Has Gabriel Byrne lost the plot by attacking the Gathering? -- Criticism of the tourism initiative completely misses the point

Gabriel Byrne

Damned if we do, and damned if we don’t. That must have been the thought running through Enda Kenny’s mind as his ears were stung from Gabriel Byrne’s tongue lashing.

The Hollywood star lambasted King Kenny and the Government’s marketing centerpiece for the tourism industry next year, The Gathering, which aims to bring an extra 325,000 visitors to Ireland.

Rubbing even more salt into the wounds was the news that The Gathering had actually part-funded Today FM’s Last Word programme’s visit to New York on which actor Gabriel Byrne lambasted the tourism initiative as a “sham”. From Byrne’s perspective it was probably tantamount to shooting a man with his own gun.

The acclaimed actor has made his living creating dramas, but his role in this charade was no Oscar-winning performance. Yes, it was full of passion and came from the heart, but in the end Byrne simply lost the plot.

The Gathering is little more than a global PR and advertising campaign. Indeed, in a time of beleaguered budgets, it is a clever ploy to try and boost much needed tourism revenue. So rather than being an attempt to unscrupulously profit from Irish Americans who, according to Byrne are fed up with being “shaken down,” it is merely a tourism campaign — no more or no less. It is, as they say, what it is.

Byrne is right that “the bridge between the diaspora and the people is broken.” Indeed, it is questionable whether a bridge ever existed at all. Once people leave these shores we tend to turn our backs on them. That needs to change. But The Gathering has never been about trying make up for years of neglect. It is however a beginning. And while next year will see whether The Gathering works to its full potential, it has already been successful.

In September it helped host the American Football game between Notre Dame and Navy in the Aviva Stadium, which saw 33,000 people travel to Ireland. This was the largest movement of American citizens during peacetime for one event. The day following the game was Dublin Airport’s busiest since it opened in 1940 and the visitors who travelled to see this unique sporting event spent an estimated €100m-250m in the Irish economy.

And rather than feeling as if they had just been ‘shaken down’ many extended their stay in Ireland for up to two weeks travelling around the country and soaking up their Celtic origins.

But it is not all about shaking shamrocks and being proud to be Irish. The historic game also attracted a Who’s Who from corporate America’s leading companies, which included nine of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies, more that 50pc of world leading financial services firms, 17 of the top 25 medical devices companies, 8 of the world’s leading ICT companies and 10 of the internet’s top companies.

So I don’t think the Irish people, the Irish government or, indeed, Enda Kenny should be making any apologies for trying to forge such links. Do you Mr Byrne?

Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen and Associates PR, www.prireland.com.

When suicide beckons what can a friend do to stop it? Dreadful dilemma as Irish prevention services slow to act

Suicide is still a taboo subject in Ireland

It should come as little surprise that the stigma attached to mental health is still stopping people accessing the necessary support, according to a survey released as part of Suicide Awareness Week.

However, knowing where to look for help can be just as big a barrier as any associated stigma.

I learnt this the hard way when I heard two words I will never forget.

At the other end of the phone line was a friend who had called me in a state of panic. He could barely get the words “attempting suicide” out of his mouth. Someone close to him was self-harming and in dire need of help.

With suicide being so prevalent in Ireland I wondered why this person whom I knew, but was not so close to personally, was calling me when his loved one was in need of urgent help.

When I began frantically making phone calls trying to help I found out why.

While he was on the other line telling me he had rang several hospitals, I used my landline to dial the Mater.

I was transferred several times before I was put through to A&E. The nurse who answered told me to tell the person to come in, take a ticket and wait for the psychiatrist on duty who would then assess the patient.

I immediately wondered, with little time to spare, how long that would take. So, I then decided to ring any psychiatrist that would answer the phone and ask if they could help.

Despite the urgent nature of my request, the earliest appointment I could get was in two weeks. They told me if it was urgent to go to A&E.

Luckily, through a close contact, a professional thankfully gave us advice to cope in the short term and saw the person who was in desperate need the very next day. They are now receiving the necessary help and support to help them on the road to recovery.

However, it appears when people are confronted with such a nightmare situation there seems to be little to help or guide them. In a country where such situations are sadly arising more frequently this is a disgrace.

The problem when someone is self-harming is that it falls between two stools — medical and mental health. The problem for the person left trying to cope is there is no clear course of action, because it is not something we openly discuss or are educated about.

Suicide is sadly still a taboo subject in Ireland, because for a people that love to talk, the last thing many of us want to discuss is our mental health.

While 186 people were killed on our roads in 2011, the latest official statistics show there were 525 deaths by suicide last year.

And even though suicide in Ireland can only be described as an epidemic, there seems scant support for those contemplating taking their own life.

Indeed, if we invested as much energy into suicide prevention as we do curbing fatalities on our roads the figures would be far lower.

While Suicide Awareness Week, which comes to an end on September 17, is certainly helping to raise awareness, the dialogue must continue.

Because, the fact is, if we remain silent when it comes to suicide any services provided by the health service, while much welcomed, will ultimately be tantamount to the sound of one hand clapping.

Paul Allen is managing director of Paul Allen & Associates.

The politics of anger rules in a recessionary Ireland as political debate turns nasty

Dr James Reilly

Reasoned, insightful political debate is being overthrown by mob-rule. But he who shouts loudest is not always right, writes Paul Allen

The country is once again in the grip of the ‘politics of the angry.’

Indeed, even as Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore declared confidence in Minister Dr James Reilly, the smell of blood is in the air as people cry for another political scalp.

It is the era of the loudmouth where the ‘politics of anger’ shouts down the ‘politics of the answer’.

But with the heat being turned up on the Minister of Health we would do well to remember in any sport it is easy to shout from the sidelines. And it is no different when it comes to the greatest, the dirtiest and most gruelling sport of them all — politics.

The former GP, who was listed in Stubbs Gazette over an unpaid €1.8m debt, says he did not break any rules. Indeed, he set up his business affairs when he became Minister in line with advice from the Standards in Public Office Commission.

While there are obvious questions arising from the affair, if the Minister is found to have followed the rules, then blame the game not the player.

While the Committee on Procedure and Privileges (CPP) is still yet to start probing the propriety of the political classes, the need for such rigorous referees to ensure fair play in politics has once again been highlighted.

But the illusion that it is only the members of the main political parties that need this type of supervision has been recently shattered.

For years the members of the holier-than-thou Technical Group have been taking swipes at the mainstream parties, attacking their ethical records and constantly questioning their integrity. And, sometimes, rightly so; every parliament and political party needs to be held accountable.

But when the deeds of master tax cheat Mick Wallace finally made the headlines, it became obvious that cheating the system is not only in the gift of those belonging to Fianna Fail or Fine Gael.

The Independent Wexford TD has now refused to answer several questions from the Members' Interests Committee regarding the matter, casting an even longer shadow on his deeds.

However, while Wallace’s credibility rapidly crumbles, so does that of Socialist Party TDs Clare Daly and Joe Higgins, along with United Left Alliance TD Joan Collins after being found to have used their travel allowances to attend anti-household charge meetings outside their constituencies.

How can elected representatives spend public money trying to encourage people to break the law?

You would imagine that if one of the main political parties was found to have engaged in such highly questionable behaviour (to put the most positive spin possible on the actions of Daly, Higgins and Collins), the backlash would have been swift.

The fact is these members of the Technical Group have shown by their actions that while they might have been viewed as champions of the people, they are just as flawed as many of those they have berated over the years.

Pointing the finger of blame is easy, but holding a mirror up to your own actions can bring home many unwanted truths.

It would be amusing to think that the biggest impact these politicians who wanted to shake things up in Dáil Éireann will have made is underlining that even those with seemingly irreproachable reputations can fall foul of the high standards in political life.

Just like goal line technology will help referees and linesmen tighten up on the proper and correct regulation of soccer, the Irish political system will hopefully receive closer scrutiny from its new investigation committee.

So rather than having mob rule crying for heads to roll every time questions are raised over the activities of a politician, calm and reasoned insight will allow all to clearly see and assess if rules were broken. This will improve politics for all and make our system even more transparent. Because when it comes to playing dirty, being a member of a major political party is not a prerequisite.


*Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen and Associates PR

While Ireland punches above its weight, Spain is too big to fail - in football and economically

Despite the might of its football team and the fact it got a better bailout deal from Europe, Ireland is likely to triumph Spain, writes Paul Allen.

We used to laugh at the English. Every European Championship they qualified for they believed they would win it.

But while England fans took a more sober approach regarding their chances at Euro 2012, Ireland’s cheer leading brigade managed to convince themselves we would crush Croatia, spank Spain and lash
Italy.

Even Grumpy Dunphy was getting caught up in the hyperbole surrounding Trapattoni’s chances of leading Ireland to the promised land and out of the group of death.

However, reality can be a painful reminder.

Ireland is a minnow and not only in world football terms. Just like with our economy, we will always have to thrive to be greater than the sum of our parts. We are not Germany and Spain when it comes to football, and the same is true economically.

So when the details of the Spanish bailout were released, there was little shock the rules were different than those for Ireland.

The aid is expected to be focused entirely on Spain’s banking sector and does not appear to have committed to additional austerity measures or structural reform.

The media has also has been kinder to Spain.

When the IMF rolled into Dublin two years ago, the global media fed the world a strict diet of ghost estates, piebald ponies and beggars.

‘Rainy, dour Ireland was as depressed as its economy,’ was the general theme.

The images of protests, long dole queues and pensive politicians broadcast a different picture from sunny Spain and have so far not relied on worn clichés as in the case of Ireland.

The simple fact is that this is because Spain’s economy is the fourth largest in the EU and demands respect. It is too big to fail or, indeed, to patronize.

Ireland on the other hand might punch above its weight in many aspects, but also has to be realistic about its position in the pecking order.

While Greece rebelled, Ireland took its medicine and is playing a longer game. Because our nation’s reputation relies on stability, this is most likely the best option.

At present Spain’s unemployment level is 24.1pc (compared to Ireland’s 14.5pc), with more than half of all workers under the age of 25 out of work. Such a massive level on unemployment is a ticking time bomb as it will soon start to accelerate mortgage defaults, further fuel social unrest and political stability, while all the time suppressing economic growth.

Ireland is in a far better position, and while things continue to be tough the economy is well placed to recover (as long as Europe manages its way out of the current crisis).

So while we may struggle against Spain on the pitch in Poland, the longer-term prospect for Ireland is far sunnier than many people think.

Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen and Associates PR, www.prireland.com.

Irish voting on a Euro treaty that no one understands -- Language used in treaty is impossible for ordinary voter to understand

Irish leader Enda Kenny

The upcoming referendum is sadly more likely to be decided upon by raw emotion rather than hard facts, writes Paul Allen.

“A vote is like a rifle,” according to Theodore Roosevelt. “Its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”

The former US president’s words come to mind as our upcoming referendum is fast approaching. The reason is it seems the electorate is in danger of shooting its nose off to spite its face regardless of how they vote.

The reality is for the vast majority of us the last thing we will actually be voting on is the fiscal treaty.

While both sides of the yes and no divide have valid arguments, both are also slinging misinformation into the maelstrom.

The fact is regardless of whether you vote yes or vote no, austerity will continue. So the debate is being targeted at an emotional level. The yes cheerleaders are preying on our fear, while the no side are stoking our anger.

This vote will have major implications for the country and for future generations. Hence it needs to be made with the head rather than the heart. However, there is little chance of that come Thursday.

The truth is, this conundrum is impossible for the Irish electorate to solve.

Winston Churchill might have been embellishing things a tad when he declared, “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter,” but when it comes to highly technical European treaties he has a very valid point.

Even the most enlightened economic, legal and political minds are arguing over the treaty and its potential impact. The truth of the matter is the majority of voters are just not in a position to understand the treaty.

Are you going to vote on Thursday? Have you read the treaty? The truthful answer is most likely “no.” So how can a nation go to the polls to potentially decide our children’s future without having read the precise nuts and bolts of the treaty they will be voting on?

The reason is because the language used is impenetrable to all but those versed in EU political legalese or, as it is more commonly known, Euro Babble.

The Irish Constitution is something to be treasured but its flaw is that it allows the people to decide on issues that they are not in a position to make well-judged and informed decisions on. We are swayed by emotion and by the general mood, but the hard cold facts are generally the last things we cling to.

This is why there is so much hysteria surrounding Thursday’s vote, not only in Ireland but also in Europe. It is telling that other European governments don’t throw such treaties to the public for them to be torn to shreds in a cloud of misinformation. The result is while other nations in the EU rely on sober analysis, the Irish will decide on its future relationship with Europe depending on how angry or how scared the majority of us are this coming Thursday. Regardless of the outcome, that is something we should all regret.

Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen andAssociates PR, www.prireland.com.

Tabloid sleaze, sex and sin may have been diluted during the Rupert Murdoch scandal but it has not gone away

Rupert Murdoch

The muddy mire that engulfs Rupert Murdoch’s media empire seems to get thicker and murkier by the day as the Leveson Inquiry continues its investigation into the gutter press.

While Murdock appears contrite as he points the finger of blame elsewhere, his grip on this media empire is being slowly loosened.

Murdoch once had Prime Ministers and politicians at his beck and call while he single-handedly destroyed the reputation of the tabloid press. What the Daily Mirror had achieved over many years of socially aware and campaigning journalism in the ‘60s and 70s, the Sun almost instantly crushed when it launched its mix of sleaze, sex and sin.

And what The Sun was doing during the week, the News of the World did every Sunday. This was achieved, according to one former reporter, through a culture of fear and unethical practices. Working within this “culture of fear” journalists felt pressurized into making up stories and engaging in illegal activities, such as phone hacking.

It is this culture the Murdoch virus used not only to destroy the reputation of the press in the UK, but also to infect the Irish media.

The competitive pressures heaped on Irish media by Murdoch’s low cost scandal sheets as they infiltrate our media landscape threaten the high standards of journalism we have often taken for granted.

Thankfully, so far the Irish media has not seemed as susceptible to Muroch’s mighty influence as Fleet Street was. Indeed, to what extent he has succeeded on this side of the Irish Sea remains to be seen.

However, claims made in the High Court last week show, if true, just how the rules of journalism not only change but are thrown out the window when the British tabloid press strolls into town.

The court heard that a Sun journalist allegedly paid the man at the center of false allegations against Louis Walsh to make the untruthful sex claims in an attempt to “take out” the X Factor judge “as a public person.”

The man behind the false allegations was sentenced to six months in prison last January after pleading guilty. The Sun, which originally published the allegations, also accepted they were false. But now Walsh is seeking access to the documents that will allegedly show The Sun offered to pay Watters to make the false complaints.

With the Government is currently obsessed with ensuring RTE pays a heavy price for its defamation of Father Kevin Reynolds, the insidious nature of the British tabloid press should not be forgotten. Because if there is any truth behind The Sun’s part in the false allegations that could have intentionally destroyed Louis Walsh’s career out of simple spite, RTE could be the least of the Government’s worries.

Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen and Associates PR, www.prireland.com.

Poor communications has a cost – Irish Government needs to be careful what it cuts

Irish leaders Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore

Government departments have spent nearly €400,000 on public relations in the last couple of years, according to figures released this week. But the fact of the matter is they should be spending more.

Saying such a thing in the current climate of swinging cutbacks is tantamount to treason. Years of austerity have frayed tempers, and the recent debacle over household and water charges have pushed many people beyond breaking point.

Regardless of the arguments for and against such measures, the government has ultimately struggled to clearly communicate its policy. Mixed and unclear messages have constantly been leaking from the coalition government sparking panic, fear and dismay throughout the country.

This resulted in only 920,000 out of 1.6m homeowners actually registering and paying the household charge.

Even after the frantic communications chaos that led up to the March 31 deadline, the government then messed up the communication of the water charge. Was it is to be paid in a lump sum? Was it to be spread over a number of years? Would there be any charge at all? The answer was yes, no or maybe depending on who you were listening to.

The business of government is never easy. Ministers receive constant briefs and daily updates from civil servants and then have to communicate that information to the public. But just like lawyers love to speak legalize, civil servants and government officials speak in what is often an impenetrable language for the uninitiated. It is little wonder politicians frequently get caught out making blunders.

Love or loath advisers the media has branded spin doctors, the fact is that clear communications between any government and its people is a critical necessity in a democracy.

While often derided for employing dark arts, there is nothing sinister in having public relations professionals helping government ministers communicate in a clear, concise and consistent way — the opposite of what it has been happening in many instances recently.

In a time of austerity any such suggestion is met with contempt from the media and the public at large. However, the question must be asked — what type of relationship do we want with those in power?

There is a danger in Ireland that the cold eye of the accountant is valued above all else, meaning we often end up knowing the price of everything but  the value of nothing.

We throw our arms up when we get misinformation or mixed messages from those in power, but will be filled with rage if we hear of ‘special advisers’ being hired to help.

While all government spending needs to be justified and accounted for, there is also a cost associated with good governance. However, some people seem blind to this equation.

Some would argue that the cost of flying the Taoiseach to a crunch meeting with EU heads of state in a private jet should be done away with and replaced with Ryanair. This is even though the time for planning, briefing and preparation afforded by taking a private jet can have a huge impact with regards to performance on the European stage.

The same is true with many areas of governmental spending. Strict accounting and transparency is a must, but there are some areas that when trimmed back too far will ultimately impact on the Government’s ability to govern.

So, when it comes to running Ireland, always taking the Ryanair option may provide an immediate saving, but could have far more costly implications on our future.

Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen and Associates PR, www.prireland.com.

Why Irish media bias is under attack by government ministers and critics

Pat Rabbitte speaking to the press

While tighter regulation is necessary, the traditional media is best placed to help police more balanced and unbiased news reporting.

Is our media too self-obsessed? Well, according to Minister of Communications Pat Rabbitte it is. He believes that, “no other sector of society has the same ability or willingness to elevate their office politics to national news.”

However, many believe the problem with the media is that it is not self-obsessed enough. This is because, unlike the other areas of society it so vigorously investigates, it rarely turns the spotlight on its own operations in any meaningful way.

Minister Rabbitte has rightly made it his mission to improve standards in the television, radio and newspaper sectors, particularly in the wake of the highly damaging and defaming Prime Time Investigates ‘A Mission To Pray’ programme.

It is of little surprise the knives are out for RTE and the media in general after the botched hack job on Father Kevin Reynolds.

RTE became a little too self-assured and over-confident, letting its position as a big fish in a small pond go to its head.

But, according to the Minister, the likes of RTE and other big players are in for a wake-up call because he believes the future of the media in Ireland will be poorer, more democratic and online.
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However, while there is little doubt the media will continue to become more fragmented, the big players of today will not only be the top dogs for many years to come, but are also best placed and have the resources to help police a policy of more balanced and fair reporting.

But while such a policy is relatively easy to put on paper, the Minister needs to be aware that changing the very culture of news reporting is far more difficult.

The media has always thrived on bad news. Not so surprising given this constant diet of conflict and drama draws a large audience and, in turn, advertisers. Good news is boring and not good for business, just ask Joe Duffy.
  
All media loves drama. And like in most good dramas, it loves nothing more than shouldering blame on a dastardly villain.

Once this blame is apportioned, reporting and editorial comment becomes highly skewed and biased.

RTE’s unfair, unbalanced and unethical coverage concerning Father Kevin Reynolds had its birth in the fact that the burden of proof was deemed less important when it came to a priest thanks to the sins of the Catholic Church.

Politicians also suffer from the sins of others. And when they are frequently harangued live on air by presenters seemingly more interested in scoring points than uncovering the facts, it feeds into and re-enforces a public mood distrustful of our political classes.


Fake tweets, on air bullying and skewed coverage has not only affected RTE, but has impacted on our media’s ability to help us develop a balanced understanding of critical news stories.

This results in emotionally driven reactions to the collapse of the Celtic Tiger, the performance of our government and our relationship with the EU.

While this is never a good thing, it becomes more problematic when we are faced with the upcoming vote on the European fiscal stability treaty referendum.

The reality is that empowering the existing media to better balance the inherent bias of all journalism, is far more effective than waiting for a time far in the future when the status quo in the sector might change.

How Minister Rabbitte proceeds is of critical importance because, we need a media that not only has the power, but also the resources to reflect the truth as clearly as possible. This is highly important because if we cannot view the past and present with unbiased clarity, our view of the future will always be worryingly skewed.

The shameful truth behind the Mahon Tribunal - report a whitewash and a waste of time and money

Bertie Ahern

After a decade and a half of foreplay the one thing the findings of the Mahon tribunal have underlined is that we have all been taken for a ride.

How can any democracy justify squandering millions of euro on the biggest investigation into corruption the state has ever witnessed to tell us all what the dogs the in street have known for years?

Not that it comes as a huge surprise, but the minimum most people were expecting was for former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to be officially tarred and feathered.

However, simply stating Bertie “failed to truthfully account for” a wedge of cash that passed though bank accounts connected with him is hardly the knockout blow to his reputation many were hoping for.

It would be any spin doctor’s daydream to have such unspecific language used against their client. You would think after all the filthy lucre shoveled into the tribunal over the years it could have at least bought a set of teeth. But rather than dishing out a true mauling the best this toothless tiger could muster was a slap on the wrist that more or less accused the former Taoiseach of not playing ball and being a bit of a scallywag.

Indeed, the only thing the Mahon Tribunal has achieved is to confirm for those that may have forgotten that the Banana Republic is alive and well.

While Enda Kenny was doing us all proud earlier this week in the US as he charmed President Barack Obama and told all who would listen that modern, sleek Ireland is bouncing back and very much open for business, the evidence would appear to undermine him.

Yes, Ireland will recover from the recession and most likely, in economic terms at least, bounce back leaner and meaner than ever before, but the undeniable truth is that our country will remain broken.

How can we justify spending so much effort and cash on what has amounted to be a total waste of time? Why is someone that has “failed to truthfully account” for something not been branded a liar? Why has no one been prosecuted? The sad reason is that in Ireland we prefer sugarcoated double-speak rather than the uncomfortable truth.
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The onus is now on the current Government to ensure such a travesty of time wasting never happens again. If someone is guilty, then drag them through the courts and throw them in jail. We can no longer afford expensive white elephants such as the Mahon tribunal and the Irish public should no longer stomach them.

In a time of austerity it is simply sinful the even contemplate ever again squandering cash on such costly circuses. Just like the only meaningful thing the Seaned produces on a yearly bases is enough hot air to float the egos of overpaid part time politicians who love the sound of their own voice, tribunals have also proved they are well past their sell-by date.

The findings of the Mahon Tribunal should be used as a wake up call for a nation that loves pointing the finger and looking for scapegoats. We need to demand a system where the privileged and wealthy actually have something to fear from fiddling the system.

The sad truth today however is that it is not Bertie Ahern that should be ashamed of himself, but all of us for hoping this charade would change anything.

Paul Allen is Managing Director of Paul Allen and Associates PR, www.prireland.com.

Kiss Me, I’m Irate over St. Patrick’s Day products - Give me a break

Urban Outfitter St. Patrick's Day products

The essential item of clothing this St Patrick’s Day for some Irish people should be a t-shirt emblazoned with ‘Kiss Me, I’m Irate!’

Yes, you’d think we’d have enough political and economic turmoil to be dealing with, without getting our knickers in a twist over some hipster clothing store and the world’s largest sports brand.

Urban Outfitters had the audacity to suggest that the Irish have an unhealthy relationship with drink when it released a range of “drunk Irish” t-shirts

One featured the phrase “Irish yoga” and beneath depicted an image of a person on their hands and knees being sick. Another ran the lines – ‘Kiss me. I’m drunk or Irish, or whatever.’

On both sides of the Atlantic the Irish were up in arms. How dare Urban Outfitters defame the Irish people, they cried. But, in reality, the store’s only crime was telling the truth.

Whether it is in Dublin, New York or Boston, the sight of Irish people staggering around drunk or doing “Irish yoga” on the street or sidewalk is relatively common.

Next in the firing line was Nike. The sports clothing giant’s mistake was simply using color to describe one of its products.

Nike was forced to apologize after naming its new running shoe the Black and Tan in advertisements. The $90 limited edition sneaker sparked fury among certain Irish communities because they linked the name with memories of the notorious British paramilitary unit that terrorized Irish citizens during the War of Independence.

While the official name was the SB Dunk Low, adverts for the trainer read: “Tis the season for Irish beer and why not celebrate with Nike. The Black and Tan sneaker takes inspiration for the fine balancing act of a Stout (Guinness) on top a Pale Ale (Harp) in a pint glass.”

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But when did Irish people become so sensitive and stuck in the past?

Yes, someone at Nike should have at least Googled the term before unofficially christening one of its running shoes Black and Tan, but surely it can be forgiven for not taking into account the troubled history of a small nation.

Irish people have succeeded not by, as Patrick Kavanagh put it, “paddling in the pools of the past”, but by reaching outwards. Irish people have always had the resilience to put the past behind them and move forward.

However, there are those who believe in an Ireland that no longer exists.

When the New York St Patrick’s Day Parade’s website recently published its set of guidelines, one stated: “The only banners allowed are ones identifying the unit or ‘England Get Out of Ireland’.”

Many may point to the apparent hurt caused by Nike or damage done by Urban Outfitters, but I can assure you that such outdated thinking does far more to put a dent in the Irish community’s reputation.

But thankfully, the Irish nation is no longer stuck in such time warp. And neither should Irish Americans.

Irish make rest of world green with envy on St. Patrick’s Day - Despite begrudgery, March 17th a huge boost for Irish everywhere

Begrudgers see "Paddywhackery" - but they really just wish they were Irish

The dour, self-loathing-Irish brigade was out in force this week. Indeed, only the Irish could bemoan the spectacular news that many of the world’s major landmarks will turn green on Saint Patrick’s Day, including Niagara Falls, the London Eye, Berlin’s iconic TV tower in Alexanderplatz, and South Africa’s Table Mountain.

Despite this marketing coup, which will help promote tourism in Ireland and Ireland itself in these times of great need, the merchants of doom were deriding the decision.

Newstalk’s Ivan Yates led the charge as he huffed and puffed on his morning radio show, deriding the stunt as a pure case of “Paddywhackery”. In fact, he believed this fantastic promotional drive was “actually urinating tax payers’ money up against Niagara Falls.”

Regardless of what Mr Yates believes, the fact is simple — on March 17 the rest of the world will be green with envy at Ireland. And rightly so.

What other nation gets the world to celebrate its national day en masse every year? What other nation has millions, if not billions, toasting its health?

It is easy for Irish people to dismiss such a warm appreciation for their homeland, but you can be sure the British wish St George’s Day, and the Scottish St Andrew’s Day, produced such widespread warmth for their piece of old sod.
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Regardless of whether you think St Patrick’s Day is a load of old shamrocks and shillelaghs, as an opportunity to market and promote Ireland it is unrivaled.

Leprechauns, "Riverdance", and Aran jumpers are simply part of our brand — like it or not. And no matter how much they make some people squirm, they are part of the reason Ireland and Irish culture punches well above its weight.

Why is the Irish pub a worldwide phenomenon? Because it is a place to meet friends, have a beer and enjoy warm hospitality. Ireland’s icons are non-threatening, unlike England’s bulldog or Scotland’s thorny thistle.

And while Irish people abroad may feel stereotyped as an extra in "The Quiet Man", I think this says more about their po-faced lack of confidence than anything else.

Ireland has a great track record of using its culture, and the warm affection other countries have for it, to its advantage.

This week saw Vice President of China Xi Jinping arrive in Dublin, a highly significant milestone in the relationship between the two countries. This momentous occasion was the result of many years of work behind the scenes. But long before the Taoiseach was pressing the flesh with this most senior of political figures from China, "Riverdance" was helping foster friendship.

When one of the largest trade missions to ever leave our shores, comprising of 174 Irish business people from 82 Irish companies, journeyed to China in 2003, Tiananmen Square was awash with tricolours. But this display of respect and affection was not for the trade delegation, but to mark Riverdance’s historic performance in the Great Hall of the People.

And just like "Riverdance" produces groans of “paddywhackery” among some self-loathing Irish, so too does Waterford Crystal. However, it was this iconic brand that was used to help transform the White House into an open house on March 17 for Irish dignitaries.

Dot Tubridy (a cousin of Ryan Tubridy) began the tradition of presenting a Waterford Crystal bowl of shamrock to the President of America back when John F Kennedy was in office. To this day the tradition survives.

So while the sight of what the begrudgers call “plastic paddies” draped in their psychedelic green outfits will cause some to frown, the fact that this year more than ever the world will turn green on St Patrick’s Day should be celebrated.

And the begrudgers should remember that on March 17 there are, as the saying goes, only two kinds of people in the world — the Irish and those who wish they were.

Time for the Irish to embrace Britain and not Boston or Berlin - Only the British have stood up for Ireland in these hard times

Enda Kenny and Queen Elizabeth

During the Irish boom years it was always painted as a simple choice. Did we want to be closer to Boston or Berlin? But while our ego fuelled an inflated sense of self-importance as we reveled in the fact that Project Ireland was at last an economic success, we failed to see what was staring us right in the face.

Now that reality has brought us crashing back down to earth it is time to forget Boston and Berlin, and start embracing the only country that can truly help us forge a solid economic future — Britain.

America is without question a true and best friend but ultimately will always look after its own interests, and rightly so. Then there are the boys from Berlin who have recently shown their true colours as they continue squeezing every last ounce of dignity from the Irish Government to ensure German banks stay afloat while the Irish people foot the bill. But while Europe twists the knife it is Britain that has rested a hand of friendship on our shoulders while our other European ‘friends’ desert us.

When the extent of Ireland’s financial crisis hit the headlines and Europe looked at how best to financially penalise the Irish people, the British parliament signed off on the Loans to Ireland Bill with little fuss. Meanwhile, as the IMF and EU handcuffed the Irish nation with astronomical debt, members of the European Parliament sniggered under their breath at the fact that Ireland, as they saw it, got what was coming to it.

Now that our true relationship with our European overlords is transparent, it is time that we saw sense and strengthened our ties with the UK.

The Queen’s visit last year was a huge turning point with regards to our modern day relationship with Britain. It allowed reconciliation with the past on both sides of the Irish Sea. However, most of all, it finally highlighted how our two sovereign states have more to benefit from by embracing each other rather than grasping onto the “us and them” mentality that for so long blighted our thinking when it came to Old Blighty or as some affectionately call it — the Mainland.

Prince William last week said that the visit “opened new doors” for the Queen and hailed it as a “huge turning point”.

Speaking as part of a BBC documentary he claimed the Queen’s enforced absence from Ireland due to the political tensions left her “like a child not allowed to go into a certain room.” It should be noted that it is Britain that is freely helping us pay the mortgage on that “room”.

Rumours are warming up again that another royal visit should be expected shortly, and this will further help cement the relationship between our two countries.

So, with our relationship with the UK stronger than ever, at last there can be open discussion about the possibility of joining the Commonwealth or ditching the Euro for Sterling, without cries of treason.

Indeed, the question is — why can proud, successful and powerful nations, such as Australia and Canada, have no problem when it comes to benefiting from the Commonwealth and the resulting deep economic ties with the UK while Ireland has for years balked at the very idea?

While we aspired to developing a Continental Café Culture during the Celtic tiger, the truth is we have always had more in common with our British neighbours. We speak their language, support their football teams, read their media, watch their television channels and hold many of their values.

Our relationship with the British has indeed suffered from bad PR over many decades. But the sign of a mature, confident Ireland would be to re-embrace Britain and pave the way for our two nations to truly thrive by closer economic and political ties.

The harsh economic reality has shown which nations we can rely on in times of crisis.

So as the Queen prepares to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee this year, it is time that we forged stronger ties with the UK.

Whether this is by joining the Commonwealth, adopting Sterling or some other form of economic co-operation, is for the people to decide. However, one thing is for sure — the ‘800 years of oppression’ chip on our shoulder needs to be brushed aside. In fact, it is time that we treasured and loved the British as much as they do us.


Paul Allen runs a major public relations agency in Dublin

The truth can be a bitter pill to swallow - Enda Kenny criticized for telling the truth

Enda Kenny

The Irish thrive on blaming others for their woes. We blame the British, the Catholic Church and just about anyone else that saves us from embracing collective responsibility for our own missteps. But it is high time for people to grow up. We claim we want the truth, but it would appear that we can’t handle the truth.

Enda Kenny is now facing a backlash for telling people something they desperately don’t want to hear yet alone believe — we are all to blame for the economic crisis.

The Taoiseach told a gathering at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the problem with Ireland’s economy was that “people went mad borrowing” in a climate where greed saw the system spiral out of control and ultimately crash.
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This is of course an oversimplification of our economic downfall, yet it is in essence relatively accurate. The poor judgement of our political leaders and the corrupt nature of certain financiers and developers was all driven by a collective giddy greed that gripped our nation at the height of the boom. The vast majority of us were crying, “more, more, more” when in fact we should have been increasing taxes and cutting our spending levels.

Speak with any rational Irish person about this and they will agree that while the levels of blame rise significantly depending on your role in the crash, we all ultimately have to take a certain amount criticism.

But to utter such words in public is tantamount to treason. This warped view of reality is being fed into and fuelled by a media that constantly uses politicians, developers and bankers as scapegoats.

Minister for Transport and Tourism Leo Varadkar condemned this cynicism and highlighted how the media offers a “sugar-coated” truth rather than exposing the real facts. He is right.

The media has become so cynical of politicians and their roles, that it is affecting the balance portrayed in the pages of our newspapers and the broadcasts of our national news.

It is so easy to blame whoever is public enemy number one at any given moment, whether it’s Sean Fitzpatrick, Michael Fingleton or Sean Dunne. However, these people did not operate in a vacuum and were part of a culture that was allowed flourish during the boom years.

Admittedly Enda Kenny did make a major error of judgement, but it was not telling the truth in Switzerland. It was telling Irish people what they wanted to hear seven weeks ago when he said — “You are not responsible for the crisis.”

We all criticise politicians for feeding us lies before an election and then once in office breaking these promises. But maybe this says more about us than it does about them. .

So now as the media turns on Enda and Leo for telling the truth, at least Irish people will now have two others to blame for their woes. *

The media’s love affair with the fall guy - Italian captain of capsized cruise ship fits the bill

Francesco Schettino

The media’s obsession with simplicity and scapegoats often means the real story can go unreported, writes Paul Allen.

Every drama needs a villain and this week Francesco Schettino neatly fitted the bill. The captain of the Costa Concordia, which crashed into rocks off the Italian coast and capsized, was portrayed as a lazy stereotype in a veracious media environment that loves simplicity.

The Italian was quickly caricatured as a swashbuckling, wine-swilling lothario with such an eye for the ladies he was willing to put the lives of all his passengers at risk.

The Daily Mail, which led the charge, was only too willing to believe that most of its readers would readily understand the cliché that all Italian me are lazy, workshy womanisers.

When the captain, desperately tried to defend himself, claiming he had not abandoned ship but had accidentally fallen into a lifeboat while aiding passengers as the ship tilted on its side, the guffaws in the press were audible.

There is little doubt that if he had happened to be Spanish, images of Manuel, the Fawlty Towers waiter, would have been splashed all over the tabloid press.

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To add to the comic book portrayal of this horrible disaster a 25-year-old mystery blonde ballerina, Domnica Cemortan, who reportedly was on the bridge of the cruise liner when the vessel ran into rocks, leapt to the Captain’s defence.

“[Capt. Schettino] is one of the best captains in the company. He is very skilful and experienced when it comes to manoeuvring the ship in enclosed spaces, like harbours,” Cemortan told the Daily Telegraph.

Of course the more sober and straightforward reporting as put forward by the Telegraph was spun by the Daily Mail as it pondered: “Was Captain Coward trying to impress glamorous blonde ballerina when he hit the rocks?”

At the heart of this sordid tale are the 11 people who have been confirmed dead and the 30 who are still missing after the disaster. While the official investigation into the incident will no doubt reveal the full extent to which the captain was at fault, his position makes it clear that he rightly has to take responsibility for at least some of the blame. However, the ease at which the media immediately made him the scapegoat meant that many of the critical issues that have arisen out of this incident have for the most part been glided over.

What about the company behind the cruise liner? What about the safety standards on big passenger ships? Indeed, if we are to believe what has been written this week about Captain Schettino it would seem that ship captains that roam the high seas are a law unto themselves. This I would wager is far from the truth.

So even if the Captain is as portrayed, what type of company and what type of regulatory system allows such a person to be in charge of the safety of thousands of passengers? Sadly, as far as the media is concerned, such a story line does not make for sexy headlines.

The media loves portraying black and white scenarios, but does not do grey very well. Indeed, even though new media has seen the number of news sources flourish over the past few years, it has not given the public a more diverse and thorough insight into the stories of the day.

Indeed, it would seem that in our media saturated lives the snappy headline, sound bite and catch-all cliché still rule supreme.

Thankfully, for the families of those who lost their lives, the inquiry rather than the media will bring to light who the real villains in this tragedy are.

The fame game is a double-edged sword - reality television, Twitter and Facebook bite back

Georgia Salpa - Irish model in "Celebrity Big Brother"

Channel Five’s Celebrity Big Brother has once again underlined the extent to which the term ‘celebrity’ has become meaningless. Full of the usual mix of fame hungry has-beens and wannabes, the show is simply a circus showing the inflated and often fragile egos of the contestants as they contrive to win the affections of the viewership.

The depths some people will go to gain notoriety or ‘fame’ is incredible, just ask Natasha Giggs. You would think after being caught having an affair with her husband’s brother, Ryan Giggs, she would want to lay low for a while. But now she is on Big Brother one would hope chasing fame rather than ignominy.

Dublin’s beautiful Georgia Salpa is also hoping her appearance on the show will help her take the UK by storm. However, she is now finding out the hard edge of reality TV after becoming one of the first people (along with some other z-lister) to face eviction.

But while Georgia is one of the lucky ones as she has little to lose and lots to gain career wise by her exposure on national television, most people have little idea of what a double-edged sword the pursuit of fame can be.
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Sinead O’Connor’s talent is unquestionable, but the same cannot be said of some of her life choices. And while we all make mistakes and errors of judgement, few would want to broadcast them. However, thanks to Twitter Sinead’s life has become something of a media circus.

But while on one hand she tweets freely about intimate elements of her personal life, which are willing snapped up by the media, she gets highly irritated when journalists begin to focus too much attention her. This led to the headline in this week’s Sunday Independent — “Don’t f**k with me or my husband.”

The problem is when it comes to courting media coverage it is not simply a tap that can be turned off and turned on when it suits.

But just like Celebrity Big Brother, mindlessly embracing Twitter or indeed Facebook is more likely going to turn you into a sucker rather than a star.

Labour leader Ed Milliband was the latest to put his foot in it when he tweeted a message regarding the death of Blockbusters’ former host Bob Holness with the line, “A Generation will remember him fondly from Blackbusters.”

But while there are plenty of public figures and celebrities seemingly only too happy to enter the Dumb Tweet of the Year Awards, it is the public’s lack of awareness of the power of Twitter that is shocking.

One idiot has thankfully been arresting this week for racially abusing former Liverpool footballer Stan Collymore via Twitter. While in the US a 16-year-old employee of the pizza chain Papa John’s was sacked after referring to a customer as “lady chinky eyes” on a receipt and then posting it on the social network site.

While we may mock the crass wannabes that are willing to suffer the humiliation and mental torture in a desperate bid to save or start their careers in the Big Brother House, many are willing to ruin their lives or suffer the double-edged sword of media intrusion all for the sake of a dumb Tweet or foolish Facebook post.

However, even for established stars reality television is now so mainstream that its pitfalls almost seem unavoidable.

Singer Brian Kennedy just last week got caught in the line of fire of reality television. He allowed the Daily Mirror’s entertainment reporter Paul Martin get under his skin and ended up throwing a glass of red wine over him during the celebrity version of Come Dine With Me on TV3. But why should such a talented performer be dragged down to the same level as a British tabloid hack? The show’s producers obviously knew what they were doing when inviting Martin and Brian sadly took the bait.

The fact is that while reality television, Twitter or Facebook can give you instant notoriety, it is important to beware — they often bite back.

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