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An Bord Pleanala is back in the news again with another Planning Decision Overturn.  Liberty Hall, Ireland's first "skyscraper" is to be left intact to overlook our Capital city as a monument to our historic past.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/bord-pleanala-blocks-demolition-of-irelands-first-skyscraper-liberty-hall-3295772.html

So we wont be replacing this:


... with something like this:


Of course, this comes shortly after the new Mater Childrens Hospital was blocked, also for similar reasons about being too intrusive on the skyline.

I'm a bit torn how to take this.  I think the current Liberty Hall is an embarrassment.  It is not a pretty building, and I understand the interior is far from functional by current standards.

On the other hand, there is something obscene in the fact that it is owned by a Trade Union, who now want to spend millions to replace it with something bigger.

We criticize our past Planning Authorities for lashing out permissions like confetti.  Now a refusal of permission is not so clear cut.  Help me out of my torment here folks.

I'm a little surprised this point has not raised a bit more debate since yesterday.  The way the GAA can mix interpretations of just what purpose Extra-time serves:

1. It's like a new match, so any Red Card punishments imposed on a team no longer apply to the team (I know the players affected cannot come back on, but the team is no longer sanctioned).

2. It's not really a new match regarding Yellow-Cards.  Remember last year where some Kildare player got one yellow-card in normal time, then another during extra-time.  They were combined to amount to a Red Card and off he went. If this happens 10 seconds into Extra-time, he cant be replaced.  If it happens 10 seconds before the end of Normal time, then he can be replaced.  Go figure.

3. Didn't yesterday's events serve to give Dublin 5 fresh players during Extra-Time, whereas Wexford were limited to just three potential switches?  Dublin kind-of used all 5 (Eamon Fennell resumed after a substantial breather) and were able to bring in their older more experienced subs when the opposition were most tired.

4. Luckily Ger Brennan's foul on Matty Forde was not really dangerous, although definitely quite "professional".  However what if he "hypothetically-speaking" had been a bit more cynical and managed to take Matty Forde out of the game?  The net result - Wexford lose arguably their best player, Dublin lose a man but only for a few minutes and are then back to the full 15.  I know this was suggested before that a manager might even send on a late sub specifically instructed to "take out" a key opponent in such circumstances.  How many of you can say "hand on heart" that it couldn't happen?  How about in a local Club game?  Would it be so hard to find a willing "hatchet-man" then?

5. If Extra-time is good enough for First Round and Provincial Quarter-Final games, then why not for Provincial Semi-Finals too?  What's so special about a Provincial Semi-Final fixture (like Kerry v Cork last week) that Extra-time could not be considered to be played in the first game?

Discuss (70 marks)