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April 02, 2005

Irish Remember 1979 Papal Visit

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Table of Contents - Overall
Table of Contents – Apr 2005
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News about Ireland & the Irish

BB 04/02/05 Irish Remember 1979 Papal Visit
SM 04/02/05 Pope Drew Millions On Historic Visits
SF 04/02/05 Adams Expresses Sorrow At Death Of Pope
RT 04/02/05 Irish Parties Pay Tribute To Pope John Paul
BB 04/02/05 Northern Ireland Mourns Late Pope
IO 04/02/05 Priest Recalls Day He Polished Off Pope's Dinner
UT 04/02/05 Dozen Charged With Rioting
SB 04/03/05 Mary Lou Eyes Up Bertie's Turf
SB 04/03/05 Anger At McDowell Inaction On Garda Fallon Killing
GU 04/02/05 Comment: One Team? Dream On
SB 04/03/05 Celebrities Catch Up With 'Old Money' Irish
SB 04/03/05 Flatley: Lord Of Many Manors
SB 04/03/05 U2 Empire Worth About €630 Million
SB 04/03/05 'Useless' Bob Made Shrewd Investments
SB 04/03/05 Ups And Downs Of A Star's Life
PR 03/22/05 Irish Tenor, Josef Locke, Derry 2005.

NP 04/03/05 Road Bowling, America's Latest Irish Import -VO
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Road Bowling, America's Latest Irish Import - by Scott Simon Weekend Edition -
Saturday, April 2, 2005 · Road bowling has been played in Ireland for over 300 years.
David Powell saw the game on TV and brought it back to Ireland, West Virginia.
Bowlers hurl an iron and steel ball down a country road. Like golf, the player or team
who reaches the finish line in the fewest shots wins.
http://www.npr.org/dmg/dmg.php?prgCode=WESAT&showDate=02-Apr-2005&segNum=6&mediaPref=RM&getUnderwriting=1

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4229807.stm

Irish Remember 1979 Papal Visit

Catholics from all over Ireland flocked to see Pope John Paul II during his visit in
September 1979.

He was the first Pope to visit Ireland and was greeted by vast crowds during a hectic
schedule which included Dublin, Drogheda, Galway, Limerick and Knock.

But perhaps the most enduring memory of that Papal visit was his impassioned plea for
peace in Northern Ireland.

About 250,000 people at Drogheda heard the pontiff make a direct appeal to the
paramilitaries.

Huge crowds travelled to hear the Papal message

"I wish to speak to all men and women engaged in violence," he said.

"I appeal to you, in language of passionate pleading. On my knees I beg you, to turn
away from the path of violence and to return to the ways of peace."

His visit to Drogheda, just across the Irish border, was the closest the Pope got to
Northern Ireland.

His advisers had feared that, with the north in the grip of the Troubles, the Pope could
be a target for loyalist paramilitaries and that his visit would heighten tension between
Catholics and Protestants.

A month before his pilgrimage was scheduled to start, the Queen's cousin, Lord Louis
Mountbatten, had been killed in an IRA bomb attack on his boat in County Sligo.

Hours later, on 27 August, 18 British soldiers were killed in two bombs at Narrow Water
Castle near Warrenpoint, County Down.

In the end, it was decided that the pontiff would restrict his visit to the republic - even
though Lord Mountbatten had been killed there.

This meant that a Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh - Ireland's ecclesiastical
capital - had to be cancelled.

But this did not deter enthusiastic crowds from travelling from the north to see the head
of the Catholic Church.

The Pope was warmly greeted during his Irish visit

Throughout his visit, which was accompanied by a high level of security, his empathy
with young people was evident, particularly at a youth Mass in Galway.

He used his visit to Limerick, to urge the Irish government not to bring in divorce.
However, divorce was introduced after a referendum in 1995.

The pontiff also celebrated Mass for more than 1.25m people at Phoenix Park in Dublin
- one of the largest crowds ever seen in Ireland.

Nine cardinals and 100 bishops also assisted in the Mass.

In his homily, the Pope acknowledged the close links between Ireland and the Catholic
Church at the time.

He pointed to the high rate of Mass attendance and he drew parallels with his native
Poland.

"On Sunday mornings in Ireland, no one seeing the great crowds making their way to
and from Mass, could have any doubts about Ireland's devotion to the Mass," he told
the crowd.

Archbishop Sean Brady, the Catholic Primate, met the Pope several times when he was
based at the Irish College in Rome.

"He was a man who was deeply engrossed in prayer, this union with God with Jesus
Christ," said Archbishop Brady.

Day of celebration

"He identified with the poor and the weak in the face of the strong and he spoke out in
defence of their rights, especially the right to life.

"His vision of the needs of the world will be remembered as one of his great features."

Although the Pope never returned to Ireland, the country was never far from his
thoughts.

He visited the United Kingdom in May 1982, and pleaded for peace in Northern Ireland.

In 2004, the Irish bishops invited the Pope to visit Northern Ireland - 25 years on from
his first trip.

They held a series of celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary, culminating in a
national day of celebration on 19 September.

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http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4344674

Pope Drew Millions On Historic Visits

By PA reporter

Pope John Paul II touched the hearts of millions on his historic visits to Ireland in 1979
and to England, Scotland and Wales in 1982.

Every church bell in the Republic of Ireland heralded the Pope's jumbo jet, named St
Patrick, on September 29 1979, one of the first of scores of overseas trips during his
papacy.

This was a pilgrim Pope, elected a year earlier as the 264th successor to St Peter, and
the first ever to set foot on Irish soil. The significance of the event was not lost on the
Irish.

Dublin was like a city prepared for a conqueror. In Phoenix Park, one and a quarter
million people made up probably the largest gathering in the country's history to see the
Pope celebrate mass with 40 cardinals and bishops.

Everywhere he went, the magnitude of his reception surpassed all expectation.

Almost half the Irish Republic's three million population went to see the Pope in person.
Ninety-six per cent of the population watched television coverage.

Nearly 500,000 people watched the Pope kneel in silent prayer at Our Lady's Shrine at
Knock, Co Mayo, where 100 years earlier the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared to
20 villagers on the gable of the parish church.

Throughout the three-day pastoral visit, the Pope travelled to each centre in the country
by helicopter, ensuring the maximum time with the Irish people.

There had been fears that his presence so close to Northern Ireland might lead to
violence by extreme Loyalist groups, possibly directed against the Pontiff himself.

The Pope arrived just a month after the murder of Lord Mountbatten in County Sligo and
the killing of 18 British soldiers at Warrenpoint.

In Drogheda, the Pope told the largely young congregation, including an estimated
250,000 from Northern Ireland: "On my knees, I beg you to turn away from violence.

"Further violence will only drag down to ruin the land you claim to love and the values
you claim to cherish."

Although the IRA did not yield to his call to lay down their arms, the visit produced no
parallel violence and led to goodwill from within the Protestant community in Ulster.

Three years later, Pope John Paul II came to England while the country was at war –
with Argentina.

His arrival on May 28 1982 made headlines alongside news of the capture of Port
Darwin by the Parachute Regiment.

Traditionally, the Holy See maintains a well-practised neutrality in wartime, so there had
been doubts whether the papal landing in London could take place after the British
landing in San Carlos Bay seven days earlier.

The first visit of a Pontiff to Britain since 1531 went ahead only after Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher assured the Vatican the Government would do everything it could to
spare him any embarrassment.

The biggest crowd-puller in the world became the focus of the biggest personal security
operation the country had ever seen.

It was just over a year since the Pope had been shot in the stomach by Turkish gunman
Mehmet Ali Agca in the square outside the Vatican and only weeks since another attack
had been attempted in Portugal.

At Buckingham Palace, the Pope took tea with the Queen, the first meeting on English
soil between a monarch and a Pontiff since the Reformation.

Officially, this was not a state visit. Nevertheless, the Government treated it as a private
visit of a Head of State, with the protocol that status commands.

In dazzling sunshine the next day, the Pope stepped into the nave of Canterbury
Cathedral to a fanfare of trumpets and emotional applause from the congregation.

It was the first papal visit in the 1,400 years since the cathedral was founded by St
Augustine, who had been sent to Britain from Rome by Pope Gregory the Great.

Together, the Bishop of Rome and the then Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Robert Runcie
prayed at the tomb of St Thomas a Becket, who was murdered by the King's men in
1170 for standing up for the rights of the church.

During the six days of the visit, the Pope travelled from one end of the country to the
other, taking part in miles of motor processions and a succession of huge public
masses.

For the Scottish visit, he had taken a crash course in Gaelic so he could greet
thousands of Gaelic-speaking Catholics.

By the time he left Britain, the Pope had travelled more than 1,000 miles by air and
spoken 33,000 words in seven theological statements in six days.

With the Archbishop of Canterbury, he approved a new commission to examine Anglo-
Catholic relations.

Though the British visit was a major triumph of his reign, there was no triumphalism in
his final parting message.

The Pope said simply: "I came here as a herald of peace to proclaim a gospel of peace
and a message of reconciliation and love."

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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/9100

Gerry Adams Expresses Deep Sorrow At The Death Of Pope John Paul 11

Published: 2 April, 2005

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP has expressed his deep sorrow at the death of
Pope John Paul 11 and has extended condolences on behalf of Sinn Féin to the
Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, Most Rev.Dr Guiseppe Lazzarotto and to the Archbishop of
Armagh and Primate of all Ireland, Dr Seán Brady.

Paying tribute to the Holy Father Mr. Adams said:

"People throughout Ireland have had a close affinity with Pope John Paul since his
historic visit here in 1979 and there will be deep sorrow across the country this evening
at the news of his death.

"Although stricken with Parkinsons Disease in recent years, Pope John Paul showed
huge courage and determination as he continued to travel and to lead the Catholic
Church worldwide.

"I had the honour of greeting Pope John Paul briefly in the summer of 2002.

"This evening I extended the condolences of Sinn Féin, on the death of the Holy Father,
to the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, Most Rev.Dr Guiseppe Lazzarotto and to the
Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Dr Sean Brady."ENDS

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http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0402/pope2.html

Irish Parties Pay Tribute To Pope John Paul

02 April 2005 22:39

Irish politicians have been paying tribute to Pope John Paul tonight.

The Tánaiste, Mary Harney, said John Paul was one of the true iconic figures of the late
twentieth century and an inspirational spiritual leader to billions of people around the
globe. Ms Harney said he embodied what we consider to be the core Christian values of
compassion and charity. She said he attached great importance to the Irish peace
process.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the Pope was a towering figure in the Catholic
Church and the Christian world for quarter of a century. Mr Kenny said 'he reached out
to millions of people of all nations with his charisma, his force of personality and his
basic humanity.'

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said his death marks the end of a truly remarkable era in the
history of the Catholic Church.

'For more than a quarter of a century he was not just the dominant figure in the religious
life of the world's Catholics but was also played a highly influential role in world affairs
generally.'

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP expressed his deep sorrow at the news and has
extended condolences to the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, Most Rev Dr Guiseppe
Lazzarotto and to the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland, Dr Seán Brady.

He said 'people throughout Ireland have had a close affinity with Pope John Paul since
his historic visit here in 1979 and there will be deep sorrow across the country this
evening at the news of his death.

Trevor Sargent of the Green Party paid tribute to Pope John Paul's hunger for justice
and global vision. Mr Sargent said 'His characteristic faith and courage always shone
through.'

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4405077.stm

Northern Ireland Mourns Late Pope

Catholics in Northern Ireland are mourning Pope John Paul II's death.

The 84-year-old died in the Vatican on Saturday at 2037 BST. Vigil masses and
services had been held in the province throughout the day.

St Peter's Cathedral in west Belfast was remaining open overnight and in Armagh
hundreds of people turned out at St Patrick's Cathedral.

Religious and political leaders paid tribute to the late Pope while others recalled his visit
to Ireland in 1979.

Dr Sean Brady, the Archbishop of Armagh and Catholic Primate of All Ireland, described
the pontiff as both a gentle teacher and courageous leader.

'Grateful memory'

"A life of outstanding faith and generous service to Christ and the whole human family
has serenely departed this world," he said.

"We thank God for his holy life, his inspiring example and his unfailing affection for
Ireland and the Irish people.

"We join countless others around the world in grateful memory and prayerful
interception for his eternal happiness and peace."

Church of Ireland Primate Archbishop Robin Eames conveyed his "deepest sympathy"
to the Catholic Church in Ireland.

"Pope John Paul showed immense personal courage in fulfilling his duties when it was
so obvious his health was failing," he said.

"That courage together with a powerful intellect and constant devotion to duty
throughout his long Pontificate assured him of a significant place in history."

Presbyterian Moderator Dr Ken Newell described the late Pope as a man of "great
courage" who stood up for what he believed to be right.

1979 visit

"His travels around the world were remarkable giving pastoral care and encouragement
to his flock," he said.

"Few will forget his visit to Ireland and the vast crowds that greeted him and his call to
the men of violence to lay down their arms."

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams MP said: "People throughout Ireland have had a close
affinity with Pope John Paul II since his historic visit here in 1979 and there will be deep
sorrow across the country this evening at the news of his death.

"Although stricken with Parkinson's Disease in recent years, Pope John Paul showed
huge courage and determination as he continued to travel and to lead the Catholic
Church worldwide."

Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble offered his condolences to Catholics in
Northern Ireland.

He said: "Karol Wojtyla's life as Pope was varied, colourful and he was an influential
figure on the world stage, but we will all remember him for his time as a Cardinal in
Poland and Polish Catholic Church's role in standing up to and ending Communism."


Democrat Unionist leader, the Reverend Ian Paisley said he understood how Catholics
must feel following the death of the Pope.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the Pope had been a towering figure of our lifetime and
paid tribute to his passionate pleading on his visit to Ireland calling for an end to arms
struggle.

Plea for peace

"I have no doubt that that this moving appeal played no small part in the development of
the framework for peace on this island whose completion was of such continuining
concern to him.

"Ireland was one step along his pilgrim way."

Irish President Mary McAleese said the Pope had lived an "extraordinary life".

"The story of Pope John Paul II is that of a man of immense faith and conviction and in
latter years, great personal courage," she said.

"We are proud that Pope John Paul II was the first Pope in history to visit Ireland and
that, in the final years of his life, it was his ambition to return to our midst."

Pope John Paul II made Ireland the third pilgrimage of his 26-year pontificate when he
visited for three days in September and October 1979.

He made an impassioned plea for peace in Northern Ireland, but did not visit there.

Story from BBC NEWS:

Published: 2005/04/02 22:50:12 GMT

© BBC MMV

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http://212.2.162.45/news/story.asp?j=138636514&p=y38637zzx&n=138637274

Priest Recalls Day He Polished Off Pope's Dinner

02/04/2005 - 21:09:18

The day he burst in on the Pope and ended up eating his dinner was recalled today by
an Irish priest as Catholics around the world mourned his passing.

Father Brian Darcy was one of the organisers of the historic papal visit to Ireland in
1979 and inadvertently met him backstage after the celebration of Mass before over a
million people in Dublin's Phoenix Park.

The Belfast based priest and religious broadcaster remembered: "I met the Pope at the
back of the stand after the service – though I was not meant to.

"I was looking for the toilet but was directed by a guard to go through a door. I burst into
a room and the Pope was having his dinner with the then primate Cardinal Tomas
O'Fiaich, Jack Lynch, President Hillery and Archbishop Ryan – I nearly fainted.

"Efforts were being made to get the Pope to leave for his next engagement, but he
didn't want to go, he wanted to finish a great big cut of meat.

"Eventually he went on his way, giving me a look as he went.

"Cardinal O'Fiaich said to me: 'You might as well finish the Pope's meal because it is
the nearest to him you will ever get.' So I did and it was very good – it was the closest I
have come to papal infallibility in my life."

Father Darcy saw the Pope twice more during his visit to Ireland but never met him
again.

"He was a very impressive man, it is sad to see they way he was recently, I hope he
had an easy passing from this life, he deserved it after his life of service."

Father Darcy described the Pope as one of the most influential leaders in the world
adding: "He changed the face of the papacy."

The Pope did not make it to Northern Ireland during his visit because of security
concerns, but held a special Mass for northern Catholics at Drogheda.

Among the throng was Seamus Mallon, who that year became SDLP deputy leader and
later, when he was Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, met the Pope in the
Vatican.

"I was among the hundreds of thousands at Drogheda, it was quite an event. Even in
the crowd you could see the enormous strength that exuded from the man - both
physical and mental strength."

Twenty one years later, as Deputy First Minister, Mr Mallon visited the Pope in the
Vatican. "I attended Mass in his private oratory and read the lesson at the Mass and
then had a long conversation with him.

"I was hugely impressed with his enormous strength and remarkable awareness of what
was happening right throughout the world.

"I think he was remarkable and one of the great figures of the 20th century."

Bishop of Cloyne Dr John Magee, who prepared the papal visit to Ireland in 1979, said
the Pope's humour was one of his great gifts.

With the trip hours behind schedule Dr Magee said the Pope feared for his life because
of the hectic demands of the visit.

"In the first year of the pontificate we were trying out various things in regard to this visit,
but as time went on the schedule become more refined," Dr Magee said.

"We were shuttled here there and everywhere, we were running hours behind time and
he said jokingly 'the only place they tried to kill me was Ireland'. He got in as much in
that weekend as would have been put in in a week-long visit."

Dr Magee, who was personally chosen by Pope John Paul II to be his private secretary
between between 1978 and 1982, said even a hectic Irish schedule could not dampen
spirits.

"He had a great sense of humour. For all of us it's a safety valve, we can sit back and
look at things and laugh," he said.

Dr Magee, who visited 64 countries during eight years as an aide to Pope John Paul,
said the Pontiff would be remembered for his energy, his charm and as an inspiration to
those who were in suffering.

"He had a great personal charm and a unique transparency of his persona, in a single
moment he reveals himself to us," he said.

"The fact that he has with such courage carried this suffering in true spirit of faith that
has inspired so many."

Dr Magee noted Pope John Paul II had great belief in the salvation of suffering.

He remarked that during visits to the sick in his diocese at Christmas time that many
people noted it was the strength the Pope had shown in his suffering that had helped
them.

All throughout the diocese prayers and special Masses have been celebrated in honour
of Pope John Paul II, he added.

Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, described the Pope as a man of great courage
even in the face of suffering.

"For a man who was extraordinarily fit, a man who travelled, a man who expressed
himself extremely well, to find at the end of his life that his legs were gone, his
expression on his face was gone and his voice was gone it's a very sad situation," the
Archbishop said.

"But I'm sure that he is, as he always was, very close to the Lord at this stage."

"I knew him well and had very, very extraordinary personal memories of the Pope as a
man."

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http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=58487&pt=n

Dozen Charged With Rioting

A court has heard that a dozen people have been arrested and charged with rioting
after the police seized TV footage of trouble in Ardoyne during last year's Twelfth
marches.

The pictures of the clashes, which followed the return leg of an Orange Order march,
were shot by RTE.

The details emerged during a bail application in the High Court by 31 year old Brian
Wootton, from Brompton Park in Ardoyne.

He is accused of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. He was released
on bail.

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http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqid=3693-qqqx=1.asp

Mary Lou Eyes Up Bertie's Turf

03 April 2005 By Niamh Connolly

The prospect of Sinn Féin MEP Mary Lou McDonald standing in the Taoiseach's
constituency of Dublin Central is concentrating minds on the selection of candidates for
the next general election.

Last week, political representatives turned up at a public meeting in the Croke Park area
over the GAA's battle with a local handball club on its pub licence. Onlookers said the
scene looked like the launch of the campaign for the next general election, expected in
2007.

There are strong rumours that SF is considering running a "new-look'' candidate in
McDonald after Nicky Kehoe signalled he would not be contesting the seat. Kehoe has
been sending out mixed signals on his intentions for the next general election for
months, and the SF councillor's office was closed before Christmas. The party has
blamed this on the financial costs of running a full-time office.

With all the parties facing dilemmas over the selection of candidates, Dublin Central is
shaping up to be an intriguing battleground for the next election, with Fianna Fáil under
pressure to hold onto its second seat of a total of four.

SF is nibbling at FF's support base in Dublin Central; Kehoe came within 79 votes of
beating the Taoiseach's running mate, Dr Dermot Fitzpatrick, in the 2002 general
election. SF sources said no decision would be made on any of the Dublin
constituencies until the Westminster and local elections are out of the way next month.

Meanwhile, FF's Fitzpatrick is also not expected to run in 2007, and the party is facing
divisions in the camp, with two north Dublin political dynasties, the Bradys and the
Fitzpatricks vying for the ticket.

Fine Gael must also attempt to pick up the pieces from its 2002 election meltdown. The
loss of the seat held by former deputy leader Jim Mitchell was a major casualty of the
rise of the left in this Dublin constituency.

Both Labour and Fine Gael will be scrutinising how the Mullingar Accord agreed
between the parties holds up. Labour's Joe Costello confirmed his intention to run again
in 2007 this weekend but he remains unconvinced on the merits of the pre-election pact
and will be closely examining the proposed shared programme at next month's Labour
Party conference. There are also rumours that former Green Party MEP Patricia
McKenna could contest a seat in this constituency, though no decisions on candidates
have been made by the party.

The undisputed king of Dublin Central is Bertie Ahern. Independent deputy Tony
Gregory took 17 per cent of the vote in 2002, SF's Kehoe 14.6 per cent and Joe
Costello 12 per cent.

The shift towards SF in Dublin Central was emphasised further in last June's local
elections, with the Taoiseach's brother Maurice Ahern almost losing his seat in
Cabra/Glasnevin where Kehoe topped the poll. This came as a sharp shock for the
Taoiseach. FF will be scanning SF's strategy with some interest.

The party faces a dilemma about who to appoint in place of Dr Dermot Fitzpatrick.
Ahern's party machine has allowed little scope for running mates to establish anything
more than a toehold in Dublin Central.

The contest for Fitzpatrick's successor is already a political minefield with rivalry
growing between the Taoiseach's preferred candidate, Senator Cyprian Brady, and
Fitzpatrick's daughter, councilor Mary Fitzpatrick. Brady, who runs the Taoiseach's
constituency office in Drumcondra, is a brother of former Dublin mayor Royston Brady,
who was previously favoured by Ahern before his star plummeted in last June's
European election bid. Cyprian was a Taoiseach's appointee to the Senate.

Fitzpatrick is backing his daughter, who outpolled Maurice Ahern in the local elections,
despite not having been nominated to the ticket originally. The Fitzpatrick success last
June has left a sour taste in the Ahern camp who blame her for encroaching on Ahern's
side of the constituency.

One view within FF is that Fitzpatrick's support base on the Navan Road would not
maximise the vote where the party most needs to build - in the north inner city where
the Bradys have strong family links.

Also in the mix for Dublin Central is councillor Deirdre Heney who has family links in
Phibsborough. Heney is a strong candidate having topped the poll in Clontarf last June
but she is being squeezed between two sitting FF heavyweights in North Central - Ivor
Callely, the junior transport minister, and Sean Haughey.

North Central drops from a four to a three-seater constituency in 2007, making matters
even more complicated for Heney. Returning all three FF candidates in North Central
would be an impossibility.

Press statements from Heney suggest that she is targeting Independent TD Finian
McGrath's North Central seat but she may wind up upsetting the pecking order by
unseating either Callely or Haughey. It is not unknown for parties to hold local polls to
test the candidates and this could well be the only way to settle the competition between
Brady, Fitzpatrick and Heney.

Meanwhile, if Kehoe does not run for SF, it opens up the possibility of a new-look SF
candidate such as McDonald contesting the second FF seat. SF sources believe that
McDonald, with Kehoe as councillor supporting her on the doorsteps, would be a
compelling combination in a left-oriented constituency.

But others are not so sure about McDonald, believing Kehoe has a better chance at
national level due to his strong personal vote in Cabra, GAA credentials and his strong
performance in the local elections.

Furthermore, Dublin Central may not prove a shoo-in for McDonald, and she could be
resented for being parachuted into a "safe'' haven. The question for SF is who stands
the best chance of being elected in what will inevitably prove a highly charged canvass.

The extent to which SF builds on the 2002 swing in its favour could hinge on how the
party deals with the issues of criminality, though the recent Meath by-election where Joe
Reilly increased his vote by 3 per cent might suggest otherwise.

McDonald, who lives in Castleknock, who previously ran in Dublin West, a tight three-
seater, came in fourth behind Fine Gael with Labour's Joan Burton, the Socialist Party's
Joe Higgins and FF's Brian Lenihan taking seats. Fine Gael is facing an uphill climb in
Dublin Central to regain its position after the meltdown in 2002 when former deputy
leader Jim Mitchell lost his seat.

The party is expected to select the new kid on the block, 31-year-old Pascal Donoghue,
whose first outing was in last June's local elections when he pipped his running mate
Chris Giblin for the seat.

Giblin was stung by FG's decision to run two candidates and announced his intention to
leave the party. He has since joined the Progressive Democrats and is now setting up a
PD constituency office in Dublin Central with a view to contesting the locals in four
years' time.

Donoghue, a sales and marketing manager at Proctor and Gamble, is described as a
grafter by his supporters. But few underestimate the task he faces in matching the
effective fundraising network and personal vote sustained by Mitchell.

FG will be looking to the pre-election pact with Labour to improve its position though
Costello is amongst those not wholly convinced on the merits of the Mullingar Accord.

There is still a possibility of former Green Party MEP Patricia McKenna, who lives in
Drumcondra, running in Dublin Central.

The Green Party has not confirmed its target constituency, but is likely to focus
resources on areas with solid results from last June's locals.

Few underestimate the potential of McKenna to run in Dublin Central if she puts her
mind to the task.

If McDonald is selected to run for SF and Heney for FF it would turn the contest for the
second Fianna Fáil seat into a three-woman race.

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http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqid=3695-qqqx=1.asp

Anger At McDowell Inaction On Garda Fallon Killing

03 April 2005 By Liz Walsh

The family of a garda shot dead in Dublin in 1970 has accused Minister for Justice
Michael McDowell of having double standards over his refusal to hold an inquiry into the
killing.

The comments from the family of Garda Richard Fallon come after the minister's
announcement of an inquiry into the IRA killing of two RUC officers in 1989, which
happened outside the state.

Finian Fallon, youngest son of Garda Fallon, expressed "profound disappointment'' at
the minister's decision. He said the killing of RUC officers Robert Buchanan and Harry
Breen in south Armagh "appeared to reflect badly on Sinn Féin/IRA'', while aspects of
his father's death "may reflect badly on the Irish government''.

The Sunday Business Post can reveal that newly uncovered Department of Justice files
suggest that illegal arms consignments linked to the murder of Fallon were smuggled
into the country with the knowledge of some senior Fianna Fáil figures at that time.

However, at a recent meeting between McDowell, Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy
and Finian Fallon, the justice minister ruled out a tribunal of inquiry primarily on cost
grounds.

"Yet again, I am profoundly disappointed that I and my family should have to scratch
around to get some sort of inquiry into my father's murder and yet an incident which is
outside the jurisdiction should receive this attention," said Fallon, a former PD
candidate.

At the meeting, McDowell divulged information that strengthened the Fallon family's
belief that the gun that killed their father was part of an i l legal consignment smuggled
into the country in the knowledge of senior Fianna Fáil figures.

Richard Fallon was shot dead during a bank robbery at Arran Quay carried out by Saor
Eire, a republican splinter group, in 1970.

According to notes of the meeting, McDowell accepted that allegations of state
involvement in Saor Eire's gun running operation "was not an impossible theory''.

Jock Haughey, the late brother of former taoiseach Charles Haughey, was specifically
mentioned. Assistant Garda Commissioner Tony Hickey and senior Department of
Justice officials were present at the meeting, along with human rights lawyer Michael
Finucane, who was representing the dead garda's family.

The minister said he had come across a note made by Peter Berry, former secretary of
the Department of Justice, which had been missed in an earlier departmental trawl of
the files.

This reference mentioned "small consignments'' of arms which had entered the
jurisdiction "without custom checks''.

These importations, it was said in the note, were timed for particular customs officers to
be on duty who would expedite the importations.

It was also stated in this note that Jock Haughey and a former top Fianna Fáil politician
were aware of these importations.

The minister said this note was cross-referenced to a note on the cover of a manila file
by Des O'Malley, Minister for Justice in 1972, which mentioned importations through
Dun Laoghaire.

McDowell added that no one would be happier than him to see the record put straight in
relation to a "particular individual''.

Hickey read extracts from a letter dated "9/11/71'' from Tony McMahon, then a senior
garda, stating that a consignment of weapons had been stolen from the Parker Hale
munitions factory in Birmingham.

The theft consisted of 25 9mm Star pistols and 10 .22 Star pistols, the type of guns
used in the killing of Fallon.

The letter went on to say that when Saor Eireman Martin Casey was killed while
carrying a bomb, a 9mm Star pistol was found on him.

Casey was also involved in the arms and ammunition theft from the Birmingham factory.

The go-between in the operation was a notorious Dublin criminal, whose name was also
mentioned at the meeting.

The Fallon family maintain that the state had ample warning that illegal arms
consignments were coming into the country, but that little was done until their father was
killed.

******************************************

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,1451206,00.html

Comment: One Team? Dream On

The proposal for an all-Irish football side is so much pie in the sky

Henry McDonald
Sunday April 3, 2005
The Observer

George Best could easily have handled both the booze and the mini outbreak of live
boob flashing inside Belfast's Botanic Inn last Saturday afternoon. But as for the bigoted
chanting, Bestie, rather like the hapless BBC sports correspondent who was reporting
live from the bar, would have been well out of his depth. Football's fallen angel just
wouldn't have coped with an endless repetition of 'Hello, hello, we are the Billy Boys.
Hello, hello we are the Billy Boys. We're up to our neck in Fenian blood, surrender or
you'll die, coz we are the Billy, Billy Boys.'

In the days running up to the England v Northern Ireland World Cup qualifying game,
Best suggested that the time was right to form an all-Ireland soccer side. The very idea
is anathema to the boys and girls cheering on 'Norn Iron' in the Bot and beyond,
especially to the morons chanting their sectarian bile. Had he been in his native Belfast
instead of England, Best would have been reminded of the improbability of fusing the
two international sides on this island.

There are three people I truly feel sorry for, having watched last Saturday's broadcast
from Old Trafford. The first, of course, is Lawrie Sanchez who has steadily improved
Northern Ireland's performances since he took over as manager but who still has to
endure the frustration of watching his side give away so many silly balls and make so
many elementary mistakes that classier sides like England pounce upon and punish.

The second 'victim' of last weekend's debacle was BBC Northern Ireland's Austin
O'Callaghan, a talented rising star of the local sports journalism scene who kept his
dignity when all about him drunken, bigoted buffoons mouthed their anti-Catholic vitriol.
The young Dubliner was gracious a few days later on BBC's Talkback radio programme
when he stressed that the overwhelming majority of Northern Ireland fans were well-
behaved and untainted by the sectarianism of the few.

Finally and, arguably, the biggest 'casualty' was Michael Boyd, the Irish Football
Association's community relations officer. Boyd has worked tirelessly to drive out
sectarian chanting and bigotry from Northern Ireland matches. In conjunction with the
fans, Boyd and the IFA devised the 'Give Sectarianism the Boot' campaign, which, in
practical terms, meant a ban on singing loyalist party tunes at internationals in Windsor
Park. They also tried to turn the stadium into a more family-friendly arena and attempted
to encourage schoolchildren from across the North's religious divide to attend games
and use the ground for other activities.

But many in the northern soccer community are sceptical about the impact of this anti-
sectarian drive. One correspondent to The Observer sports pages said he and his
friends refuse to attend Northern Ireland home games because of the impending
menace to Catholics and the sectarian chanting. Martin Mullan reminded our readers
that he is a Glentoran fan and couldn't risk a dig at Linfield. He laid most of the blame
for the sectarianism on the Blues.

It is hard to gauge how 'safe' Windsor is these days for young Catholic fans of Northern
Ireland. But Mr Mullan's assertion that the Blues are in the main responsible for the anti-
Catholic atmosphere is a tad unfair given Linfield's efforts over several years to build
bridges all over Ireland. The club's recent decision to allow a camogie team to train
under the Windsor floodlights contradicts that rather simplistic picture of their home
ground as some kind of Catholic-free Prod bas tion.

Last week, the British government confirmed that the site of the old Maze/Long Kesh
prison would be the new home of Northern Irish sport. The suggestion that Windsor is
irreformable should be redundant once a new stadium is built.

Meanwhile, the panacea on offer for sectarianism in northern soccer remains the
creation of an all-Ireland side. In principle, and even supposing an absence of any
sectarian problem, I would be in favour. Logically, on such a small island, it is ludicrous
that there should be two 'national' teams. Yet whether we like it or not partition is here
for the foreseeable future. Besides, does the South, with its infinitely more successful
team, really want to fuse with the North?

That last question is posed because, in reality, the football authorities in Dublin jealously
guard their autonomy and traditions with as much pride as their northern counterparts.
When, two years ago, the IFA anti-sectarian campaign explored the possibility of an
'alternative' national anthem for Northern Ireland, one that everyone could be
comfortable with, I asked the Football Association of Ireland if it would consider
following suit? The reply from an FAI official in Dublin was blunt: 'Are you bleedin'
jokin'?' he asked.

So, unlike rugby with its neutral 'Ireland's Call', there will be no non-political anthem for
soccer on the island of Ireland. And if two sides can't agree on a mutual song, they will
hardly agree on a common team.

henry.mcdonald@observer.co.uk

******************************************

http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqid=3687-qqqx=1.asp

Celebrities Catch Up With 'Old Money' Irish

03 April 2005 By Ian Kehoe

Twenty years ago, the Irish rich list was dominated by old money. The Irish financial
elite was awash with bankers, merchants, business tycoons and manufacturers.
Celebrities and sports stars were virtually absent.

However, all this has changed and celebrities are now among the richest of the rich.
From Bono to Roy Keane and from Eddie Irvine to Enya, Ireland now has a host of
multi-millionaire stars with a big media profile and a huge disposable income. While
many celebrities flaunt their wealth with extravagant cars and lavish spending sprees,
an increasing number are now choosing to invest some of their riches in corporate
ventures and property deals. Indeed, many stars have realised there is more money to
be made from business than showbusiness.

Today, The Sunday Business Post examines how Irish celebrities are investing their
money. We profile Ireland's most proficient celebrity investors and their main business
ventures. We look at their shareholdings and their directorships, and examine just how
much money Irish luminaries are making from their business dealings.

Many Irish stars have chosen to set up their own limited companies.

Rock band U2 has an intricate web of 19 companies and trusts. Country singer Daniel
O'Donnell has beneficial interests in about five companies, while former racing driver
Eddie Irvine has set up his own holding company in the British Virgin Islands. Many
stars have also made vast sums from property. Three years ago, Riverdance multi-
millionaires Moya Doherty and John McColgan sold a site close to their home in north
Dublin for about €5 million.

The pair are also investors in the Savoy Group, the hotel chain acquired for €1.1 billion
by an Irish consortium last year.

Comedian Graham Norton has significant property investments and his decisions have
proved to be shrewd ones. He owns apartments in New York and Cape Town, and has
sold properties in Cork and London at a substantial profit. Last November, the chat
show host paid €1.6 million for Ahakista House, a run-down mansion in west Cork.

Some celebrities have opted to flaunt their wealth rather than invest it. Singer Chris de
Burgh splashed out about €40,000 on a chest-burster prop worn by John Hurt in the sci-
fi film Alien.

Reclusive star Enya, who is worth about €100 million, recently bought no less than two
Maybach cars, which cost about €640,000 each.

Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley recently spent a small fortune on James Joyce
memorabilia at Sotheby's. The dancer now plans to establish a collection of great Irish
literary works at his €50 million castle in north Co Cork.

Flatley purchased a pair of Joyce's gold spectacles, an early recording of the author, his
prized cigarette case and a medal awarded at the Feis Ceoil in 1904.

Flatley owns an edition of Ulysses valued at a hefty €300,000.

Other celebrities who have shelled out vast sums include Limerick rock band The
Cranberries. While at their peak, the band once hired a helicopter to get them to Dublin
when they were running late for an appearance on the Late Late Show.

A cheaper option would simply have been to ask fellow music star Jim Corr for a flight.
The Co Louth millionaire owns his own chopper, as does golfer Padraig Harrington.

Still, if you've got it, why not flaunt it?

******************************************

http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqid=3685-qqqx=1.asp

Flatley: Lord Of Many Manors

03 April 2005

Michael Flatley, the self-anointed Lord of the Dance, proclaimed last year that he was
worth more than half a billion euro. While much of that wealth was generated through
Irish dancing, he has also reaped the rewards from a number of shrewd property and
business investments.

The former Riverdance star has invested millions in stock markets around the world and
regularly takes advice from one of his close friends, multi-billionaire investment guru
Warren Buffet. Aside from blue chip stocks, Flatley owns a property portfolio dotted
across the globe. Last February, his management company, Unicorn Entertainment,
revealed that his London apartment was worth an estimated $28 million, and his hilltop
residence in Monaco had accumulated in value to $10 million.

Unicorn predicted that Flatley's Cork mansion, Castlehyde, would be worth $50 million
when the dancer finished a $30 million revamp of the 200-acre estate.

Furthermore, Flatley has said he plans a similar venture in Barbados. He purchased a
beach-side coral stone mansion on the Caribbean island in late 2003 for $25 million,
and he is currently ploughing another $25 million into the property.

Not content with residential property, the flamboyant entertainer has now set his sights
on Las Vegas, where he is planning to launch a $750 million Irish-themed casino at the
Venetian Hotel.

Even if the deal goes sour, Flatley can always rely on his multimillion euro stage show
to keep the money coming in. In 2003, Lord of the Dance took in $75 million in
worldwide ticket sales.

Unicorn has been cautious about placing a value on the Lord of the Dance brand, but
Flatley does retain 41 cent in every dollar that is earned from the show. To date, the
show has toured to 350 cities and has continued to draw in the crowds, despite Flatley's
quasi-retirement.

******************************************

http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqid=3684-qqqx=1.asp

U2 Empire Worth About €630 Million

03 April 2005 By Ian Kehoe

Sometimes accounts can be deceiving. Not Us, the holding company for the U2
corporate vehicle, shows that the firm has debts of more than €18.5 million.

The accounts, filed last year, reveal a complicated web of subsidiaries, trusts and inter-
company loans, and large sums of cashflows between 19 corporate entities, most of
which recorded a loss in the 2003 fiscal year.

Behind the losses is a hugely profitable band, with an estimated wealth of about €630
million. U2 and their manager, Paul McGuinness, now control a multimillion euro empire
that ranges across property, technology, media and clothing.

The band has invested heavily in property at home and abroad. The members have
lavish properties in the Dublin suburbs of Dalkey, Killiney, Sutton and Rathfarnham.
They also have individually-acquired properties in London, New York, New England,
southern France and Malibu.

They have also made a foray into commercial property, when Bono and The Edge
teamed up with Dublin businessman Harry Crosbie to acquire the Clarence Hotel in
Dublin.

However, the hotel has proved to be less than profitable, and its holding company,
Brushfield, had accumulated losses of €11.2 million at the end of 2003. Bono was
forced to give a loan of €4 million last year to the hotel to keep it up and running.

The lead singer has been the band's most prominent investor. He recently launched a
clothing range with his wife, Ali Hewson. Edun (nude spelt backwards) produces a
range of jeans and T-shirts.

He is also a major investor in venture capital firm Elevation Partners. Elevation has hit
the headlines for its part in the bidding war for Eidos, the troubled British video game
maker of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider fame.

Another tech venture in which U2 are involved is California internet company Burst.com.

Three weeks ago, the company won a €45 million legal settlement from software giant
Microsoft amid allegations of breaches of software patent legislation.

Not all the band's ventures have been successful. An investment in the Dublin branch of
Planet Hollywood in 1998 ended badly when the outlet was forced to close its doors a
few years later after failing to take off.

Nonetheless, with the band expected to make about €200 million from their current
world tour, it is unlikely they will miss the money all that much.

******************************************

http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqid=3683-qqqx=1.asp

'Useless' Bob Made Shrewd Investments

03 April 2005

Bob Geldof: Bob Geldof once described himself as "a f***ing useless businessman".
Regardless of the merits of his claim, the knighted Live Aid hero is worth an estimated
stg£30 million, thanks to a succession of shrewd business decisions over the past 15
years.

Raised in Dun Laoghaire, Geldof owns a medieval priory in Kent, a mansion flat in
Battersea and has shareholdings in radio stations, restaurants, TV production
companies and internet firms. Now London-based, the former Boomtown Rats singer
owns a third of Castaway Television, which controls the rights to reality TV show
Survivor. The show has been sold in 28 countries, and the company was reported to be
worth stg£150 million in 2001 but this has since fallen in value.

Geldof, 53, also retains a 12 per cent stake in the media holding company Ten Alps.
Ten Alps group last year recorded earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and
amortisation (EBITDA) of stg£700,000 and pre-tax profits of just under stg£200,000.

Niall Quinn

Former Republic of Ireland star Niall Quinn and his wife Gillian have ploughed a
substantial amount of money into the equine business. One of their horses, Halmahera,
has proved to be very profitable, winning the Portland Handicap a record three times in
a row.

Aside from horses, Quinn also owns a 39 per cent stake in a company called Edenway
Entertainment, which has interests in Tipperary including a pub in Clonmel. A related
company, Manorfield, owns the Manor House Pub and guesthouse in Bagenalstown,
Co Carlow. The company had losses of €139,000 in its last financial year but received a
loan of €857,000 from Edenway.

Quinn and his wife are also listed as directors of Niall Quinn Media Services, a media
company based in Co Kildare. The company had negative shareholders' funds of
€94,000 at the end of 2003, but had cash reserves of €142,000, according to its only set
of filed accounts.

Mike Murphy

Former RTÉ presenter Mike Murphy certainly picked a good deal when he took a stake
in Pat Doherty's Harcourt Developments. Not alone did Murphy buy into one of the
biggest property development firms in the country but also one of the most successful.

Although the company did not pay any dividends last year, it still had shareholders'
funds of €75.1 million. Harcourt is best known for its Park West complex near
Clondalkin in west Dublin. The company also has substantial land holdings in Citywest,
which are at the planning stage, according to the accounts.

Gay Byrne

The veteran broadcaster had well-documented problems with accountants before
signing up with top financier Derek Quinlan. Byrne has become far more prudent with
his financial investments and wound down a number of his private limited companies.

Last August, the former Late Late Show host wound up his main property company,
Omnico. Omnico owned the Hodges Figgis building at 56 Dawson Street as well as an
apartment on Wellington Road in Dublin 4. It was also used to hold two stg£1million life
assurance policies for Byrne in the early 1990s.

Quinlan, who put together the consortium which bought the Savoy Hotel Group in
London for €1.1 billion, shared an estimated €2.75 million with Byrne in 2002 when they
pulled off a property deal in Clonskeagh. Byrne's sole remaining company, Gabbro, has
also been winding down its affairs, although it did record a profit of €105,000 for the
year ending May 31, 2004.

Packie Bonner

Packie Bonner, the former Ireland goalkeeper and the current technical director with the
Football Association of Ireland (FAI), emerged last year as a backer of the new north-
west radio station, Ocean FM. It was a surprise move for Bonner who had shown no
real interest in business investments before.

Ocean FM was launched last October, replacing North West Radio, which lost its
licence after broadcasting for more than a decade. The station covers Sligo, north
Leitrim and south Donegal.

Other backers include Sligo businessman Pat Clifford, John Keon, managing director of
Donegal Creameries, and Sunday World journalist Paul Williams.

Moya Doherty and John McColgan

Riverdance promoters Moya Doherty and John McColgan are equity investors in the
Savoy Group, the hotel chain acquired for €1.1 billion by an Irish consortium last April.
The value of the investment made by the impresarios is estimated at between
€30million and €40 million. The investment by the couple was partly funded by cash but
was financed mostly by bank borrowings.

The duo are estimated to have earned a whopping €65 million over the past decade
from the international smash hit show, Riverdance. Future earnings from the show are
estimated at €20 million.

Last year, the pair spent €4.4million on an apartment in Manhattan.

They also received planning permission to extend their 10,000-square-foot house on
Howth's exclusive Thormanby Road, which is now worth considerably more than the
€1.3 million they paid for it.

Three years ago, they sold a nearby site for about €5 million.

Kevin Moran

The former Republic of Ireland defender moved from football pitch to desk job when he
started working with the Proactive Sports Group.

He quickly bought stock in the publicly-quoted company and held about 9 per cent at
the end of 2003.

The company is one of the leading sports agencies in Britain with a host of star clients,
including Manchester United's young striker Wayne Rooney.

Pat Kenny

Pat Kenny has supplemented his RTÉ salary of €556,430 with the occasional
investment. As with his RTÉ counterpart, Gay Byrne, Kenny is advised by wealth
manager Derek Quinlan and as such, it is hard to pin down exactly what investments
Kenny is involved with.

Kenny and his wife, Kathy, are directors of Pat Kenny Media Services. In 2003, it
emerged that Kenny put one of his two Dalkey houses, which was worth €563,000, on
the line to help fund the personal media consultancy firm.

******************************************

http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqid=3682-qqqx=1.asp

Ups And Downs Of A Star's Life

03 April 2005

Daniel O'Donnell: DOD promotions, a company controlled by the Co Donegal country
singer Daniel O'Donnell had retained profits of more than €1.06 million at the end of
2003.

The company, which organises a number of the singer's concerts and promotional
events, increased its cash reserves by €200,000 to €350,000.

The firm is a subsidiary of Daniel O'Donnell, the ultimate holding company for the Irish
singer's business interests. At the end of 2003, DOD Promotions was owed €943,000
from Daniel O'Donnell & Co, but it is not specified when the money is due to be repaid.

O'Donnell is also a director of Donegal Tours and a company called Brockwell. He is
also a shareholder of a related firm, Cloverfern.

The Cranberries

Despite being off the music scene for the best part of five years, the Limerick rock band
still control three related companies: Curtain Call, All Round Touring and Timeless
Music. A fourth company, Riswood, was dissolved in March 2001.

Of the three still active, Curtain Call is the most prominent. The firm, whose directors
include lead singer Dolores O'Riordan and fellow band members Fergal Lawlor and
Noel Hogan, ended 2002 with retained losses of €637,000. This was a significant
turnaround on 2002 when the firm had profits of €647,000.During the year, the company
saw its cash reserves fall from €719,000 to €191,000,while fixed assets decreased by
€30,000 to €119,000.

The Corrs

The Corrs may have made millions from their music but this is not evident in their
company accounts. Retained profits at their Dublin holding company, Coppice, saw a
fall by more than 90 per cent in 2003 to just €39,800.The band, which has had hits such
as Runaway and So Young, finished the year with €18,600 in Coppice's bank account,
down just over 50 per cent on the previous year, according to the accounts.

During the year, Coppice charged a subsidiary company, Coppice International
Management, €213,400 for 'administrative services'. Coppice was owed €209,000 by
the subsidiary at the end of the year. Band members Jim Corr and his sisters, Sharon,
Caroline and Andrea, as well as the group's manager, John Hughes are listed as
directors of Coppice.

David Kitt

Singer David Kitt was on last week's list of musicians who availed of the tax relief for
creative artists.

Despite this, Kitt's Dublin registered company, Parasol Music, had retained losses of
almost €70,000 for the year ending April 30, 2003.

During the year, the company made a loss of about €29,000 and ended the year with
tangible assets of €31,000.The firm had a director's loan outstanding of €63,000 and
owed trade creditors €50,900 at the end of the period, the accounts show. Kitt is listed
as a director of the company along with his mother, Jacinta. Celebrity accountant Ossie
Kilkenny is listed as the firm's auditor.

Brian O'Driscoll

The rumour is that there are four pay scales in Irish rugby. There's provincial players,
internationals, senior internationals and then there's Brian O'Driscoll. Although the
details of his pay deal remain confidential, it is understood that the Irish rugby captain
earns about €350,000 a year.

That is only his salary, however, and O'Driscoll has also made plenty of money from his
commercial endorsements, which include deals with O2 and drinks company Powerade.

In 2001, O'Driscoll set up a limited company to handle some of his commercial deals.
That company, ODM Promotions, made a profit of about €125,000 for the year ending
August 31, 2003, and closed the period with retained profits of €188,000. O'Driscoll's
father, Frank, is also listed as a director of the company.

Joe Dolan

Showbiz veteran Joe Dolan is listed as a director of three companies, all of which are
based in his native Mullingar, Co Westmeath.

Dolan's main vehicle, Munroe Mullingar (formerly Ben and Joe Dolan Ltd), was placed
on the strike off list at the Companies Registrar last week, and has one month to file
accounts, having not done so since the middle of 2001.

At the time, the company had negative shareholders' funds of £121,000.

Dolan is also listed as a director and shareholder of the Gable Bar & Lounge, a pub in
Mullingar, and a separate company called Portloman Holdings.

******************************************

http://www.prleap.com/pr/5789/

Irish Tenor, Josef Locke, Derry 2005.

(PRLEAP.COM) A beautiful artistic memorial sculpture to Josef Locke was unveiled in
Derry 22 March 2005.

Taking part in the unveiling ceremony was Nobel Peace Prize recipient John Hume, and
Phil Coulter the pianist, and songwriter. Phil Coulter wrote, "My Boy", a song recorded
by Elvis Presley, and the poignant ballad, "The Town I Loved So Well", a Josef Locke
favourite.

The "Derry Journal", "the Irish News" and many more newspapers first reported my
Josef Locke statue idea in June 2003. The BBC, Highland radio, and LMFM Radio
invited the writer to talk on-air about the ambitious proposal.

Phil Coulter kindly replied to an e-mail I sent him requesting his support. He was only
too willing to see Josef Locke, a fellow Derry man honoured.

Mr Coulter's encouraging words were reported in the "News of the World" and "the Irish
News" July 2004.

The designer of the memorial Terry Quigley, and the Artist sculptor Maurice Harron are
to be congratulated for creating a magnificent tribute to the great singer.

The Josef Locke Memorial sculpture is sure to become a very popular tourist attraction
in Derry. Josef Locke won the hearts of millions world-wide with his wonderful voice.
Millions more will now hear his song.

Maurice Colgan. http://irelandtoo.blogspot.com

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