Teenage drinking leads to killing

In Ireland this week we have seen the ongoing trial of 18 year old Finn Colclough of Waterloo Rd. in South Dublin.The Institiute of Education student stands accused of the murder of another 18 year old student, Sean Nolan. This is a case which sums up one of the problems in Irish culture which has never been properly addressed, despite all the ad campaigns. I am of course referring to teenage drinking. Conclough stabbed Nolan twice in the chest, one of which proved to be a fatal injury to his heart. The fact that the incident occurred at 4 in the morning at a time when everyone present at the scene was so drunk that many could not provide detailed accounts of what occurred, comes as no surprise. Both young men had been out celebrating exam results and it seems the argument occurred over who would provide a corkscrew for the bottle of wine which had been purchased in a nearby petrol station.

Finn Colclough arrives at court.

(Picture courtesy of The Evening Herald)
This is another extremely tragic event in the long history of drink fuelled violence in Ireland. One wonders at what point people will see sense. At what point are we going to stand up and be counted for in the battle against this scourge which has blighted our society for generations? Parents , in my opinion, is where the buck stops. We need to educate our children from a much younger age  than is the norm to be responsible and learned of the perils of alcohol.
But I sound like a broken record. It is very easy to be disheartened when one examines the facts ; alcohol related crime in Ireland has never been higher and continues to increase in frequency.
So what can be done?
This it appears in almost infinite question taking in an endless number of aspects ; policing, parenting, licensing laws etc etc. We could spend all day. But I think it is a fair conclusion to say that so far, the changes in these measures have not succeeded. So it would appear, in some ways, that it comes down to the individual. Each of us has a personal responsibility to society as a whole to stand up and be counted for and I suppose, not allow this to be something which we just regard as societies combined problem. It is very easy to feel that one’s own efforts is merely a drop in the ocean and does not / will not make a difference. But as we know, combine the drops and you have the ocean.
Enough metaphors. Everyone must do their bit. Teach our children. Ring the police. Don’t walk on by. Maybe this should be the new basis for the ad campaigns , which in Ireland anyway, taking alcohol as an example, merely tell the viewer NOT TO DRINK MORE THAN THE LIMIT.
Is it fair to say this is the wrong approach? It does not address the problem in oh so many ways. In fact, it raises some serious questions in itself.  The ad campaigns regarding excessive drinking in Ireland have failed as has the law. A whole new approach is required. And maybe that approach requires a whole new model: New laws and a new imputus which appeals to the social conscience of the individual possibly? But these are just suggestions. Major public debate is required. Because the situation at the moment is really, really depressing. Let’s all do what we can. Because, if not, we are failing as a society and we will only feel the pinch of that when it affects us personally and by then, it may be too late.
This should be, in my opinion, the biggest issue at the next election.

Ronald wins award

Cristiano Ronaldo was named FIFA Pro World Footballer of the Year this week. The 23 year old Manchester United winger picked up the award after an outstanding season last year for his club in which he bagged 42 goals in all competitions as Sir Alex Ferguson’s side romped home as both domestic  and European Champions.

Ronaldo with two of his awards from last year:

( Picture courtesy of Getty Images )
By all accounts, Ronaldo’s performances on the pitch last season were fantastic, but is that a measure of greatness? The problem here is Ronaldo’s questionable character. Given that the Portugese is supposed to be a role model to young footballers everywhere, questions are being asked into how he conducts himself both on and off the pitch.
Problems first arose with Ronaldo when he did everything he could at the last World Cup to get his team mate Wayne Rooney sent off in the match between Portugal and England. Appealing to the referee to send somebody off the pitch and then being caught on camera winking to your manager is not what is expected in the professional game. Ronaldo followed this with a season in which he was renouned for diving ( throwing oneself to the ground whilst unchallenged ) , which is, in other words,  cheating. He is renouned for his off the ball antics where he is often to be seen rolling around in ‘agony’ before jumping back to his feet simultaneously as the referee awards him a free kick.
Dissappointingly, it does not stop here. Off the pitch, Ronaldo spent the entire summer trying to engineer a move away from Old Trafford. Despite being the one of the highest paid footballers in the Premiership, Sir Alex Ferguson conceded that his ‘’head has been turned by money”.
What price loyalty eh?
As a result of this , Manchester United are about to offer him a new contract in the region of £150,000 per week in order to retain his services and keep him from the clutches of Real Madrid. This was , of course, after Ronaldo has announced he was staying at the club to repay the manager’s faith in him. ( Ferguson paid £12 million for the player when he was just 18 ).
What we are building up here is a picture of a footballer who is undeniably very talented but has a questionable character. This man is supposed to be a role model for young children, a role he is quite happy to fulfil in his numerous sponsorhip deals where large amounts of money are involved. But when it comes to actually fulfilling these obligations, the man is found to be wanting.
In conclusion, Ronaldo has won the award which makes him the greatest footballer of the year. But ‘greatness’ is a measure of a number of different things and it is fair to say that there are numerous other players out there who tick more of the boxes. Call Ronaldo the Most Skillful Player of the Year absolutely, but look to humble, generous and honest players such as John Terry, Stephen Gerrard  and Ryan Giggs to name but a few, when one is earmarking ‘greatness’.

Giggs in his work as an Ambassador for UNICEF:

( Picture courtesy of UNICEF )
Each one of those men has proven himself to be an ambassador for their sport over the past year and I feel a distinction must be made when these prestigious awards are being handed out to professional footballers.

College Fee Protests

Approximately 10,000 students from across Ireland have gathered today outside Dail Eireann in a major protest against Government plans to re-introduce college fees for those with parents whose incomes exceed a set amount ( believed to be in the region of €40,000 ).

The garda dog unit and gardaí on horseback patrolled the area alongside 80 gardaí who stood at the main gates of Leinster House on Kildare Street.The Union of Students of Ireland told demonstrators it would continue to fight the reintroduction of third level fees. So far, the Government has raised the registration fee for students from €900 to €1500 but there is widespread dismay at the proposed plan to charge students the full tuition costs of nearly €7000.

Student Protests, Dublin :

USI’s David Curran said students all over Ireland would organise and ensure that the campaign remained high on the political agenda. Many students feel that the proposed legislation is another attack on the middle income earners to whom it is perceived are able to “afford college” and is merely another handicap which will serve to increase student debt.

The USI has stated that despite the good intentions of the Department of Educations’ drive to ensure more lower income families are able to afford to send their children to College, the taxation of the middle income earners in this way does not help to serve the intended purpose of increased opportunity. USI’s David Curran states that the new propsals will merely “encourage” those who may have previously gone to college that in fact, their futures’ lie elsewhere. Already, figures show that a four year degree in Ireland will cost a student somewhere in the region of €30,000 – €40,000 when all costs have been factored in. Rent costs in Dublin are currently one of the highest in Europe and the cost of living equally expensive.

Irish Budget : All Pain, No Gain

With the the publication this week of the Irish budget for the forthcoming fiscal year, it would appear that there is little to be cheerful about in the land of the Celtic Tiger. Here are the main points of the budget at a glance :

Taxation : 1pc levy on incomes up to €1925 per week – 2pc levy on earnings over that. Standard rate of tax band increased by €1000 for single, €2000 for married couples. 21 pc VAT to 21.5pc from Dec 1st.

Health : A & E charges up from €66 to €100 for non-medical card holders without a GP letter. Means test for over 70s medical card.

Old Reliables : 20 pack of cigarettes up 50c. Bottle of wine up 50c. Litre of petrol up 8c.

Transport : €10 departures levy. Motor tax rates up by 4pc and 5pc.

Education : College registration fees up from €900 to €1500

Welfare : State contributory pensions up by €7 a week.

Public service : Government ministers and some senior civil servants to take a 10pc pay cut.

So there you have it. A bit of doom and gloom for the Irish taxpayer. Coupled with the fact that the Government has had to scrap its’ plans for civil service relocation AND the proposed national stadium, one is left wondering what Fianna Fail have been doing in office these past 10 years…

Isn’t the whole point of increased capital to capitalise on it ? Questions have been asked about what has happened to all of the wealth generated by the boom in the Irish economy since roughly 1997, however, none have been answered. To little surprise might I add.

Bertie was obviously spending too much with Mahon.

It’s hard to know whether or not you should laugh or cry sometimes. Or emigrate.

‘Lying Eyes’ receives her sentence

The most shocking story back in Ireland this week revolves around the sentencing to 6 years in prison for 45 year old Ennis divorcee Sharon Collins who was found guilty of plotting the murders of her 61 year old partner PJ Howard and his two sons Robert, 32, and Niall 25.
The mother of two children from a previous marriage contacted a potential assassin through an online website by the name  of ‘hitmanforhire.com’. It was here that she hatched the murder plot with Essam Eid, an Egyptian poker dealer, based in Las Vegas. Using the alias ‘lying eyes’, Ms. Collins arranged for a transaction involving the sum of £10,000 to be paid to Mr. Eid who was to come to Ireland, poison Mr. Howards’ two sons and then fake the suicide of her partner. The two conspired to push him from a balcony in Spain.

Sharon Collins :

The plot fell apart when Mr.Eid tried to blackmail Mr. Howard into having the contract cancelled for a sum in the region of £50,000. It was at this point that Mr. Howard contacted the police who arrested Mr. Eid in a Dublin hotel in posession of the deadly substance ricin.

P.J Howard :

The motive for the intended murders was money. Mr.Howard is a wealthy businessman in Co.Clare with a fortune believed to be in the region of €60 million. Ms.Collins stood to be the sole beneficiary of this money if the plot had come to pass. She had forged a Mexican marriage certficate from an online website which would have completed the plot.

One of the most shocking aspects of the trial was the defence that Mr.Howard provided in favour of Ms.Collins. Standing before the jury, Mr. Howard pleaded for her to be found innocent of her crimes and he stated that she was the most ‘magnificent woman’ he had ever known. Mr.Howard is clearly still completely besotted by the woman who tried to have him murdered and he has said that he will never believe the story the prosecution put forward during her trial.

Essam Eid :

However, Ms. Collins was found guilty of attempted murder as the evidence was undeniable. She has tried to pass off the plot under the guise of research for a novel but the jury saw through her lies. Her sentencing this week brings to a close an extremelly desturbing case involving greed, betrayal,lies and deceit.

Sadly for Mr. Howard, the mesmerising affect this womam has had on his life continues, as he campaigns for her release. The public watches this ongoing car crash in sadness.

( All pictures courtesy of The Sunday Tribune )

Armed raider killed by members of public

Killester on the North side of the River Liffey in Dublin was the scene of a killing today outside a Super Value shopping centre. Paul Howe, 23, from Tallaght died at the scene after he was involved in a botched robbery.

It appears that Mr.Howe and an accomplice entered the off licence located at the side entrance to the supermarket where they produced knives, threatening both members of staff and the public.

After proceeding to rob money from the cash registers aswell as onlookers, both men made off on foot in the direction of a waiting car. It was at this point that security staff and a number of young men chased the two raiders into the adjoining car park. According to the Gardai, CCTV from the scene shows a scuffle break out between the two groups at which point Mr.Howe was fatally wounded with his own knife.

Two men who were arrested at the scene have since been released and a file has been sent to the DPP.

The scene of the man’s death in Killester, Dublin :

( Picture courtesy of RTE )

This case raises a number of questions. At what point do members of the public cross over from the position of defending oneself and ones property to a position of , in fact, becoming the attacker ? Nobody can fault these young men for chasing the raiders – rather they should be praised for their bravery. Mr.Howe produced a knife and in doing so, he left himself open to the possibility of it being used against him. Which is exactly what happened. It will be interesting to see whether the accused stand trial for murder, manslaughter, both or even whether or not this case goes to a trial at all.