The battered flag and the Mayos abroad
When do I replace the old flag with a new one that would herald a new and brighter future for the Palestinians who will remain alive and hopeful after the Israeli slaughter?
My poor battered Palestinian flag, flying at Chez Loftus for this past year, in solidarity with the battered, broken people of the Gaza Strip is, as can be seen from the photo, in bad shape.
I’m thinking, of course, of purchasing a new one but when to erect a pristine new flag is a problem. If I thought for a moment that the Israeli people would topple their war-mongering, genocidal government and call a halt to the barbarity that is Gaza, then I would happily fly a new flag. I would even consider flying the Israeli flag alongside. But the people of Israel, and Jewish people around the world, sadly side with their government.
In the present moment after the degradation wrought on the Palestinian flag by Storms Darragh, Conall, Bert and Kathleen, my sorry flag does little to enhance the look of the house or indeed reflect credit on the householder. But it does reflect, to a minor degree, the suffering, murder, starvation and cruelty that is a daily constant companion of the blighted people of Gaza.
So my dilemma is when do I replace the old flag with a new one that would herald a new and brighter future for the Palestinians who will remain alive and hopeful after the Israeli slaughter? That day, unfortunately, has not arrived yet and looks a remote prospect. However, I will put in my order for a new one, just in case. Hope springs eternal.
Netanyahu is before the courts in Israel, on a charge of corruption. It is unlikely that he will be convicted. I would always have a suspicion about a charge of corruption that has its genesis in his political opponents. In the unlikely event that that he might be convicted and forced out of government sure all he would have to do would be to charge those who might replace him with corrupt practices.
It’s a bit of a merry-go-round. And, in any event, Netanyahu, will never be charged with war crimes or crimes against humanity. The International Criminal Court might think it has teeth but neither the US nor Israel recognise its authority. They have taken a leaf out of the IRA manual. They refuse to recognise the Court.
I was browsing through the WP the other day and it struck me, not for the first time, how lucky we are to have a printed record of the news and events that are part and parcel of what Mayo is about. Now you might say that I am biased and I will admit that my admiration for the printed word is based on a lifelong association with the local papers. And my admiration lies not only with the WP but also with the and the .
We have these new fads called Facebook and Messenger and Tiktok and Whatsapp and Instagram and whatever you’re having yourself and they serve a purpose, but they are mickey-mouse by comparison with the gospel according to the local papers.
What prompted this outpouring of admiration for local print was, of course, some of the news stories, and in particular, the ongoing saga of Mayo GAA board’s failure to hold the annual convention because they could not sign off on their accounts and the nonsense of going behind closed doors to sell a dummy to the meejia, but more especially it was the wonderful selection of photographs, in glorious colour, that adorned last week’s issue. If you have not seen it you should go out and buy a copy.
There was, as you would expect, fine photos to go with news stories such as Ann Marie Courell’s flawless supervision of her first Mayo election count, beach cleaners, graduations, Castlebar Lions Club’s food appeal, pics of election winners and losers, Conor McGuire’s illustration of Paul Mescal, a fine selection of photos of the county’s legal eagles in Ashford Lodge, having a break, from their duties on the bench (not a gown of the legal variety or a wig in sight!), Christmas Crackers, Ice House parties, pub awards, the 101-year-old voter (courtesy John Corless), business promotions a la McGraths of Cong (great photo of great men - where were the ladies, lads?), Feericks of Rathowen, celebrating 25 years of providing fine foods for Mayo’s weary travellers on the way to and from Croke Park, Castlebar’s Mulroys celebrating Gladiator 2 at Mayo Movie World, the Mayo Association Business Lunch in Dublin and, with pride of place, the Mayos in London.
They came from Belmullet, Bohola, Ballycroy, Newport, Knock, Castlebar, Ballina, Kiltimagh, Kilmaine, Charlestown, Swinford and all points north, south, east and west. There were over 500 of them, all gathered at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel, including the Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr John O’Hara, along with some members and staff of the council and a scattering of Mayo footballers.
The photos show a spectacular gathering of Mayo’s finest and proudest who clearly are doing well in their adopted city. I’m not equipped to do justice to the elegance and style of the gathering. Suffice to say there was substance to the style.
It’s not too often that Muintir Mhaigheo Atha Cliath are pushed into second place but not even the appearance of Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohue at their Business Lunch in the International Hotel recently can steal the limelight from the London Mayos.
The point I’m trying to make in a roundabout and very inadequate way is that the local papers provide a service that is unmatched. Social media may have the advantage of being immediate. Social media may get stories and images out there in an instant, but an instant later, they’re gone, perhaps into that world wide web, but gone nonetheless. The local media endures, despite its many challenges. Long may it continue so.
And to that Revenue Story that has prompted so many startling headlines. No more than the Mayo GAA Board’s attempt to muzzle and sideline the media the Revenue are not exactly covering themselves in glory. They refuse to confirm or deny information on individual cases! Tell that to the Monk. They won’t say if the GAA is being singled out. In the absence of an appropriate response from Revenue, it does seem that the GAA is, in fact, being singled out and maybe even discriminated against.
In Mayo, the emphasis appears to be on the running of the Cúl Camps, a wonderful initiative, sponsored by Kelloggs for a quarter of a decade and providing young aspiring footballers, hurlers and handballers with the opportunity to learn the skills and play Gaelic games in a controlled and supervised environment in all the clubs in the county. The scheme has been a boon to the GAA but is also welcomed by many harassed and time-weary parents who have been relieved, for a while, of the care and development of their children.
Soccer, rugby, swimming, athletics, tennis and other sports have similar schemes in operation. So why just the GAA? If it is in fact just the GAA. Could it be that some genius in Revenue, with a GAA axe to grind, thought it would be a good idea to milk the cash-rich (supposed!) cow that is the GAA and provide another revenue stream to replace the windfalls from the US multinationals?
Or perhaps there is an ulterior motive. Perhaps the real target of Revenue is the payments to team managers and their extensive and ever-growing team of backroom staff. I admit to being naïve and gullible but I have never been taken in by the extraordinary sums being mentioned by the faceless keyboard warriors (cowards and snakes, more like!) as being paid to managers. I know many club and county managers who have been out of pocket because of their involvement in team management. Revenue might need to rethink.
(Loosely translates as: Praise the young and they will flourish)
