And Another Thing

I suppose it was about this time last year that I wrote on these pages of my concern about the change over from punt to euro. I do well remember meeting a bank official a few days later and he rubbished my fears. “In six months time” he declared, “you will never notice the difference.” Well then, six months have passed and we all know now to our cost the value of our new currency. The huge increase in the cost of day-to-day living is directly linked to the introduction of the euro even though we were all assured by the ‘experts” that this was not going to be the case. The truth of the matter is that we have been shafted to the very quick. Most people now accept that the new 50 note has replaced the old £20 note. To me, anyway, it’s a poor reflection on those who bulldozed this predicament in on top of us - and so cunningly was it done that there is not one thing anyone can do about it.

Following directly on from this is the damning report of two surveys which show that this wee holy country is not only the most corrupt in Europe but also the second most expensive. It’s a far cry from the time we were known as the land of saints and scholars. I often wonder were we ever The Land of Saints and Scholars.

I think it’s important to note at this stage that the people responsible for these disasters are now telling us (again) how to vote on the Nice referendum later on this year. Make up your own mind. The fear of this writer of being shafted again will ensure that I will vote NO - and twice if I get the chance.

And Another Thing:

At the time of writing, the news is just breaking on the scandal of those people in so-called high places in the Ansbacher Account Affair. This was a corrupt system set up by the late Mr. Traynor to help the well heeled to protect their ill gotten gains. It was a scheme that was allowed to prosper by the most powerful people in this country, even up to and including the Central Bank and the former crooked Taoiseach C.J. Haughey. How the senior institutions of this country could sit idly by and watch this going on while at the same time crucifying the unfortunate person who found themselves on the dole is well beyond imagination. But this is exactly what happened and it does not surprise me one little bit to hear rumblings that it might be impossible to prosecute these cute hoors. It was not impossible for the state to bring the full rigours of the law to bear on those people who tried to earn a bit extra to augment the couple of skittery pounds they got on the dole. The soft, easy touch again, you see.

That is the way that things have always been done here and it’s extremely unlikely to change in our lifetime. Just sit back and see if any of these boys and girls will do one hour inside a jail cell. It’s as unlikely as it will be to see any one of these bishops who, by their action or lack of it, presided over the systematic abuse of children in their pastoral care for many years in this country and beyond.

Watch closely in the coming weeks and months how things will be glossed over. Many fine words will be used to ease the burden on these scoundrels and make it appear as if they committed no crime at all. Just watch and wait.

And Another Thing

And so we say around this time of year hello and welcome to yet another season of road surfacing, loose chippings, broken windscreens and badly dented car body work. I have yet to fathom why there is not some machine that would be either able to brush up or vacuum the surplus chips from the road surface.

Apparently the only aid we are going to get are those little signs that warn us of loose chippings and of course the obligatory 20 m.p.h. warning. There is something else I cannot figure out on road maintenance - how come after resurfacing that the humps and hollows remain? Is it not possible in this day and age, forty years after man set his paw on the moon, that the tops could somehow be scraped off the humps and filled into the hollows and then add the tar and chips. Is that asking too much?

I know very well that it’s not the fault of the ordinary council worker who is often sent out to repair roads with the minimum of tools i.e. a shovel and a watering can contraption. Most of the time they do a damned good job and are always friendly and helpful but the fact remains that our back roads are in a dreadful state, despite having to pay the massive road tax that is imposed on us. Maybe now that we have two government ministers in the area things might begin to improve. One thing is certain - it cannot get much worse.

And Another Thing:

Even with the poor weather it doesn’t seem to bother unduly the person who wants to dance. We are up and down the country on a regular basis and it’s amazing the lengths that people will go to attend a dance. The Irish have an amazing capacity to enjoy themselves no matter what the circumstances are. Live for the day seems to be the motto and, of course, they are perfectly right. It was a wise local man who once said - when you are a thousand years dead, you’re only starting to be dead. Mind that the next time you can’t make up your mind to go out or not. A wee quick plug here again - From Wednesday 17th Old Time Dancing continues in The Central Hotel every Wednesday for the summer. The best of music and an early night. Hope to see you there.