Wouldn’t it be nice to be young again and getting your Junior Cert results? Today the results of the 2008 Junior Certificate we relayed to anxious youngsters countrywide. Tonight there will be celebrations.
The great thing about the Junior Cert is that it is not the end of the world if things do not go right. You have time on your hands to make up for it in the next two years.
They are only a halting post until the real thing-the Leaving Cert- hits you in two years.
So, tonight they celebrate as only teenagers can. Sure, there will be the usual outcries from concerned parents and teachers about bad behaviour on the streets of our cities and towns. There is no doubt that the effect of drink and drugs play havoc this night each year. Garda sources are of the opinion that the Junior Cert students’ post-results behaviour is far worse than their Leaving Cert counterparts are. This is because they reckon that the older students are better able to handle their drink and drugs whereas tonight marks the first big celebration in a teenager’s life. The lack of experience shows and can lead to appalling behaviour.
Nonetheless, we should not deny them their chance to paint the town red (as long as it is not blood).
Of course, they are not supposed to be drinking, but since when did Irish teenagers obey silly little rules like that? Or, publicans turn a blind eye to under-age tipplers.
Look back in envy and remember our own days. Times like this were great and live with you forever. In fact, they become enhanced with sentiment over time.
Tonight, a small percentage of gurriers will cause trouble and tarnish the name of the rest.
But, the rest are the best, so go and enjoy it! You deserve it. If only I could go back again. Ah, well! Where are my slippers, dear?
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
HURLING – THE GAME OF GIANTS
This Sunday, the 7th September, sees the mouth-watering prospect of a fantastic All-Ireland Hurling Final between Kilkenny and Waterford. Waterford are in their first All Ireland final in 45 years and Kilkenny are seeking a historic three-in-a-row under manager Brian Cody.
Waterford has had a rags-to-riches season thus far. They controversially parted with their manager, Justin McCarthy early in the season after the championship had commenced. It was widely rumoured that a dressing room rebellion by the players in relation to fitness levels ended the reign of the Cork man. Whatever the reasons, Waterford gave themselves a stick to beat them with their attitude. The appointment of legendary Clare goalkeeper, Davy Fitzgerald, as manager has galvanized the team it would appear. That Fitzgerald is a controversial character in his own right adds to the drama of the occasion. The Clare man is not afraid to speak his mind and in the past has regular brushes with authority both inside and outside his own county.
Brian Cody is a no-nonsense manager who has ruled Kilkenny hurling with an iron fist since appointed seven years ago. His remarkable achievements off the field have mirrored his exploits on the turf. A multi-All Ireland medal winner at every level of the game, a three in a row on Sunday would practically immortalize the man.
In each of the teams are players of pure genius that will make the showdown on Sunday an undoubtedly memorable occasion. Players such as Ken McGrath, Dan Shanahan, and the fiery John Mullane will inspire Waterford. On the Kilkenny team, the peerless Henry Shefflin and Charley Carter rule the roost.
Hurling is one of the great field games of the world. It gets little exposure internationally, yet anybody from abroad who ever sees it played rave about it. The speed and the skill are phenomenal. For amateur players, the level of physicality and fitness is hard to fathom.
As a game it seems made for the American market. It would make all their muscular games seem like tiddlywinks! NFL football and baseball seem boring by contrast to even a bad hurling game. Ice hockey, reputedly the fastest field game in the world, would pale into insignificance when compared to a junior hurling game.
And yet the GAA seem strangely reluctant to market it in America, the most obvious place to expand the game. Rather, they promote a bastardized version of football against full Aussie Rules players every two years. The series is almost dead because of the consistent violence of the Australian players.
Would it not be wiser to talk to the American associations and TV networks in an effort to spread the gospel of the most fluid ball game there is?
In the meantime, we all look forward to Sunday!
Waterford has had a rags-to-riches season thus far. They controversially parted with their manager, Justin McCarthy early in the season after the championship had commenced. It was widely rumoured that a dressing room rebellion by the players in relation to fitness levels ended the reign of the Cork man. Whatever the reasons, Waterford gave themselves a stick to beat them with their attitude. The appointment of legendary Clare goalkeeper, Davy Fitzgerald, as manager has galvanized the team it would appear. That Fitzgerald is a controversial character in his own right adds to the drama of the occasion. The Clare man is not afraid to speak his mind and in the past has regular brushes with authority both inside and outside his own county.
Brian Cody is a no-nonsense manager who has ruled Kilkenny hurling with an iron fist since appointed seven years ago. His remarkable achievements off the field have mirrored his exploits on the turf. A multi-All Ireland medal winner at every level of the game, a three in a row on Sunday would practically immortalize the man.
In each of the teams are players of pure genius that will make the showdown on Sunday an undoubtedly memorable occasion. Players such as Ken McGrath, Dan Shanahan, and the fiery John Mullane will inspire Waterford. On the Kilkenny team, the peerless Henry Shefflin and Charley Carter rule the roost.
Hurling is one of the great field games of the world. It gets little exposure internationally, yet anybody from abroad who ever sees it played rave about it. The speed and the skill are phenomenal. For amateur players, the level of physicality and fitness is hard to fathom.
As a game it seems made for the American market. It would make all their muscular games seem like tiddlywinks! NFL football and baseball seem boring by contrast to even a bad hurling game. Ice hockey, reputedly the fastest field game in the world, would pale into insignificance when compared to a junior hurling game.
And yet the GAA seem strangely reluctant to market it in America, the most obvious place to expand the game. Rather, they promote a bastardized version of football against full Aussie Rules players every two years. The series is almost dead because of the consistent violence of the Australian players.
Would it not be wiser to talk to the American associations and TV networks in an effort to spread the gospel of the most fluid ball game there is?
In the meantime, we all look forward to Sunday!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
FREE EDUCATION MYTH
This week thousands of schoolchildren returned with most likely great reluctance to their places of learning at either primary or secondary level. Generally, kids have grave reservations and worries about going back to the classroom. After the summer we had in Ireland this year who could blame them.
However, their concerns are dwarfed by those of their parents who must fund the cost of them getting through the basic education process. In the week that was in it, when calls were made for third-level college fees to be re-introduced, a shiver of fear must have gone through those parents who are struggling just to get their children to the conclusion of second level education.
In 1967, the then Minister of Education, Donnacha O’Malley, introduced the most revolutionary and far-sighted piece of reform in providing free education up to and including Leaving Certificate Level. Later still, third level education fees were abolished. Ireland had, in theory a complete free education system. Tens of thousands of disadvantaged children were allowed the opportunity to avail of education that previously their circumstances prevented. There is no doubt that it changed the Irish society dramatically and beneficially.
Over four decades later, the bold initiative by Donnacha O’Malley has soured for many of the citizens it was designed to benefit.
Today primary and secondary education is free in name only. There are no entrance fees to be paid (unless you opt for the private school route) but there the free element ends.
Thanks to the politicians and mandarins in the Civil Service, Ireland has suffered a huge deficit in education investment in the past twenty years. No account appears to have been taken of the population demographics of the country in considering the need for more classrooms and lower teacher-pupil ratios.
Together with increased immigration during the Celtic Tiger years, the accommodation of primary and secondary pupils and teachers is chaotic. Prefabricated buildings more suited to construction sites are the norm for classrooms in many schools. Investment in education infrastructure seems way down on the priorities of government. If that was the case in the good times, what will it be like now that the economic downturn is upon us?
In order to keep schools running, Boards of Management and Parents Committees are forced to resort to fundraising from the parents of the pupils. Raffles, race nights, monster draws, and poker classics – you name it and they will do it in order to keep the school budget in order, something the funding from the Department of Education will not do.
In addition, parents will receive direct begging letters from the school asking for a “voluntary donation” which then suggests a figure to give. It is as about as voluntary as standing in front of a firing squad.
Add to this the cost of school books- up to €500 at secondary level- uniforms, transport etc., etc. and you soon realize that this is not free education by any means. Hard-pressed families struggle to meet the staggering costs that a large brood of children impose on them when it comes to educating them.
In these troubled times, free education in Ireland does not come cheap!
However, their concerns are dwarfed by those of their parents who must fund the cost of them getting through the basic education process. In the week that was in it, when calls were made for third-level college fees to be re-introduced, a shiver of fear must have gone through those parents who are struggling just to get their children to the conclusion of second level education.
In 1967, the then Minister of Education, Donnacha O’Malley, introduced the most revolutionary and far-sighted piece of reform in providing free education up to and including Leaving Certificate Level. Later still, third level education fees were abolished. Ireland had, in theory a complete free education system. Tens of thousands of disadvantaged children were allowed the opportunity to avail of education that previously their circumstances prevented. There is no doubt that it changed the Irish society dramatically and beneficially.
Over four decades later, the bold initiative by Donnacha O’Malley has soured for many of the citizens it was designed to benefit.
Today primary and secondary education is free in name only. There are no entrance fees to be paid (unless you opt for the private school route) but there the free element ends.
Thanks to the politicians and mandarins in the Civil Service, Ireland has suffered a huge deficit in education investment in the past twenty years. No account appears to have been taken of the population demographics of the country in considering the need for more classrooms and lower teacher-pupil ratios.
Together with increased immigration during the Celtic Tiger years, the accommodation of primary and secondary pupils and teachers is chaotic. Prefabricated buildings more suited to construction sites are the norm for classrooms in many schools. Investment in education infrastructure seems way down on the priorities of government. If that was the case in the good times, what will it be like now that the economic downturn is upon us?
In order to keep schools running, Boards of Management and Parents Committees are forced to resort to fundraising from the parents of the pupils. Raffles, race nights, monster draws, and poker classics – you name it and they will do it in order to keep the school budget in order, something the funding from the Department of Education will not do.
In addition, parents will receive direct begging letters from the school asking for a “voluntary donation” which then suggests a figure to give. It is as about as voluntary as standing in front of a firing squad.
Add to this the cost of school books- up to €500 at secondary level- uniforms, transport etc., etc. and you soon realize that this is not free education by any means. Hard-pressed families struggle to meet the staggering costs that a large brood of children impose on them when it comes to educating them.
In these troubled times, free education in Ireland does not come cheap!
Monday, September 1, 2008
THE DAY THE TOLL BARRIERS CAME DOWN
Mark this day, August 29th 2008. This is the day that the notorious M50 toll bridge lowers its barriers for the last time. Dubliners and commuters should be celebrating as Berliners did in 1989 when the infamous Berlin Wall dividing East and West Berlin was knocked. They should go around to the booths and pull them apart and derive some glee from ripping out equipment that made their daily lives hell.
Not that it is going to make any material difference to the unfortunate motorist from an economic point of view. In fact, with the new e-tolling system billing you from cyberspace, you are likely to be worse off in that regard.
What is new? Screwing the motorist has been a hobby of all governments since the state was formed. Nothing really changes at all.
Do not expect that the demolition of this monstrosity will mean quicker travelling times ahead for unfortunate commuters. Ongoing works on the M50 to upgrade it to three lanes will not be completed until 2010. Inevitably, that will be 2011 or 2012 by which time the capacity of the road will be exceeded just like the original M50.
What is with the public servants we employ in this country? Do they not have some training in forecasting trends? They have a raft of data at their disposal, yet they continually fail to forecast our infrastructure needs in an accurate manner.
The M50 is now effectively an inner relief road for the city of
There are scientific models out there for estimating our requirements for all forms of infrastructure. Those in authority appear to ignore those tools that will provide them with the necessary information to predict future requirements.
Anyway, back to the Westlink toll bridge. During its existence, it made fortune for its owners, NTR. Not alone was the bridge paid for many times over during its lifetime, but the Government actually paid NTR €650 million to close the tolls. What an absolute farce. NTR continue to operate other tolls throughout the country so their income stream from the hard-pressed motorist will not dry up. Shed no tears for them.
Instead, why don’t motorists take the pleasure of saving NTR demolishing the tollbooths on the M50 by going up over the weekend and burning the lot. It will not change things very much but by God, it would feel good!
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