Messages

Without doubt, we are not in possession of all the facts. If it was a straightforward case, things couldn't possibly have dragged on for so long.
I can't give an opinion one way or the other as I don't know what is really going on behind the scenes but one thing does strike me and it is this:
The GAA could very well be in conflict with EU regulations over the freedom of movement of individuals. I don't have a particular piece of legislation in mind but thinking back on various anti-discrimination cases that have hit the headlines in recent years; I'd not be at all surprised if Aghaloo were to be found in breach of something or other.
I know the parish rule is sacrosanct in GAA circles and without it, many of the smaller clubs might go to the wall but if it is ever brought to the attention of the bureaucrats in Brussels there might be a shakeup in the way clubs operate.
Now, I am not referring to the McKinnon case in particular; it may be just a matter of time until someone, somewhere with time on hands and money in the pocket decides to test the legality of the Parish Rule.

I'm with you as long as Rossfan isn't allowed within 10 miles of Ballaghadereen.

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

[I think he also has a famous last words notoriety.]

Not Maine.

Alaska, as the Aleutian Islands straddle (is that a word) the International Date Line.

So in conclusion Hawaii and Alaska are the most Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western States.

Is the other one the Duke of Wellington?

I think he also has a famous last words notoriety.

I never heard of it if he had. I think you may have Lord Nelson in mind.
"Kiss me, Hardy," is what Nelson was reported to have said to his personal servant. Maybe  (our) Hardy  can confirm or deny?
"Rum, sodomy and the lash," as Shane McGowan and the Pogues used to sing. I'd say they were all at it on those old sailing ships to pass the time. They probably had sweet eff all else to do.

Pints, thanks a million. I appreciate you taking the trouble to fill me in.
Given that this gent was way out of line when referring to John Travolta's late son, I'm not surprised that one of the mod's threw him off the board for the latest bit of attention-seeking.
Norf Tyrone got things right when he said that 99.09% of those on this board are okay. It's a pity DnR chose not to be one of the majority.

Get her a good service before you head off, Farrandeelin. You could be a long time on the road.

Take care...
Advice from a Meathman is like an invitation to supper from the devil; caution is needed.
BTW, I see on another thread that your job is going in September. I'm sorry to hear that and hope you get fixed up real soon.
Remember that life goes on as normal where appointed teachers are concerned- some will be retiring and being replaced by others in the normal way.
If you have a competent principal at present or you can contact the INTO rep, find out, coming near the summer, when the panel is cleared. Then start applying and get your CV in fast to as    many advertisers as possible. Being a teacher with some practical experience, you should rate highly at any interview you are asked to attend.
Right now, everything is up in a heap and the most confused head around the place is one Batt O'Keefe.
By the end of the year things should be a lot clearer and your present principal or someone who knows what's happening in other schools around the locality may be able to point you in the right direction and put in a word where it counts...
That's the way things have always operated and probably still do.


Brest of luck at any rate and here's hoping you see Sam heading to Mayo real soon.
The highlight of my sporting events will be the time John O'Mahony will turn around, look me in the eye and say, "Well, which of us is clueless now, ya thick, ignorant f**ker?"

Curiosity killed the cat - can someone PM me what he said?

Done

Does anyone else need a pm?
Yous are awful nosey!

Good man, pints, I knew I could rely on you!
Would you drop me a PM also?

Question for you all in the know.

If civil servants go out on a 1 day strike do they get the days pay stopped?

Yes.

An old lady I knew in my younger days told me once when describing a very heavy hail storm that, " The hail was coming down like the curses of Jesus Christ on the roof of a whore house!"

The story of this young fella allegedly fathering a child at 13 has been a major news story for the last week and will probably be around for some time yet.
However, Eddie wouldn't be the first 13 year old to do the bould thing and is most unlikely to be the last either.
That is if the little p**ck ( if you'll pardon the pun) did the bizz at all.
IMO, the fact that there are loads of other kids claiming to be Maisie's father might have something to do with the continuing interest of the tabloids in the case. I'd imagine that there could be cash changing hands bigtime there.
However, at least one other 13 year old boy managed to make a girl pregnant; I know this because I taught the little f**ker!
In his case, both sets of parents took matters in their stride and sweet damn all fuss was made of the event. The girl's mother took on the rearing of the baby. (I think the girl was also only 13—she certainly was when she conceived.) The lad's parents chipped in to help support the young mother and child and, apart from close friends and family members, very few others were any wiser.
I was told because the young lad came running to me when he got the news as he was more worried about  being milled by his dad then he was about the prospect of becoming a father himself.
So I had the job of breaking the news to the lad's father!
The oul' fella and me had long majored in the art of slugging pints and often sat on adjacent bar stools so I decided to approach him in his natural habitat. When I went into his local to inform him that he was going to become a grandfather I was really unsure of how to break the news and I was also very concerned about his possible reaction.
By a stroke of pure good luck, he knew what was afoot when he saw me coming. He has clouted the youngster's lug hole a few times because he was worried about the amount of time the son was spending with the girl and he had warned him to confine himself to playing with his own assets and to stay away from hers. [In Finglas, people tend to call a spade a spade!]
When he saw me he knew his warnings had been in vain as the kid and I got on very well and he also knew that I wouldn't normally turn up in his local. So it was a case of him asking me rather than me telling him that he was going to be a granddad in his early 30s.
The kid showed up the next morning, apparently little worse for wear. He told me that he got a few unmerciful kicks up the hole alright but I knew that was the dad's way of saving face and showing he disapproved of the son's behaviour. Nothing personal; just the father's way of squaring his own conscience.
After that, the respective families closed ranks and came to an amicable arrangement. There was little fuss or bother and life returned more or less to normal for all concerned. The tabloids never got wind of things. Unlike Eddie, this lad was coming out of puberty and was developed enough to father a child.
I'd say it has often  happened elsewhere as well.

 

Social housing in the north is also allocated on a points system, with the Housing Executive and the various Housing Associations taking people from the Common Selection Scheme. The religion of applicants is generally known to the landlords, as prospective tenants are asked if they'd prefer to live in a loyalist / nationalist area. Those indicating that they'd like to live in the new shared future housing developments don't get extra brownie points for this. The houses are still allocated on a points system. The system has worked well over the years. There hasn't been a single case of sectarian discrimination brought against the Housing Executive in the 35 years of its existence. The system has worked so well that the government plans to give the housing function back to the councils in a few years. If you remember, the Housing Executive was set up after the housing function was removed from the councils because they'd shown themselves incapable of operating it in an evenhanded manner. 

I'll take your word for it that there has been not one case of discrimination brought against the Executive in 35 years. It is hard to believe that nobody saw fit to challenge a decision by the Executive in all that time. I'm sure factions on both sides must have been scrutinising all allocations looking to see if they could find any evidence of positive discrimination in favour of their opponents.
However, it puzzles me that the government is planning to return the housing function to the councils when the HE has been operating for so long in such a satisfactory manner.
If I may use a modern buzz term, "If it ain't broke, why fix it?"

Ruari Quinn TD, referring to a political opponent.
"I won't say he's crooked but if he swallowed a nail, he'd shite a screw!"

Disgraced former FF minister Ray Burke, referring to Nora Owen, his FG rival in Dublin North County at one time.
"She's not putting her talents to use in this country; if she was in India, they would worship her."
Said about a lad who might look a bit seedy after a session the night before, "His eyes were as far back as two pissholes in the snow."

I'd be careful here and let sleeping dogs lie....
Didn't the Daddy Mod shut down the Southern Irish thread an hour or so ago and said he'd go bananas if anyone started up a  new thread to continue with the same kind of shite squabbling discussion?

He wouldn't hurl spuds to hens.
On two legs or four, he is the thickest I ever met.
This one is credited to former Fine Gael TD, John Donnellan, referring to the then Taoiseach, Garret Fitzgerald, "If it was raining soup, he'd be out with a fork"
One used by the inimitable, Markeen Killellea, who contested a Dail seat with John Donnellan on several occasions.
"Ye can't trust Johneen's crowd one little bit. They're all like mackerel in the moonlight; shiny and stinkl!"

This is popularist nonsense . While i agree TD's shouldn't have this fall back option even if they didn't it would create what 20 jobs max?

I am at a bit of a loss here, Gn, what exactly are you on about?
The only personal opinions I expressed was right at the very end:
I have been a teacher for over 35 years and I feel I do know what I am talking (writing?) about. The facts are as I presented them, when talking about the way in which both teacher TDs and their subs get paid. Period!
When it comes to giving my views, I did say that one reason that makes me unhappy is the fact that those, especially those who may be qualified to teach, will take on subbing jobs and will never get recognition for their length of service. They will always be employed in a temporary capacity. Someone could be employed for years on end and still have to sweat through every election to see if the job is still there when the results come in. There will be absolutely no redundancy pay or pension entitlements. The person who subs for one year has as much job security as one who holds a job for thirty years.
In other words, sweet Fanny Adams!
In the meantime, a TD could have risen to the rank of minister, with an automatic payment of a pension after three years in office. Throw in all the entitlements and we are talking around the quarter of a million mark annually!
Supposing the same minister was principal of a school when elected. This means the salary being paid, at present rates, could be well over €100,000 annually.
Deduct the amount of that being stopped to pay a sub, which would typically be around €40,000 or so.
This means the Minister will get an extra €60,000 to add to the money coming from Dail Eireann— without earning one single cent of it.
I also did say there is another reason that makes me unhappy about the present set up. I'm talking about the fact that successive classes of pupils could easily wind up being taught by the local garda sergeant's wife or the new TD's own sister, neither of whom may have professional qualifications.
I know of cases where this has happened.
I have nothing personal against any garda sergeant's wife or any TD's sister for that matter. I have lots of things against the education of schoolchildren being of less importance than the need to boost a TD's pay with substantial amounts of money that he or she did not earn.
Gn, if you can point out to me what you regard as "popularist nonsense," I'd be much obliged.