I hereby become a spiritual activist. I am no longer politically partisan. I will continue to have an interest in policies on this land and abroad but sin an méid. I apologise for hurting anyone on this blog or on any other website on the internet. I have over the last while actually deleted a couple of posts. I don't plan to delete anymore but if anyone wants me to let me know and we can have a chat and I will think about it. I am staying "Ar Muin na Muice" on Neafm also.
By the way I agree with the words of the Conversations With God books and hence the New Spirituality Network although they have not gotten back to me about actually officially setting up a Network in terms of signed up members. Maybe they are correct in their way. I suggest that everyone sign upto the daily emails from Neale and the NSN.
Le dea-mhéin,
Darren J. Prior
26.2.10
Spirtual activism
15.1.10
"Ar Muin na Muice"- Near90fm; Éamon Mac Niallais; Urlabhraí Guth na Gaeltachta (14 Eanair 10)
1) Labhair Darren Mac an Phríora le hÉamon Mac Niallais Urlabhraí ón bhfeachtas Guth na Gaeltachta faoin dréach cóip den bPlean Straitéiseach Fiche Bhliain Don Ghaeilge a sheoladh an mhí seo chaite.
20.12.09
Note regarding my previous incarnation on politics.ie; Sean1
As I said a couple of days ago I was Sean1 on politics.ie for a couple of years.While I don't think I regret saying anything I said at the time- I was where I was then- and still agree with most of it and make no apologies for it Sean1 was a character. I used that name because I wasn't confident enough to use my own name at the time and because I 1) wanted to humble a few very intelligent Anglo-Americanised people, and who didn't use their own names also, and who now as it happens have all left the site anyway and 2) of course articulate some arguments.and yes because I liked the name Seán. However the character Sean1 was a total goer. I amen't in reality. I can be thin skinned although yes I have a tough aspect and rough edge when need be sometimes. I've got soul but I'm not a soldier, more often than not.
I'm putting my soul first from now on. Some people are cut out to work in politics/be very politically active. It would actually kill me.....
18.12.09
"Ar Muin na Muice"- Near90fm; Comh. Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (17ú Nollaig)
13.12.09
Values
I am not going to post much on the state of the political parties. Here is the last thing I will say about Fine Gael for a long time. Here is an article from The Indo from last July. I don't need to say anymore. My last post revealed where I think the solution is generally; for all parties I might add.
Fine Gael strategist warns party must beware resurgent FF
By ANITA GUIDERA
Thursday July 23 2009
FINE Gael strategist Frank Flannery told the MacGill Summer School that he was in the job because he was "bad enough of a bastard and tough enough to make really unpopular decisions".
Mr Flannery landed himself in hot water with party leader Enda Kenny during the general election campaign when he suggested Fine Gael may be open to negotiating with Sinn Fein over a possible coalition.
Declining to comment on that episode yesterday, he added, "and that has its own impact from time to time which sometime will take the form of an apoplectic member of the front bench".
He told the summer school that Fine Gael has a historic opportunity to position itself as the natural party of government.
Complacency
But he warned that there was no room for complacency and if Fine Gael wasn't focused, there was a very good chance that history would repeat itself and Fianna Fail would come roaring back.
Addressing the MacGill Summer School on 'A new political landscape', he said that Irish politics may have reached an inflection point where the continued dominance of Fianna Fail could no longer be taken for granted.
Claiming that a new more radical Fine Gael was now emerging, he said that Fine Gael's ability to win significant seat bonuses in successive elections showed that it was now better than any other party at managing the electoral process and its own votes.
"They used the elections of 2004, 2007 and 2009 to bring a new generation of young politicians into the party and into elective politics," he said.
The fact that so many people had lost their seats created space for the new people to come in which was a great advantage, he said.
Many of those new members, were, he said, imbued with idealism and new ideas -- "thoroughly products of the age of ecology and technology".
Mr Flannery said that by winning the 2007 election, the one they needed to lose, Fianna Fail was left managing the effects of significant mismanagement of the economy.
- ANITA GUIDERA
10.12.09
9.12.09
Budget 2010
The two most wrong things that hit me are that people on €30,000 and under the public service will be getting a pay cut of 5%. Their pay should not have been touched. And people on €200,000 and over should have gotten a 20% and not 15% cut in their pay. Also of course the Taoiseach's pay should have been cut by 30% and the Ministers should have taken much bigger pay cuts. Apparently they only took a pay cut of 5% if what Fine Gael are saying is correct. Disgraceful!
5.12.09
Ros Comáin/Roscommon
I am going to go down to my Ma's and Da's house now in Roscommon every week for a few days until I get a job. I'll go down on Monday and come back on Wednesday or Thursday. I am going to have to buy a bike. The house is in the real country five miles outside Castlerea. I will cycle in probably once a day which will be great exercise. Also will be getting my laptop fixed. I may in a while just go down there for two days, I'll see how I get on. It's kind of like the spiritiual journey about going up the mountain for peace/enlightemnet or whatever and then you come back down again. I will be going there for a few days every week in total peace and solitude although will talk to our neighbour every day and then I will be coming back to Dublin on Wednesday or Thursday. I always wanted to live in the country. I think I am too used to Dublin now though to live there full-time. Now I have the best of both worlds although neither house that I am living in is mine. Budget next week. I may go into it, having a Dáil pass now. Will be posting more regularly now on this blog given that I no longer post on that site politics.ie.
End of a hobby
I am no longer going to post on politics.ie. It has like indymedia descended into a cranks forum. There are one or two good posters and dozens of OK ones but the cranks have taken it over. A new user has a username attacking a party leader in a nasty way. I started a thread about the question in general of users being able to do this and the response I got was appaling. That is- just abuse. When I left the thread last night there were four pages on it now there are 14. I had a look at the last one this morning and all it is is abuse and a lot of it is not even on topic; just general abuse between posters on it. The site started in 2003 and I started posting on it soon after. I've had a handful of different usernames. I've used my name in Irish Darren Mac an Phríora since 2006. Yes I will probably still look in on it occassionely to see if there is anything good amongst the disturbing level of vitriol. But I won't be debating on it.
4.12.09
Polaisaí ainmnithe nua sa chathair / New naming policy in the city
Thosaigh mé snáth faoi ar politics.ie ar cur fáilte air. Anois táim tar éis athrú meon a dhéanamh mar is léir ó mo phost deireanach. Nílim chun páirt a ghlacadh sa rud seo ar aon taobh.
I started a thread (above) on politics.ie about it welcoming it. Now I have had a change of mind as can be seen on my last post on it. I am not going to take part in this thing on any side.
"Ar Muin na Muice"- Plean Straitéiseach Fiche Bhliain Don Ghaeilge (3ú Nollaig)
19.11.09
"Ar Muin na Muice"- Near90fm; 19ú Samhain
17.11.09
Obair ciúin ag dul ar aghaidh... fán go bhfeicfimid an toradh...
Mar is léir ó na nascanna ar an taobh dheis den bhlag seo bhí mé ina bhall de Ghael-Taca agus tá an-eolas agam maidir le cursaí ó thaobh an fhorbairt timpeall na tíre do ainmneacha i nGaeilge d'fhorbairtí cónaite nua. Is iad na t-aonú contaetha nár fhaca an fhorbairt seo go suntasach sa stát ag dul ar ais ar feadh timpeall 5 nó 6 bhliain ná: Baile Átha Cliath; an Mhí; Cill Mhantáin; Cill Dara; Uibh Fhailí, Laoise, Ceatharlach, an Lú, Ros Comáin, Maigh Eo, Sligeach agus Cill Chainnigh.
Táim tar éis dul i dteagmháil lena ceannairí d'Fhine Gael in cuid na Comhairlí thuas, ag fagáil beirtnach bhfuil mar cheannairí, chun rúin a chur síos ag rá go ba chóir go mbeadh comhstádas don Ghaeilge agus don Bhéarla ar na bpileir d'fhorbairtí cónaithe nua. Déanfaidh mé na daoine eile amárach.
Tá Kieran Dennison chun é a dhéanamh i bhFine Gall san athbhliain agus tá Oliver Tully chun é a dhéanamh i an Lú freisin.
Níor sheol mé an ríomphost don cuid is mó dóibh ach aréir so fán go bhfeicimid an freagra a bhfaigeann muid as na daoine eile.
Táimse i bhfabhar an Cathair na Gaillimhe/Sionainn/an Uaimh polaisaí a bheith i ngach áit ach ins na contaetha seo ba chóir dúinn comhstádas a fháil ar dtús.
12.11.09
"Ar Muin na Muice"- Near90fm; Comh. Peadar Toibín (SF); 12ú Samhain
8.11.09
Foinse ar ais- GO h-IONTACH
Mar forlíonadh saor in aisce leis an Irish Indo chuile Chéadaoin. Go h-IONTACH!!!!
As a free supplement with The Indo every Wednesday. EXCELLENT!!!
7.11.09
"Ar Muin na Muice"- Near90fm- Éamon Mac Niallais; 5ú Samhain
www.myspace.com/armuinnamuice
30.10.09
"Ar Muin na Muice"- Near90fm; 29ú Deireadh Fómhair
24.10.09
"Ar Muin na Muice"- Near90fm; 22ú Deireadh Fómhair
1) Labhraíonn Comh. Aodhán Ó Riordáin (LO) faoi polaisaí a phairtí i leith ceist ceadúnais nua a bheith a thabairt amach fós do thiomanaithe tacsaí nua.
2) Tugann Janet Muller Príomhfeidhmeannach POBAL tuairisc suas chun dáta dúinne faoi forbairtí suimiúla nua mar gheall ar an díospóireacht faoi Acht na Gaeilge do Thuaisceart Éireann.
3) Labhraíonn Príomhoide Ghaelscoil Bharra i gCabrach Seán Ó Donaile faoi stair na scoile; an feachtas do fhoirgneamh nua don scoil; agus an t-amhrán nua dá gcuid "Cá Bhfuil Ár Scoil?" atá mar uimhir a seacht sna cáirteanna singil an tseachtain seo.
16.10.09
"Ar Muin na Muice"- Near90fm; 15ú Deireadh Fómhair
Mar nóta: níl an córas podchraoladh ginearálta sa stáisiún ag obair an tseachtain seo. Tá na hagallaimh curtha suas ar an idirlíon anseo.
1) Labhraíonn an Seanadóir neamhspleách Joe O'Toole faoi na 500 post múinteoireachta nua geallta sa Chlár Rialtais athchóirithe an tseachtain seo caite agus ceist John O'Donoghue agus an chuid costas agus é mar Ceann Comhairle.
2) Tugann Éamon Mac Niallais urlabhraí Ghuth na Gaeltachta tuairisc chun dáta dúinn faoin bhfeachtas pobail in éadan cuid d'mholtaí An Bord Snip Nua i leith na Gaeltachta agus Gaeilge.
10.10.09
"Ar Muin na Muice"- Near90fm; 8ú Deireadh Fómhair
Comh. Andrew Montague (LO)
Comh. Julia Carmichael (FF)
1) Labhaireann Comh. Dessie Ellis (SF) faoi rún a bhí curtha faoi bhráid Halla na Cathrach ag a phairtí ar an Luain maidir le cath na h-oibrithe i gCoca-Cola. Níor ghlacadh leis toisc nach raibh Fine Gael ina bhfabhar.
2) Labhaireann Comh. Andrew Montague (LO) faoi rún atá curtha faoi bhráid an Chomhairle aige maidir le casinos agus cearrbhachas.
3) Labhaireann Comh. Julia Carmichael (FF) faoi aighneas na dtiománaithe tacasaí i mBaile Átha Cliath.
8.10.09
3.10.09
Feisire Eorpach Naoise Ó Muirí / Naoise Ó Muirí MEP
I had heard that Naoise is top of the list to replace Gay Mitchell in Europe if Gay chooses to stand again in the next GE. On Nearfm a few days ago Naoise laughed that him standing in the GE would be beneficial for him. So you heard it here/on Nearfm first!!! Aside though I don't know really if Gay will stand in the next GE. He seems to be and is admittedly enjoying his time working in Brussels and he didn't stand in the GE two years ago so he may not even get a ministerial position if he does stand and get in whenever the next GE comes around. I do know that the FG Ard-Oifig/HQ want Naoise in the Dáil. However he is in the same constituency as Richard Bruton and that is only a three-seater and there are not two FG seats there. I expect that he will be the FG candidate to be the first ever directly elected Ard-Mhéara/Lord Mayor of Dublin next year presuming there is no GE before then and/or Gay does not stand then.
30.9.09
Mórshiúl sa príomhcathair inniu
RTÉ: Thousands protest against cuts.
Cuir in eagar: Ar Muin na Muice.
Nuacht TG4. Brú: Cúrsaí Reatha-Cartlann; agus Nuacht TG4 - 30/9/09; 06.45.
Chuaigh mé ann go pearsanta agus do Nearfm. Labhair mé le cúigear ann do "Ar Muin na Muice". Triúr ó Chonamara; ó trí eagraíochtaí difriúil. Bean ó Dhún na nGall (ach ní as an Ghaeltacht. Dúirt sí go nach raibh ach giota beag Gaeilge aici ach bhí Gaeilge an-mhaith aici) agus bean ó Bhaile Átha Cliath. Beidh mé ag labhairt le Úna O'Connor ó Siptu amárach. Ba é amárach mo chéad lá ag déanamh an chlár ar an Déardaoin agus beidh mé ag déanamh é ar an lá seo amach anseo, go dtí go bhfaigheann mé post-lánaimseartha in aon chor. Beidh mé ag labhairt le Jake Mac Siacais ó Fhorbairt Feirste i mBéal Feirste chomh maith.
Cuir in eagar: bhí mé ag caint ar Nuacht TG4 ag an mórshiúl inniu. D'éirigh mé neirbhíseach san agallamh so cheap mé bfhéidir go nach mbeadh siad ag cur é amach ach chuir siad amach an chéad cuid... Cool!!! Mo chéad uair ag caint ar an stáisiún. Cuirfidh mé an nasc suas nuair a tá sé le fáil...
24.9.09
"Ar Muin na Muice"
Dinny McGinley TD (FG); Dún na nGall Thiar-Theas.
Cuir in eagar: nasc podchraoladh don t-agallamh le Dinny:
17.9.09
Guth na Gaeltachta
Fuaireamar i Nearfm preas-ráiteas ón grúpa seo inniu. Bhí go leor daoine ag a gcruinniú poiblí le déanaí, Dinny McGinley agus Brian Ó Domhnaill ina measc, agus beidh cruinniú poiblí eile acu anocht. Tá achainí acu ar an tsuíomh.
www.guthnag.com
Cuir in eagar: Bhí agallamh agam le hÉamon Mac Niallais ón grúpa inniu ar "Ar Muin na Muice".
Legalisation of drugs... ?????
I should have really typed it bilingually but for those of you who don't speak or read Irish I am going to be presenting the Irish programme in Nearfm "Ar Muin na Muice" every Thursday from next week. I will have a generally politics programme. I have started to go to the montly DCC meetings in City Hall, when there is some good stuff on/good motions going forward, and will be going to the Dáil, and occassionely Seanad, every week from next week on. I am going to have at least two interviews per week on the programme. I have been presenting the programme on Fridays for the last while and have already done some good interviews. We have 100/150 listeners within a month for most podcasts for the programme and this number goes up to around 500 after around a year. Of course some/a lot of them wouldn't listen to all the interviews and would just listen to a bit being curious but the figures are still great and I wouldn't bother presenting the programme to be honest if it wasn't for these listeners as not many listen live.
(Picture from Rte.ie)
Anyway I went to City Hall last monday and interviewed Naoise and Críona Ní Dhálaigh. I was very impressed by Dr. Bill Tormey there. There are some good/very good councillors there but he is the best in my view. Given that he is probably the oldest there has somthing to do with also though of course. Anyway I did a Google search for him afterwards and watched his interview on The Late Late Show three years ago where he briefely said that he is in favour of the legalisation of drugs. Initially I was surprised and turned off by the idea. However I have changed my mind I think. Ideally I would like Governments to be able to eradicate the production/growth of drugs and for them to still of course remain illegal. However this isn't going to happen in the short to medium term. Realistically it is likely that it will probably never happen. Making them legal would 1) stop most people buying illegal drugs which would mean that most people wouldn't be taking the more toxic, lethal/potentially lethal mixes and that 2) most drug dealing would end. Their advertising, like should be the case with alcohol which as it happens FG are in favour of, should in that event be banned also.
I've been thinking of contacting Bill about it. I've sent James Reilly an email on it. I will however be talking to Bill at some stage in the future going to the meetings every or most months so I will talk to him about it in person some time.
15.9.09
SBP: Five bids for Irish paper contract
Rinné mé dearmad nasc a chur suas don alt seo ón Sunday Business Post i leith an comortás chun nuachtáin seachtanúil Gaeilge nua a fhoilsiú. Tá súil agam go bhfaigheann Séan Clancy srl. an conradh mar tá siad lonnaithe sa Ghaeltacht. Beadh Eoghan Ó Néill an-mhaith déarfainn freisin áfach.
13.9.09
Next General Election- Sunday Times
Link: Fine Gael sets sights on 21 extra seats.
Also in the article, but about Labour:
"The Labour party is so convinced that an election is pending that party headquarters has drawn up the basic design for its posters and taken fresh photographs of all the sitting TDs who intend to run again."
I bet Fine Gael will be doing so also.
Here is my cursory analysis so far of how things will turn out in the next GE. I am not going to guess how many seats overall the parties will get. I don't know most constituencies well enough to do that.
Fine Gael will replace FF as the largest party. It will be close between FF and Labour to see who will be the second. In my own constituency, first of all, the three sitting TD's will get elected and Higgins will get back in. Higgins should get a lot more votes this time though with the recession. The four and five seater constituencies nationally will be fascinating. Will Labour have more TD's than FG in Dublin...????? Of course it was thought that given that the Shinners lost a TD in 2007 that they were bolloxed in the state. However with the recession and with FF's huge drop in support they are again in the run for seats in Dublin North-West, Dublin North-East, will likely I have heard get your man back in in Dublin South-West, and are in the run for one in Donegal South-West and Donegal North-West. I think that Bill Tormey will take the FF (Ahern) seat in Dublin North-West. We'll have to wait for opinion polls to see about the others. If they don't get over 5 seats then the election will again have been very, very disappointing for them. Will be fascinating to see who if any well known FF TD's or Ministers lose their seats and if there is hope for them in the future based on their results.
12.9.09
Throwing out a suggestion
Started a thread on politics.ie last week called "Throwing out a SUGGESTION- divert responsibility for Irish from CRG to Education".
CRG= of course, Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
Michael Ring threw out the suggestion on The Week In Politics a couple of months back. I can't see FG being in favour of it, including Michael (politics is about throwing around suggestions also on a neutral basis) unless, perhaps, the 20 year national plan for Irish this year Plean 2029 was not very good.
Supposedly according to the census there are 72,000 daily speakers of Irish in the Republic outside of the education system. As I was saying debating with a guy on another thread about the language earlier I don't agree with this. There are according to Donncha Ó hEallaithe around 20,000 daily Irish speakers in the Gaeltacht which would mean that there are around 50,000 daily Irish speakers in the rest of the country. I don't believe this. That would mean that there are, for example, around 15,000 in Dublin. When I was in college a few years ago I worked part-time on the tills in Tesco in Roselawn for two years over a four year period. I spoke to around 10 regular Irish speakers in the language. I only ever heard the language spoken a couple of times apart from these. There was only 1 Irish speaking family who shopped there, together anyway. I've been living in Dublin for most of my life. Unlike some I have heard Irish spoken a few times outside of the usual pockets (Irish language organisations, social events, colleges, Raidió na Life, the Oireachtas) but literally in the city centre only around a half a dozen times.
What I am trying to say is that the Government has pretty much totally failed Irish. I can debate why in the rest of the thread if anyone wants, instead of making the OP too long.
Ever here of (yes I'm saying it again) marketing...?????
Barack Obama speech in US Congress on Healthcare reform
Forgot that youtube.com would have a video. I do wonder about people not aware of this issue. The fact that there are many people, albeit generally Republicans, against this in America is strange to say the least. Disturbing would be the most appropriate word to describe their viewpoint.
A guy I was friendly with in college I only found out recently, Paddy Reilly, was the Irish guy who infiltrated the Republican Party in America (Texas I think) by joining them during the Presidential election last year although in reality he was in the Democratic Party or helping the Barack Obama campaign. He was on Ryan Tubridy talking about it. Well done Paddy...!!!!! If I was in the US I would also give some active support to the Barack Obama administration by helping the party on the ground a bit whether it just be by occasionally delivering leaflets or whatever.
