Welcome to this week’s Student Hub email digest. In this edition, David McWilliams writes about the controversial topic of land ownership in Ireland, Jamie Oliver responds to negative reviews of his Dublin restaurant, an Irish Times poll has some interesting findings on who would vote for Bertie Ahern to be president, Fintan O’Toole writes about the abuse levelled at asylum seekers, Trinity is to boost pay for PhD researchers and more....
David McWilliams: Land capture is a significant problem in this country: One of the easiest ways to make “free” money in Ireland is to buy a piece of land, seek planning permission or just wait for it to get rezoned. Then, when the land is revalued upwards, pocket the difference between what you paid and its revalued price.
Ross O’Carroll-Kelly: I’ve ended up on a poster for adult incontinence treatment on a gable wall in, like, Ranelagh: Hennessy Coghlan-O’Hara is sitting behind his desk, sucking on a Portagás the size of A Plus Tord’s shinbone, with a big, lightbulb-munching grin on his face. He goes, “The fock do you want?” – my supposed godfather, by the way?
‘I’m an easy target’: Jamie Oliver responds to negative reviews of his Dublin restaurant: “If I spent every day reading reviews from journalists about me, I wouldn’t be the happy chappie that you know. I’d be sitting in the corner crying, worrying about my ego and being mortally wounded.” Chef, restaurateur, author and entrepreneur Jamie Oliver, in Dublin for a brief visit on Thursday, is sanguine about the succession of negative reviews that were published in the Irish media last autumn soon after the opening of Chequer Lane, his restaurant on Exchequer Street in Dublin 2.
Fill arís: Bhíodh amhrán á chraoladh ó challairí gluaisteáin le linn toghcháin nuair a bhí Charlie Haughey ina shea, ‘Arise and follow Charlie’. Is ar mhúnla amhráin Sheacaibítigh a cheoltaí é, amhrán misnithe do na hAlbanaigh éirí suas agus ‘Rí na Muice’ Gearmánach a dhíbirt d’fhonn an Phrionsa Charles Edward Stuart a chur ina áit san 18ú haois.
Majority say they would not vote for Bertie Ahern to be president: A majority of all voters say that they would “definitely not vote” for Bertie Ahern in the next presidential election, the latest Irish Times/Ipsos poll finds. Just 7 per cent of voters said they would “definitely vote for him”.
Fintan O’Toole: People screaming abuse at asylum seekers are not stupid. They do it because they enjoy it: To understand the ideology that underpins far-right protests against refugees and asylum seekers, a good starting point might be the great American novel.
Cost of living: How is it affecting young people, parents and others? As the dust settles on the latest Government’s support package, what do businesses and individuals make of it all and are there any silver linings to be found on the horizon?
Trinity to boost pay for PhD researchers to €25,000: Trinity College Dublin is to boost stipends for about 200 PhD researchers from between €6,500-€18,000 to €25,000 following criticism that some are struggling on incomes below the minimum wage.
Owner of sweet shop had just 97 cent in bank after paying bills: A sweet shop owner who had just 97 cent in his business account after paying all his increased bills last week says he has regretfully decided to close the business for the sake of his mental health.
Ukraine War: Where the conflict stands and what the future might hold: At about 9am on February 24th last year, four hours or so into the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the lobby of a hotel in the country’s second city, Kharkiv, was noisy with journalists, photographers, TV crews and others urgently trying to decide their next moves.
Miriam Lord’s Week: Hallucinatory scenes give way to realpolitik in the Dáil: There was a sedate start to Ash Wednesday in Leinster House with the Rev John Harris OP celebrating Mass in the private diningroom for Oireachtas members and staff.
