There was an incredibly frightening story in the Irish Times on Saturday reporting on the inquest into the death of a Dublin man in his 60's who died after contracting Legionaire's disease in a house he was viewing in South Dublin.
The infection has been traced to a hot tub in the house which he put his hand in to see how hot it was. He died six weeks later.
Chilling....
posted by Tom Murphy @ 10:23 AM
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In sport, when your team has given every ounce of effort in a failed attempt at beating superior opposition, your disapointment and the odd tear is offset by pride that they have done themselves and their supporters proud. There is no disgrace in losing to a better team when you've given all you can.
So don't pity the fine Munstermen and their supporters at another failed attempt in Rugby's European cup. With all their injuries and a difficult away draw, they provided valiant opposition to Biarritz yesterday. OK they lost, but as usual they fought above their weight and went done after giving it their all.
Save your pity for those unfortunate enough by birth who have to follow the Leinster team. If ever a team lived up to a stereotype, it is they. There is no disgrace in losing to a team such as Leicester. They have an unparalleld history in this competition and probably are only eclipsed by Munster in terms of their travelling support.
However, to watch a Leinster team once again, go quietly into the night is sickening. I am a long suffering Leinster supporter and occasional season ticket holder. I go to practically every home match be it Europe or the Celtic league and their cowardice never ceases to amaze me. To see them bow down before Leicester on Saturday evening was a disgrace. You could never imagine Munster putting forward such a meek performance at home.
I will accept that some of Declan Kidney's selection decisions were wrong, but still you have to wonder do Leinster's forwards have no self respect. It's time to clear out the underachievers and to select young men who want to play for their province, who want to give 100%. The days of Leinster lying down must be brought to an end.
Contrast these "professionals" with the men from Leicester and Munster and you will find a different breed. The last time a Leinster pack actually stood up to the opposition was the first Celtic League final against Munster. Since that time they have failed to justify their salaries or selection.
I don't mind losing as long as my team goes down with a fight. The days of the predctable Leinster surrender must come to an end.
posted by Tom Murphy @ 9:03 AM
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If you have been reading about blogs, you'll have read tips on how to get your blog read, how not to get fired for blogging and how blogging can help your career.
But has blogging helped anyone in Ireland with their career?
One example popped up this very week.
Sarah Carey has been blogging since December 2002. Her blog, called Gubu, is unashamedly her candid and personal views on life and current affairs. It's often funny, opinionated and off-the-wall, but it's rarely boring.
Sarah is now writing for the Sunday Times and her column draws heavily from her blogging style.
It's excellent, check out the article and her blog.
Update
Here's a link to Sarah's first Sunday Times contribution.
posted by Tom Murphy @ 8:37 AM
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Well on a personal note, my brother Greg has been signed by the Minardi Formula One team to race in their junior team in this year's Asian Formula Three Championship.
He's hoping to keep an up to date blog on his progress in Asia.
posted by Tom Murphy @ 8:32 AM
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So there were 700 arrests on St. Patricks Day in Ireland.
When did St. Patricks day become a free for all? Was I away when that was decided?
I have heard a number of personal accounts of aggressive, pissed up youths aggressively accosting innocent bystanders in different parts of Dublin in pubs, at bus stops and in the streets.
What's going on here? Who are these people?
I have typically always laughed at the sensationalist news reports about underage drinking. I mean it's nothing new. Back in the 80's we were all drinking "dolly mixtures" out of sodastream bottles. So underage drinking is hardly a new phenomenon. What's changed is the attitude.
The 'ole Celtic Tiger has a lot to answer for. When my peers were drinking, it was a secretive exercise. We drank in parks, fell about the place and hid in the bushes if we heard anyone coming. We'd shove half a packet of mints into our gobs on the way home and go straight to bed. On one occasion I remember about fifteen of us hiding in the bushes when we saw some people approaching in the distance, it turned out they were two children.
These days the brash new youth seem very happy to drink in the open. Instead of trying to hide the fact that they're drunk they wear it as a badge of honour.
I'm not sure if the problem is with the parents or the society or both. But something is going to have to give.....
posted by Tom Murphy @ 8:48 AM
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While I was on holidays, Dave Allen passed away peacefully in his sleep.
I remember, as a child, watching Dave Allen on TV and he was hilarious. At a time when the Catholic church in Ireland still had an unhealthy grip on this country's daily life, Allen attacked them. His humour and sharp observations highlighted just how ridiculous they often were. I think he made a small contribution to a more balanced Irish agenda and for that we should be grateful.
May his god have gone with him....
posted by Tom Murphy @ 8:23 AM
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When the disapointment of another loss subsided on Saturday evening, it was replaced with a feeling of happiness that illustrates the power of sport in general and rugby in particular.
Where Ireland failed, Wales have succeeded. Congratulations to them. They have shown that passion remains a key element of success in professional sport, an element you can't replace with text book training or scientific analysis. In the parlance of 1990's Irish football, Wales gave it a lash and they deserve the plaudits. Their grand slam was deserved if only because they had the courage of their convictions.
Wales don't have the best individuals, but they clearly have amazing self-belief and an unbreakable team spirit. For my money France are the "best" team in the championship, but when the chips were down the Welsh belief brushed them aside. It's a fantastic advertisement for the importance of passion. As it is, there are still very few of that Welsh side I'd select for Ireland, France or even England. But it doesn't matter.
As for Ireland. Well great thanks is due to these players, to Eddie O'Sullivan (and Warren Gatland) who have brought credibility back to Irish rugby after nearly fifteen years of mediocrity. That progress shouldn't be underestimated. But the grand slam talk was ridiculous. We haven't played well all year. We struggled in the Autumn internationals and struggled in all the six nations games - including a poor thirty minutes against Scotland.
The fact is, in my humble opinion, the Irish rugby team still plays as though we're trying to keep the score down. We're conservative and predictable. The loss of D'Arcy and Horgan was a major loss, but the fact is we never gave it a lash. It might be worthwhile for Fast Eddie to put down the "playbook" for a little while and think about mixing things up a little. For god's sake stop telling the backs to kick the bloody ball back to the opposition for a start.
So well done Wales, you are the deserving winners of the 2005 Championship. Thank you for reminding us all that the beauty of rugby is that it's not just about the best fifteen players, it's about the best team. It's about passion and the will to win. You have all those attributes. I salute you.
posted by Tom Murphy @ 8:10 AM
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If like me you've followed the travails and heartbreak of the Irish rugby team for a long time, you are probably faced with a conundrum.
We now have a team that is no longer a laughing stock, in fact its probably one of the best Irish teams ever. But is it as much fun supporting them? Probably not.
This may sound strange, after all, the current crop of over-achievers have a winning ratio never seen before by a team in green - and that includes the boys from 1948 (the last time an Irish team won a grand slam). But with success comes expectation, and with expectation comes a greater potential for disapointment.
Let me explain.
In the late 80's and throughout the 1990's Ireland's rugby team were an absolute shambles. We had a few world class players such as Mullins, Wood, Geoghan but as hard as they tried the Irish team weren't up to scratch. We were amatuers in a sea of professionalism - official or unnofficial.
However, during these hard times, we got huge enjoyment out of the first twenty minutes of every match when we would "put it up" to the opposition. This translated into kicking seven shades of shite out of them. Surprisingly our opponents never liked it much and even less surprisingly we normally conceeded 40+ points in the last twenty minutes when all our players were tired.
On the few days when we actually won matches there were national celebrations and when you managed the very odd win against England, well, everyone was lost in rapture.
Fast forward to today. We beat England for the second year in a row and there's no jubilation. In fact many people were disapointed in the manner of victory. Now if you had told people in 1995 that that's how we'd react to a win against England in 2005, the second win in a row, they would have laughed at you - but that's the pressure of expectation.
You see I think as an island we're fantastic losers because we've loads of practice. But this winning thing, this expectation of success, the "Keane-Wood way" if you like, well, it doesn't sit as easily as the utopia of underachievement.
Compare that feeling with the predicament the English face.
After ten years of beating the rugby world, the wheels on the glorious chariot are a little buckled. They'll undoubtedly come back again, but losing that number of world class players - Johnson, Wilkinson, Dallalgio, Hill, Back etc. - has taken a toll and building a new team will take time.
But just as we're having problems adjusting to higher expectations, our imaginary foe is having similar problems adjusting to lower expectations.
Now before anyone thinks I'm bashing the English for the sake of it, let me state up front that Irish rugby should remember that we will always owe the English rugby team a debt of gratitude.
In 1972 at the height of a dark period on this island, when our celtic "friends" refused to travel to Dublin to fulfill their five nations fixtures, because of some letters they received from muppets over here, the English team travelled to Dublin and played their match. They weren't a great side and were easily beaten 18-9, which prompted the famous quote from their hooker and captain John Pullin; "We might not be very good but at least we turn up." But they did turn up.
It's funny that when your team is down, the decisions always go against you. This was how it was for Ireland's rugby team for years. But in many ways you make your own luck. The English reaction to their loss in Dublin was appalling. Most Irish rugby supporters would agree that if England had won we wouldn't have had much complaint, but the moaning and bitching from their coach, their journalists and their administrators has left a bad taste in the mouth.
I never really understood why the Australians (I supported England in the Rugby World Cup final by the way) called them the "moaning poms" but I do now. You see I've never supported a team that regularly beat the old enemy but I do now. And just as Irish rugby supporters are struggling to come to terms with success, our English friends are having similar problems passing us in the opposite direction.
My advice? Get over it. You lost, move on. Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy have all had to put up with drubbings, bad decisions and heartbreak. Welcome to the club. We've learned to deal with it, now it's your turn.
The only things that tastes worse than a bad winner is a bad loser.
Postscript 1
PlanetRugby posted a very interesting analysis of these decisions that made Mr. Robinson so angry. In the cold light of day their cause looks a lot less compelling. Their continued moaning will not help their cause.
Postscript 2
If you're living in or around the Dublin area and have even a passing interest in sport, I highly recommend tuning into Newstalk 106's sports programme: "Off the ball" with Ger Gilroy, every weekday from 7pm to 10pm. It's funny, interesting and most of all entertaining. It also has the best audience of witty texters in the world.
posted by Tom Murphy @ 8:07 AM
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In common with many people I imagine, I have a dislike of hospitals. I just don't like them, they scare me.
Last night I had the misfortune to spend a short period of time in Tallaght hospital with our eleven month old son Cillian - my wife Sorcha spent over six hours there.
Every day on the news you hear about the overcrowding in hospitals with people on trolleys, but it doesn't really hit home until you see trolley, after trolley after trolley lining every available wall space in the A&E, each with a sick person waiting for a bed.
What kind of country are we living in here?
What kind of muppets plan these hospitals?
Tallaght is a relatively new hospital, how could the half-wits in charge of planning and building it, have failed to plan for growing numbers of patients? Why didn't they just over state demand and if there were unused wards find another purpose for them?
My admiration for the nurses, doctors and support staff who do their best to work in attrocious conditions with people at their lowest ebb, grows every day. Those professions are indeed the highest vocation... bar none.
Postscript
I have to say that all the staff (bar one) that looked after Cillian yesterday were fantastic. But a little word of advice for the remarkably (in contrast to his colleagues) unpleasant male nurse we had to deal with. I apppreciate you have a tough, stressful job and I couldn't even begin to understand how you do it, but please be aware that when a parent brings their sick eleven month old child to a hospital they are both frightened, upset and probably tired. It doesn't take a lot to treat them with respect. Your ignorance upset them and tarnished an otherwise exemplary experience - if you're that unhappy find another job. Don't take out your bad mood on my family.
posted by Tom Murphy @ 11:58 AM
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You can see the planning meeting for the upcoming by-elections.
What would have previously been a boisterous, smoky room is now smoke-free and divided. Half the team out having a cigerette while the others sit around talking idly.
"I tell ya what," says one.
"What?" says the other.
"We should have one of those new fangled blogs for the campaign," he/she replies
"Smashing idea."
And so the candidates have blogs. Well not really.
As with so much in Irish political life the idea was good but the execution was sloppy and half-arsed.
The Freedom Institute has found "blogs" from four candidates in the upcoming Kildare North and Meath bye-elections:
- Aine Brady, Fianna Fail "Wednesday involved another early start. Meeting commuters at Confey Train Station on their way to work brought it home to me how much we rely on public transport. One of my key aims is to make things easier for those commuting to Dublin every day. That is why I made the decision to start my mornings this week with the commuters of North Kildare as they made their way to work."
- Shane Cassells, Fianna Fail"I had great craic tonight at the weekly Bingo session at the Navan O’Mahonys club. The club honoured me asking me to call out the numbers and I soon got the hang of shouting out ‘legs eleven!’ and ‘all the nines, ninety-nine’. I’d say I’ll be calling out numbers in my sleep tonight. However, when it comes to checking the votes on March 12th I hope the tally people will be counting out plenty of ‘Number Ones’ for me."
- Sirena Campbell, Progressive Democrats"As a young woman standing for election I usually get asked three questions, why bother, why the Progressive Democrats, and if elected what are you going to do. The reason I am standing is simple, I live in Meath and have experienced at first hand the challenges people are facing- poor planning, inadequate infrastructure, lack of crèches, schools, playgrounds and community centres, as the county goes thru a growth spurt unprecedented in the history of the state."
- Seanan O'Coistin, Independent"Listen to the "What it says in the papers" section of Morning Ireland, Tuesday 1/6/2004. There is a reference to me. You can hear it at 1 hour and 12 mins."
Now first of all, I don't want to be too harsh. The Fianna Fail blogs are reguarly updated and although they don't exactly set the world alight with great thinking or debate at least there's something being posted.
But none of these are blogs. There's no ability to add comments, no links, no debate. It's a start but that's all.
It's a pity because any of these candidates had a great opportunity to drive the agenda with these blogs. It would have been newsworthy and interesting but instead the "command and control" monster took over.
If you're going to blog then do it. Don't pretend.
I wonder what our resident Fine Gael blogger thinks? Where's their blog?
posted by Tom Murphy @ 9:59 AM
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Well this is a new blog designed to capture random thoughts that don't quite fit in with my other weblog.
In the main this probably covers issues from around this green island of ours and most likely will include commentary on sport, business, media and the odd post on politics... very odd.
It's highly likely that this will ultimately be one of those blogs that the Irish broadsheets look down their nose at, but sure that's fine. I sometimes look up my nose at them.
posted by Tom Murphy @ 9:51 AM
0 comments
This blog captures random thoughts that don't quite fit in with my day blog. In the main this probably covers issues from around this green island of ours and most likely will include commentary on sport, business, media and the odd post on politics... very odd.
