Dunmanus Bay is one of the most beautiful in West Cork, and possibly in all of Ireland. It changes from minute to minute and you never know what the colours will be like until you get there. The bay lies between Mizen peninsula to the south and Bantry Bay to the north, with the small village of Durrus at its head.
We were out the other evening, Bernadette had the camera in the car, the sun started to set, and this is what she caught…
and to finish the evening, turf on the fire, some delicious Durrus cheese, and a nice hot port!
The Irish lilt has topped a poll of the ‘World’s Sexiest Accent’!
5,000 women worldwide voted Italian second, Scottish third, and the French were demoted to fourth place!
Actor Colin Farrell seems to have done it for the ladies, and French president Nicolas Sarkozy is credited with blowing it for the French. He is reported as single-handedly changing the perception of how the world sees French men.
Here’s the top ten:
1. Irish 2. Italian 3. Scottish 4. French 5. Australian 6. English 7. Swedish 8. Spanish 9. Welsh 10. American
Superb Ireland, fantastic effort and great support from the fans, well done.
And what happens, Thierry Henry handballs a pass (would have gone out otherwise) that gives France a goal and takes them through to the world cup. No question, it may have been an instinctive reaction but he definitely pushes his arm forward to keep the ball in play – and he doesn’t really do himself any favours by insisting otherwise. (McShane’s taken a bit of stick, but i think the ball was going out as far as he was concerned and he’d done enough to cover it.)
The referee could have asked Henry if it was a handball, but presumably didn’t want to put the player in a difficult spot, the linesman could have called it but didn’t. The referee is supposed to enforce the laws of the game, only this time he didn’t stop to consider if a ‘crime’ had been committed in the first place.
Law 5 – Though shalt turn a blind eye if you feel it suits the interests of FIFA?
Hmmm?
I guess it’ll all calm down, but to me Ireland was the best team, out-played the opposition, totally professional, are true heroes, and deserved the opportunity for the result to go to penalties.
This was the French coach’s words after the match:
“It was hard, laborious and indeed miraculous,” he told French television. “I was sure we would make it though. My forecast was 1-1!”
Hand of god type miraculous i wonder?
Or maybe as FIFA describe it themselves -‘a stroke of luck’ (Didn’t take long to rewrite history!)
The French are going to the world cup, but in the back of their minds they should never forget how they got there – they have a technically incorrect decision and a ‘stroke’ to thank for it!
And latterly, FIFA President Blatter’s response to Ireland’s on 30/11/09…
Not sure what to make of that, sounds ok to start with but the laughter at the end seems to be dismissive or condescending? Personally I thought the idea of team 33 (despite the rejigging) was a good solution. Sent an email to the Jean-Pierre.Escalettes@fff.fr of the French Football Federation to that effect myself on 20.11.09…
Dear Sir,
I urge you to re-consider your stance regarding qualification for the World Cup. As ambassadors of football surely the FFF also feel uncomfortable with the current situation.
If a replay is impossible, then maybe you could suggest to FIFA that Ireland should also qualify on the basis of a technically incorrect decision by the match officials.
Kind regards,
Michael Regan. www.diaspora.ie
Needless to say no response, but thought it worth asking anyway.
And for anyone who says ‘get over it, it’s just a game’ – tell that to FIFA and their sponsors who pile in hundreds of millions of euros for product placement. Bet they don’t allow liberties when someone starts flogging copycat merchandise! Mon Dieu!
And delving deeper…
When the endemic cynicism of league football spills over so visibly on to the international stage then the people who look down from above (sponsors etc) will start to question if a line has been crossed. There’s a fine balance between allowing cheating (which in turn encourages tribal loyalties and a sort of warped competitiveness on the field and in the stands), and running the risk that fans themselves become cynical and move away from the game.
The question: Is there any threat to revenue?
Bear in mind that Adidas, for example, are investing 315 million Euros in the World Cup / FIFA in exchange for prominent product marketing etc, and they expect a good return on their investment. This is the 60th year since Adolf Dassler first registered Adidas in the Commercial Register, and they want their celebrations to be a success. “Football is the heart and soul of Adidas” and with their key market tainted by unsporting actions on the pitch it does little to complement the image they like to portray.
To put this into perspective, and according to Bloomberg, Adidas AG expects its 2010 World Cup-related merchandise sales to exceed $1.8 billion next year.
Have you heard of Adidas Fair Play Cologne – wonder if an ad for that will appear in South Africa! Then there’s the Adidas Thierry Henry World Cup Jerseys which retail at about $99 – i suspect the queue for those just got shorter as well.
The business of professional football is as much about building brands, selling celebrity, capitalising on controversy, and pumping up the excitement as it is about kicking a ball, and the complexities behind the scenes are often lost in the noise. The play-off seeding, and the associated change in the rules by FIFA to give the bigger countries a better chance of qualifying, indicate where the current priorities are. This was to ensure as many fans (wallets) as possible are interested in the World Cup, and on the planes to South Africa.
More money spent means bigger sponsorship in the coming years – and the relationship between FIFA and it’s sponsors is very symbiotic.
FIFA itself is also under scrutiny – here’s a couple of articles from ‘Play The Game’ that give you a sense of things…
Thierry Henry is a victim of the system he operates in, no sympathy it’s his choice, and Domenech may be sacrificed at some point soon too – what really counts though is whether those who run the football scene see financial value in keeping the game the way it is, or whether they decide it’s time to adopt a different strategy.
If players themselves want more honesty in the game they should be insisting FIFA implements either video arbitration, extra sideline officials, or stricter punishments (or a combination of all) before they go to the World Cup.
Furthermore someone needs to be reminded that teams should be able to qualify for competitions based on their abilities. Changing the rules to lock out ‘underdogs’ in favour of bigger profits is NOT fair play!
“It was just necessary to exploit what was exploitable”
(Think about those words, in the world of football do they go deeper than face value?)
A sad day for the game, and sorry to say not a proud one for the French either.
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Original pre-match posts:
We’re in the World Cup qualifier play-offs and it’s Ireland vs France before we can get to South Africa. The first tie is in Dublin on the 14th November, and the second in Paris on 18th November.
I believe we could trip up the French, but it isn’t an easy one. What we need is big Irish support both home and away. Support in Dublin is guaranteed, but the Paris stands could be looking very blue!
First we’ve got French coach, Monsieur Domenech, urging the French fans to grab all available tickets as quick as poss and keep the Irish down to the 10% allocation, and then Ooh-la-la O’Leary goes and ramps up Ryanair charges for the day! (300+ Euros return, but about 50 Euros a week later).
Whilst we might do the same if we were the French coach, i’m not so sure about an Irish airline making it harder for Irish fans to support the team. I can get it if from the business aspect, but how about a bit of Irish solidarity for a great event that only happens once in 4 years.
I like Ryanair, flew with them a couple of weeks ago and will again. I just think Micky boy looks better in green, and he should drop the fare and get as many Irish fans over there as possible!
Once every four years – come on Michael!
Feck it’ll be a party anyway! (Paris here we come…!)
Good luck Ireland
Ok, quick update 14th Nov: 1-0 to France in Dublin tonight – Ireland played well in the first half but France got the upper hand in the 2nd. The goal was deflected in so a bit lucky, but France had most of the possession in the final 45 so maybe justified. The lads showed great heart, good composure, and all’s not lost, but it’ll have to be a mighty effort on Wednesday to pull it off – it’d be a coup but we CAN still do it!!!
and definitely no overnight sensation, listen to Susan singing beautifully back in 1999…
'I Dreamed A Dream'
Susans first album ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ is due for release on November 24th, but is already leading the online-retail charts with preorders near the topspot on Amazon. It’s available at $9.99 and if you’d like to order a copy you can click on her link below:
Nice one Susan, congratulations on the album and we can’t wait to hear all the tracks:
1. Wild Horses 2. I Dreamed A Dream 3. Cry Me A River 4. How Great Thou Art 5. You’ll See 6. Daydream Believer 7. Up To The Mountain 8. Amazing Grace 9. Who I Was Born To Be 10. Proud 11. The End of The World
Cooperation, integration, climate change, energy security, and a step-by-step approach towards the empire principle:
Lisbon Treaty: Episode 1 highlights…
The Treaty of Lisbon gets signed in Lisbon on 13 December 2007, and the stated objectives are:
Increase qualified majority voting in the EU Council
Increase involvement of the European Parliament in the legislative process
Reduce the number of commissioners
Create a President of the European Council
Create a High Representative for Foreign Affairs to present a united position on EU policies
Make the Union’s human rights charter, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, legally binding
Enhance the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the Union
Various European states ratify the treaty and expectations are running high in Brussels – 500 million people are tuned in and watching attentively. The plot is running smoothly but then we’re hit with a twist! The Raymond Crotty case from the late 80s forces the Irish Government to submit the treaty to the people – A country of just over 4 million suddenly hold the key and a referendum must be held!
A subtle sub-plot is ticking away in the background, hints of a new world order and the North American Alliance keep the audience guessing – a red herring or integral to the story?
Tensions start to rise and the referendum is set for 12th June 2008.
The ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ camps take their positions and battle ensues. Amongst other things the opposition argue that it will centralise the EU and weaken democracy by moving power away from national electorates, threaten workers rights, abortion law and taxation policies, and undermine Irish neutrality. Part of the Irish ‘No’ campaign even put forward a theme tune:
We’re bombarded with shots from one camp to another as strategies unfold. The ‘Yes’ campaign appear to be holding the high ground despite some concerted efforts from the ‘opposition’, but in a surprise ending episode 1 finishes with the Irish electorate voting ‘NO’.
On the edge of our seats, closing images of stunned faces leave you thinking ‘this isn’t over yet’ – the scene is set for further action. (The script writers return to the drawing board – the audience is fascinated to see what will happen next!)
Closing credits Episode 1
Lisbon Treaty: Episode 2
Signs of a revote start to appear in July 2008, and then we’re fast-forwarded to December 2008:
The powers that be have analysed the result, and indicate there will be a repeat referendum in October 2009. (A sort of producers discretion that allows a change of script – remember the JR Ewing resurrection?).
But all is not as it seems – the Irish government have been to Brussels and the story is taking a turn.
Legal guarantees add a new dimension.
[Cut to the legal guarantees scene]:
“The Decision of the 27 EU Heads of States or Government agreed at the June European Council that Ireland’s legal guarantees will constitute an international agreement, to take effect on the date of entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty. This will be legally binding under international law and will be registered with the United Nations.
If the Lisbon Treaty is approved by all EU Member States, including by Ireland in a further referendum and subsequently enters into force, the Decision will be annexed to the Treaties at the time of the conclusion of the next accession treaty for a new Member State. Protocols form an integral part of the Treaties to which they are annexed and have the same legal status as the Treaties themselves.”
The Brussels angle gives us the broader picture:
and then we get other reactions:
The plot moves on regardless, and a second referendum is set for 2nd October 2009.
And then, just when you think you know what is happening, a new twist appears (Prison Break anyone?):
2nd September 2009: John Burke, a Co Tipperary cattleman tells a High Court judge he intends to challenge the legality of the Government’s new referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. He gets granted leave to serve short notice on the Taoiseach, Justice Minister and the State of his intended challenge.
Mr Burke tells the judge he is seeking a judicial review of the Government’s October 2 referendum on the simple grounds that ‘No’ means ‘No’. He adds that no written evidence of legal changes to the Treaty have been put before the electorate. He says there have been televised handshakes between the Taoiseach and his counterparts in the rest of Europe — but no presentation of documentation guaranteeing change.
In short, Mr Burke is seeking to strike down the forthcoming Lisbon II referendum, and have it declared as unconstitutional!
Is this a tricky corner, or will a bit of sharp manouevering side-step the problem…?
[Cut to the ads] – stay tuned, make a cuppa, and hold (don’t hold?) your breath…
3rd September 2009: John Burke loses his High Court bid to prevent the second referendum. Lawyers for the State argued that the proposal to be put to the people is ‘significantly different’, and that it should be up to the people to decide upon. Mr Justice Liam McKechnie agrees, and the case is dismissed.
Slick move! (although I must have missed the bit where they explained what those significant differences are, and we’re left wondering if the UK for example are being kept in the dark!)
Moving on, and you’ve got to stay sharp to keep up with the fast talking, the story switches to the area of national employment, “Clearly, the way it’s going to affect employment in Ireland is that by having a Lisbon Treaty passed we’ll have more effective decision making in all aspects of both Council, Parliament and Commission in terms of their right of initiative.”
Ok, that makes sense, but if i’d missed it i’d have been totally lost!
I’m sort of assuming now that the script writers will have to introduce black and white copies of the legal guarantees into the next treaty guide, will they? won’t they? will the audience edge towards disbelief if they don’t? ah the anticipation!
Can’t wait for the next bit, and oh I do enjoy a good yarn – especially when it’s hard to work out who’s the good guys and who’s the bad guys, and even better when it’s the stuff of empires!
Ok, fun, but to be fair i guess I should state my own position: I’m currently in the don’t know camp.
My own perspective goes beyond what is reported and communicated in Ireland, more relevant is what I hear and see in Europe as a whole. I believe the idea of a ‘European Empire’ is a real one, and that Ireland simply has to decide whether it wants to be part of that empire or not. It holds advantages, disadvantages, risks and potential reward, and in reality no one has a looking-glass to tell us what it really means for the future. I think energy security is one of the key driving factors, and that many other elements currently taking precedent are secondary in the overall scheme of things.
We may be on the ‘edge of Europe’ in or out of the treaty, and I think we will have to be creative and inventive regardless (we’ve done it before, we can do it again, but one of the questions is whether we’ll find ourselves shackled or have some free rein?).
From a point of principle i’d be happier if ‘local’ politicians would just stand up and communicate the ideals, and give it to us as it is. I don’t see the point in legal guarantees if the treaty already protected Ireland in the first place (after all we were also encouraged to vote yes in the 1st referendum), and I suspect they are just a vehicle for ethically justifying a rerun on what is essentially the same treaty.
The ‘no’ campaign focussed on local arguments in the first ‘episode’ which forced the ‘yes’ side to defend their position based on the same issues. This moved the whole thing away from the primary objectives and prevented the electorate from getting closer to the core of things. In some ways this may have suited the supporters of the treaty as we’re well known for being ‘troublesome’ as soon as someone from outside starts telling us what is best!
However I also believe the Irish people are well able to make educated decisions if they are given clear, concise and relevant information in the first place.
In summary, I wonder if the ‘aura’ around the 2nd referendum will be just the same as the first, and I question whether i might end up voting in the wrong direction for what is questionably either the right or wrong reasons.
Update: All over now – no surprise ending. The yes side got it 2nd time round and there won’t be a repeat! I guess what it really means will become apparent over the coming years.
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Actor Colin Farrell seems to have done it for the ladies, and French president Nicolas Sarkozy is credited with blowing it for the French. He is reported as single-handedly changing the perception of how the world sees French men.
I like Ryanair, flew with them a couple of weeks ago and will again. I just think Micky boy looks better in green, and he should drop the fare and get as many Irish fans over there as possible!
