pat Cox. Ireland for Europe can be contacted by text YES to 51444. The campaign was launched in Dublin yesterday at a well attended event.

Although seperated by thousands of miles both Eoin Ryan (Fianna Fáil Ireland) former MEP and Terry McAuliffe (Democrat VA) today are nursing their wounds have fought bravely in their respective election campaigns. Although not succesful on this occassion you fought the good fight and never gave up. I look forward to supporting you again in the future.

I saw this earlier in the day on Facebook and thought it was appropriate in the circumstances. In the week that SF & Mary Lou launch their Get Angry campaign and their Fight Back posters, a rival candidate has her car damaged and SDLP Assembly member Dolores Kelly has said she was threatened by a masked man while canvassing during the European election campaign in Co Armagh. Is it a case of SF / IRA returning to their old ways, for the sake of democracy I hope not.

Don’t forget to Vote 5th June!!!

Am I the only one who is mystified by the lack of comment by Fr Sean Healy of CORI on the recent publication of the Ryan Report. Normally there isn’t a subject on which Fr Healy hasn’t an opinion, yet on the Ryan Report silence. One can only hope that he is too ashamed to speak, and that his silence along with his shame will be permanent. I greatly doubt it!
Then as if to make a liar out of me, up he pops on the News at One, its all a bit vague and an awful lot of shoulds. I would have liked more must and less should. Looks like we are not done with Fr Healy …. worse luck.

It may be fitting at a time when many workers are being forced to go Part-Time that Sinn Fein have decided to offer the Dublin electorate a 1/2 time MEP. Because if the records of the EU Parliament are to be believed then Mary Lou McDonald has been a part-time MEP for the past 5 years. Now I accept that MLM is entitled to maternity leave, but 50% attendance, come on even the spin meisters of SF can’t spin that one. In her defense MLM said the reason her attendance last year (2008) was so poor is that she was in Dublin fighting the Lisbon Treaty. I dont buy that she was elected to represent us in Brussels & Strasburg and thats where she should be. So come on MLM , own up you were skiving when you should have been at work, plain and simple. I for one wont be giving Mary Lou a vote (not that that will come as any surprise to any one who knows me).