The Christmas spirit of goodwill was evident on the streets of Ireland in the past week but, while the media did find space for occasional feel-good articles appropriate to the season, most attention was paid to hard and often unpleasant news stories. We had another gangland murder in the early hours of Monday and would have had more if the gunmen had their way. Once again the victim was an innocent man caught up in someone else's feud.
The official response to the recent spate of lawlessness continued to be debated but took a new turn when a Supreme Court judge responded to the criticism directed at the judiciary. That was quickly followed by the majority of senior judges delivering what was seen as a childish snub to Minister for Justice Michael McDowell.
The week's big story took no account of Christmas. On Tuesday Justice Michael Moriarty delivered his report on the financial affairs of the late Charles Haughey. While there was little new in it, the media saw it as an official imprimatur on all the unsavoury rumours that surrounded the former Taoiseach.
Nowhere was the Christmas spirit seen better than in the country's airports, that was if the focus was kept on the many emotional reunions in the arrival halls. The story was different for some of those leaving the country, particularly if they were heading for England or using a London airport as a transit point for another destination. The persistent fog at Heathrow created many problems here
About Me
- Liam Ferrie
- After a career in the IT sector I spent the final 25 years of my working life, along with my wife Pauline, as online publisher to the Irish Diaspora. From 1987 onward the email version of the Irish Emigrant became a vital link with home for many Irish people who had settled overseas. In retirement I am involved with the Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland. I also travel when the opportunity arises and most years Pauline and I walk a Camino to Santiago de Compostela.