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Success was written all over Brendan Bracken
Thursday, August 14, 2008
JUST 50 years ago last Friday the death occurred of an Irishman who made a big name for himself in the UK and must be well in the running to be acclaimed the greatest Irish Englishman of them all.
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Harrington set for sportsman of the year
Thursday, July 31, 2008
IT IS great to be right there at the battlefront of a world sport event. Ireland is a small country and despite always having great expectations it isn’t often we are right there fighting it out in the final.
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Bruni’s journey from Turin to Paris
Thursday, July 24, 2008
ONE of the most intriguing Europeans on the world stage presently must be Carla BruniSarkozy, the wife of the President of France.
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Dramatic end to Betancourt saga
Thursday, July 17, 2008
ONE thing the month of July 2008 brought forth for all the world to see was the daring rescue of the person who could well be regarded as this world’s most famous captive, namely Ingrid Betancourt.
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Success through the Gates
Thursday, July 10, 2008
FROM time to time a person is born who has been given a special assignment to perform during his or her lifetime.
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Super Yeats steals the show at Ascot
Thursday, July 03, 2008
THE annual Royal Ascot race meeting in mid-June is generally regarded as the best five-day flat race meeting in this world we live in.
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Hard to fathom treaty outcome
Thursday, June 26, 2008
IRELAND was very much to the forefront in the world during the month of June.
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Bush slated between covers of pal’s book
Thursday, June 19, 2008
LAST week George W Bush paid his last trip to Europe as President of the USA. It was a kind of low-key last hurrah.
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White House keys in the handbag
Thursday, June 12, 2008
THE time is ripe to do a spot check on the next First Lady of the USA.
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Kennedy is a true giant
Thursday, June 05, 2008
THE recent news that Teddy Kennedy had a malignant brain tumour was received with shock and sadness the world over, especially here in Ireland as his interest in the land of his forefathers has never waned.
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Fergie has delivered the goods
Thursday, May 29, 2008
THE joy and the torture between victory and defeat was never more forcefully seen on a sporting occasion than what happened on a playing field in Moscow at 1.50am – Moscow time – last Thursday morning.
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China crisis is hard to watch
Thursday, May 22, 2008
THE main news this week comes from China where an earthquake left a death toll of over 15,000, among them some 800 students buried in the school building in which their classes were being held.
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Brutality in Burma must end
Thursday, May 15, 2008
THE worst disaster of the year to date occurred in Myanmar - formerly Burma - when a cyclone disaster of immense proportions struck there leaving 100,000 feared dead.
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Stop turning a blind eye
Thursday, May 08, 2008
AUSTRIA, right there in the centre of Europe, is almost exactly the same size as this island of ours - 32,383 square miles as against Ireland’s 32,594 - with a population of just over eight million.
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Brian likely to hail Mary
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
BRIAN Cowen will this week be announcing the members of his first cabinet which is the name given to a selected group of ministers.
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Patrick Hillery was a very decent man
Thursday, April 24, 2008
I HAVE always regarded Dr Patrick Hillery as being the luckiest politician in Ireland since we gained our independence.
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Kaloyev’s bloody revenge
Thursday, April 17, 2008
IN my column of 16 July 2002 I recorded one of the saddest tragedies ever. It occurred in the open sky over Switzerland on 1 July that year when two planes collided, killing all 71 on board both aircraft.
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Ahern has a record to be proud of
Thursday, April 10, 2008
WHAT will probably be the biggest news of the year in Ireland was Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern’s announcement that he would be stepping down as Taoiseach on May 6.
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Terror in Tibet
Thursday, April 03, 2008
TIBET is very much in the news of late. It is the highest region in the world - situated in a plateau averaging 15,000 feet above sea level - over four times the height of Carrantuohill.
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Buffet has tasted the good life
Thursday, March 27, 2008
FORBES magazine has named Warren Buffett to be this world’s rich-est person. He has ousted Bill Gates from the top spot.
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Killarney winner’s Cheltenham triumph
Thursday, March 20, 2008
The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men Gang aft a-gley And leave us nought but pain and woe For promised joy
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It could be seven-up for the Irish
Thursday, March 13, 2008
CHELTENHAM in all its glory begins this Tuesday. Last year on Thursday March 15, the third day of the great meeting, the course was visited by David Ashforth who has been assessing the atmosphere of all the racecourses in the UK and Ireland for Racing Post.
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It could be Gore v Rice
Thursday, March 06, 2008
IT is always important to know, or at least to have a good idea, what is likely to be the most important issue facing the electorate.
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Hello Kosovo, welcome to Europe
Thursday, February 28, 2008
SO welcome then to Kosovo, the newest state in both Europe and the world.
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Horrors of 9/11 recalled by trial
Thursday, February 21, 2008
THE term 9/11 stands for one of the most infamous days in world history - September 11, 2001.
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Real democracy is a joy to watch
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
DEMOCRACY at its almighty best is about the only way you could describe the election of the person with most power in this world we live in – the President of the United States of America.
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Killarney priest’s strong link with the Munich air disaster
Thursday, February 07, 2008
FIFTY years ago this week a plane crashed on the snowcovered runway at Munich Airport with the Manchester United football team, led by Matt Busby, on board.
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Gandhi achieved his goals in life
Thursday, January 31, 2008
SIXTY years ago this week Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated and this is an appropriate time to have a look at a man who was way before his time. Also, let’s take a look at that Empire he played a leading role in banishing.
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Bush sees big players up close
Thursday, January 24, 2008
THE big news at the start of the year 2008 was President George W Bush’s visit to the Middle East -his first to that haven of unrest since he was elected President of the USA in the year 2000.
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Backing Barack came at a price
Thursday, January 17, 2008
IT is really baffling to understand how all the polls forecasting the New Hampshire primary election in the USA got it so wrong.
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Democracy is the best revenge
Thursday, January 10, 2008
AS the year 2007 drew to a close and the new year got under-way, events in Pakistan captured world attention.
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Looking back on the past with an eye to the future
Thursday, January 03, 2008
BACK in the post World War I era, open air dances in specially constructed concrete platforms were held in North Kerry. There was an open air platform built about 200 yards from the village of Asdee on the Ballylongford road.
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Obama my frontrunner for the hotseat
Thursday, December 20, 2007
ON the third day of the new year we will get the first inkling from the people of the USA who they want to occupy the White House after the nation goes to the polls on 4 November 2008.
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Glimmer of hope for the free world
Thursday, December 13, 2007
THERE were interesting elections held in Russia and Venezuela last week, which demand more than a cursory look.
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The agony and ecstasy down under
Thursday, December 06, 2007
THE agony and the ecstasy of life down under was brought home vividly to viewers watching the results of the Australian general election unfold last week.
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Sarkozy is my main man
Thursday, November 29, 2007
IT’S Person of the Year time again and earlier this month I sent in my 54th nomination for what is probably the world’s most famous accolade.
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Good sport the real winner
Thursday, November 22, 2007
THE biggest thrill of the flat racing season which has just ended was provided not in an actual horse race but in the battle for the jockey championship.
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Hillary fails to shine in Democratic debates
Thursday, November 15, 2007
THE marathon US presidential election has just 356 days to go before the public decide who will be their next president.
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Russia turns its back on Stalin’s evil past
Thursday, November 08, 2007
WHO was the greatest mass murderer the world has ever known? In anybody’s shortlist a place must be found for one Josef Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, better known as Joseph Stalin.
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Benn there, done that
Friday, October 26, 2007
TONY Benn, or to give him his full name, Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn, is one of those people who brightened this passing parade during his sojourn in this world.
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Che Guevara left his mark on the world
Thursday, October 18, 2007
I NOTE that the 40th anniversary of the death of Ernesto Che Guevara has not been let go by unnoticed. There was something special about this man that captured the imagination. I'll probe it further and see what it is.
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Putin still has hunger for power
Thursday, October 11, 2007
THE leader of the largest country in this world is Vladimir Putin. He was born in Leningrad - now St Petersburg - on October 7, 1952. Last week he celebrated his 55th birthday so he is still a young man.
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Monks bring the fight to the junta
Thursday, October 04, 2007
MYANMAR, formerly Burma, is very much in the news as I write and not before its time I must say.
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Time to stage a Killarney National
Thursday, September 27, 2007
LISTOWEL’S marathon seven-day race meeting was held in the North Kerry capital last week and it is deservedly regarded as the last of festival meetings held in Ireland annually.
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Madeleine case is very harrowing
Thursday, September 20, 2007
THERE is no news item that I can recall that got more coverage from the media than the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
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Sarkozy joins the political jet set
Thursday, August 23, 2007
THE brightest shark on the world stage at present seems to be the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy.
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America cannot win the war in Iraq
Thursday, August 16, 2007
AFTER reading a mighty article by Michael Ignatieff, a former professor of Harvard and contributory writer for The New York Times Magazine who is now a member of Canada’s Parliament and Deputy leader of the Liberal Party, I have come to the conclusion that there is no way America can win the war in Iraq and the sooner American troops are withdrawn from there the better.
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The Tour De France tainted once again
Thursday, August 09, 2007
I HAVE always main- tained that the most gru- elling and toughest sport- ing event in this world is the Tour de France, racing on your bicycle over 2000 miles through the hills and vales of France during the month of July.
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Harrington in the lead role as drama unfolds
Thursday, August 02, 2007
THE agony and the ecstasy of life was brought home in full measure to those watching the final round of the Open Golf Championship live on their TV screens from Carnoustie, Scotland.
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Clinton scandal put in the shade by Nixon
Friday, July 27, 2007
SINCE Bill Clinton ended his second term as President of the USA he has collected over eight million dollars for talks given to various groups.
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The search goes on for Amelia Earhart
Thursday, July 19, 2007
A FEW years back I did an exercise which consisted of listing the most famous person born in each of the 50 states of the USA. The person I selected for the state of Kansas was Amelia Earhart.
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Gordon Brown passed his first major test
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
THE major news story in July to date was the attempt to set off the car bombs in Central London and ram a fuel laden jeep into a terminal at Glasgow Airport.
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A new outlet for great Blair flair
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
SO Tony Blair has ended his sojourn as Prime Minister of the UK after spending a decade in the top job.
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A Royal rupture causes a real storm in France political life
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
IN this column on June 5, I relayed the story that Segolene Royal, who was beaten for the Presidency of France, was prompted to take a frontline in the French political scene after her partner and the father of her four children allegedly showed an interest in another woman.
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Here’s to the greatest cowboy
Thursday, June 21, 2007
WHO was the greatest cowboy of them all? Two names come instant-ly to mind mainly because of an unforgettable show both had in one film.
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Days of hardship a distant memory
Thursday, June 14, 2007
JOHN Henry (Cardinal) Newman, a convert to the catholic faith, had a big say in getting UCD underway. Newman House, next door to University College Dublin, is called after him.
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We all owe so much to the genius Carl Linnaeus
Thursday, May 17, 2007
SOME people seem to have been born to do a specific job on earth and Marconi can be taken as the striking example of this.
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Worries over the missing honey bee
Thursday, May 10, 2007
THERE is no more fascinating insect to be seen than the ordinary honey bee whose forays through the air collecting honey are so vividly described by the poet, Matthew Prior below.
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History will have its say on Boris
Thursday, May 03, 2007
MOST people in Ireland probably remember Boris Yeltsin as the Russian leader who stayed on board his plane at Shannon Airport and left Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds, waiting in vain to meet him.
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Slaughter of the innocents in Virginia
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
HEARING of a massacre of innocent people taking place anywhere in the world is always very sad news. What must it be like for those connected with the massacre, the innocents slaughtered and the friends and relations of those who are killed?
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Vincent still going strong at 90
Thursday, April 19, 2007
AN occasion of note last week was Vincent O’Brien celebrating his 90th birthday on April 9.
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An evil trade that exposed inhumanity
Thursday, April 05, 2007
TWO hundred years ago this week, an act for the abolition of the slave trade came into force. The end of an inglorious chapter in the history of the human race had got under-way and not before time.
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Some feat as Euro pact reaches golden milestone
Thursday, March 29, 2007
FIFTY years ago this week the European Community was launched with the Treaty of Rome.
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Always beware of the ides of March
Thursday, March 22, 2007
MARCH has been a notable month on the Irish political scene and it’s worth noting that something of significance occurred during the month of March 75, 50 and 25 years ago.
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De Valera’s last victory
Thursday, March 15, 2007
FIFTY years ago this month Eamon De Valera, at the age of 75, fought his last election as leader of Fianna Fail.
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We can be proud to be Irish
Thursday, March 08, 2007
THE opening up of Croke Park for rugby and soccer caused quite a bit of controversy, especially the occasion of England’s visit to the hollowed ground to play Ireland in the six nation rugby Championship.
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The debate on Hitler’s rise to power
Thursday, March 01, 2007
JUST 75 years ago thismonth Adolf Hitler became a German citizen when he changed his nationality from Austrian to German.
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Abramovich close to the top of the rich list
Thursday, February 22, 2007
RUSSIA was ruled with an iron fist for about 30 years by Joseph Stalin. In this time the state owned everything and it remained that way for almost 30 years after Stalin’s death in 1953 until the collapse of communism some 15 years ago.
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The mystery of the deadly bird flu
Thursday, February 15, 2007
TO date there have been two major recordings of widespread deaths in the human race.
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Reid between the lines in the UK
Thursday, February 08, 2007
THE man of the moment in the UK is not Tony Blair or Gordon Brown or for that matter David Cameron - it’s John Reid who has got into all sorts of difficulties since he was appointed Home Secretary.
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Don’t write off Al Gore
Thursday, February 01, 2007
AFTER the local tussle, which is always intriguing, the next most interesting election for most Irish folk is the American presidential election.
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Congregation floating on high
Friday, January 26, 2007
ON Tuesday last Fr Kevin McNamara, CC Killarney, gave all those attending 10.30am Mass in St Mary’s Cathedral, Killarney a lovely reminder that spring is with us, ahead of schedule you could say. He presented all present with a bunch of golden daffodils.
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Anniversary of tough guy Bogie’s death
Thursday, January 18, 2007
THIS week marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Humphrey Bogart. He died on January 14, 1957.
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No mercy for the Butcher of Baghdad
Thursday, January 11, 2007
THERE was something not right about the hanging of Saddam Hussein. I have no doubt the man deserved to be hanged for his vile deeds but the leaking of images of the actual moment of hanging should not have happened.
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Death of a dictator with a love for melons
Thursday, January 04, 2007
THREE deaths of great interest occurred around Christmas that are worthy of mention in my column this week
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Chavez is in line to succeed Castro
Thursday, December 21, 2006
THERE was no sign of Fidel Castro at his 80th birthday celebration that also coincided with his 50 years at the helm in Cuba.
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Looking hard into the soul to find the truth
Thursday, December 14, 2006
THE murky world of spying has been very much in the news of late - all the way from Moscow to Maynooth with the main drama unfolding in London. There is so much speculation as to what is happening that it is almost impossible to slot the pieces in this mighty jigsaw into place. Here are a few of the pieces to think over.
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South Kerry in 1966 had the potential for a big best seller
Thursday, December 07, 2006
FORTY years ago this week one of the most exciting elections ever held in Ireland took place in the constituency of South Kerry. Those of us privileged to have lived through it had a wonderful free show that shortened the winter months.
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An awful week of bloodshed
Thursday, November 30, 2006
LAST week was one of those horrendous periods that started off on our own doorstep with a brutal attack on Fr Michael O’Leary, the parish priest of Ballymacelligott.
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Saddam could be Time’s Person of the Year
Friday, November 24, 2006
BUSH and Saddam are still in the spotlight this week. Since the expected result of the midterm elections in the USA were confirmed, I have wondered who played the key role in that result and it is Saddam Hussein and not George Bush who keeps cropping up.
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Bush and Saddam back in the spotlight
Friday, November 17, 2006
TWO events have dominated the news since the penultimate month of the year got underway. Saddam Hussein has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity and the midterm elections have taken place in the USA.
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Banker of the poor is my choice for Time’s Person of the Year
Thursday, November 09, 2006
I AM under strain this week trying to emulate a feat I successfully accomplished 50 years ago, namely to pick the person whom I think will be TIME’s Person of the Year 2006.
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Putin must work at justice for all
Friday, November 03, 2006
THE biggest enigma with a leading role on the world stage right now seems to be the Russian boss, Vladimir Putin.
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The world owes Clinton a debt of gratitude
Thursday, October 26, 2006
WHAT has Bill Clinton got that nobody else currently on deck seems to have? Call it charisma or whatever you like, but he seems to have got that special something in abundance.
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It’s now all up to Ian Paisley
Friday, October 20, 2006
I AM still awaiting the possibility of a leopard changing its spots and that will happen if Ian Paisley joins in with Sinn Fein to form a government in Northern Ireland.
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The race to succeed Kofi Annan
Thursday, October 12, 2006
AFTER World War I, the League of Nations was formed to solve international disputes by arbitration The HQ was Geneva in Switzerland.
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A splendid success story at the K Club
Thursday, October 05, 2006
GOOD is the enemy of the best - that was a favourite saying of my mother and it is very true, as was brought home to all and sundry who watched the Ryder Cup from the K Club in Co Kildare.
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Sweden remains a role model for the world
Thursday, September 28, 2006
SWEDEN is a country that fascinates me and there is something about it that captures the imagination.
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We will never forget the sheer terror of 9/11
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
WE all had time to reflect on the fifth anniversary of 9/11, an event that was probably the greatest showing of man’s inhumanity to man ever recorded because of its spontaneity and the sheer terror and destruction it caused.
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The fascinating link between Ford and Hogan
Thursday, September 14, 2006
GLENN Ford featured in approximately 100 films so he must have been seen by a wider audience than most other film stars.
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Happy ending to a very bizarre story
Thursday, September 07, 2006
THE most bizarre story I have ever come across unfolded in Austria last month.
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Something fishy is going on in Kerry
Thursday, August 24, 2006
JELLYFISH are always a bloody nuisance if you are going for a swim, especially if they are in large numbers on the shore or in the water as you enter it.
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Frightful slaughter must come to an end
Thursday, August 17, 2006
THE saddest, maddest and most stupid war is taking place presently in the Middle East. There can be no winners.
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Poet Southey was more than a bit player
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
ONE of my favourite quotations from the works of William Shakespeare is the following: “As tedious as a twice told tale vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man”. Could anybody better that description?
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Nobel winner shaw deserved a more fitting tribute
Thursday, August 03, 2006
GEORGE Bernard Shaw (GBS) was born at 3 Upper Synge Street, Dublin on July 26 in 1856.
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Middle East in crisis once again
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
HAPPENINGS in the Middle East have once again dominated proceedings in this world we live in.The sudden escalation of warfare over there is really frightening.
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Zinédine Zidane goes from hero to zero
Thursday, July 20, 2006
IT was sad to see a player nose-diving, in a moment of madness, from being the hero of the World Cup to becoming the villain of the piece.
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What would Dylan Thomas say about Kieran Fallon?
Thursday, July 13, 2006
THE Budweiser Irish Derby at The Curragh is always a great day at the races and this year’s version was no exception.
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It’s Time to predict who the winner will be
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
WITH the longest half of the year –as far as daylight hours go – finishing last weekend, it is time to give a cursory glance back and do a spot-check on who I think will be the likely contenders for Time magazine’s Person of the Year 2006.
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Ballybunion would have been a great Ryder Cup host
Thursday, June 29, 2006
THE toughest examination paper in golf is provided by the US Open annually and this year’s venue at Winged Foot, just outside New York, was no exception.
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History will be kind to CJ Haughey
Thursday, June 22, 2006
CHARLES J Haughey must be well in the running to be acclaimed the most controversial Irish born politician of them all.
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What a finish. What a sight.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
FOUR horses crossing the finishing line within half a length of each other – what a magnificent sight to behold That was the scene at the finish of the greatest flat race in the world, The Derby, which was run over Epsom Downs on Saturday, June 2.
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When a tremor is felt throughout the world
Thursday, June 08, 2006
WHAT must it be like listening to the rumblings of a volcano belching out hot ashes and waiting for the big eruption? It is hard to imagine how a person could feel and behaves in such circumstances.
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Red alert as GAA could be put in the shade
Thursday, June 01, 2006
FOR a Kerry person it is hard to believe that a game of rugby football could engender more excitement in Ireland than Gaelic football, hurling or soccer. But that is what it did.
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The days we thought would never end
Thursday, May 25, 2006
SOME 30 or 40 years ago, Question Time was a popular programme on Radio …ireann and at local functions as well. There were quite a few question books published and these, of course, included the answers as well.
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Walesa’s place in history is assured
Thursday, May 18, 2006
ONE of my great heroes, ever since he came to the forefront in Poland and took on the mighty Soviet Union, has been (and still is) Lech Walesa.
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Galbraith was a real legend
Thursday, May 11, 2006
A TOWERING figure of the 20th century passed away on April 29, at the age of 97.
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Suicide bombers bring terror to a new level
Thursday, May 04, 2006
COPING with the suicide bomber is always fraught with danger and the tactic has raised terrorism to a frightening new level. How can you cope with a person who is willing to blow himself or herself to eternity?
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Se·nwastherightmanintherightplace
Thursday, April 27, 2006
SEÁN Kelly is a man of vision and foresight whose tenure in office as President of the GAA was a notable one on many fronts.
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Why the world is very badly divided
Thursday, April 20, 2006
"THE world is in a state of chassis". The immortal words of Joxer Daly in Sean O’Casey’s June and the Peacock readily came to mind when I see all that is happening in this topsy-turvy world we are living in.
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McGahern was amongst the greatest
Thursday, April 13, 2006
JOHN McGahern was acclaimed to be the greatest Irish novelist of the generation when he died on March 30, 2006. His output was not great, but what he delivered was top class.
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Samuel Beckett and the €64,000 question
Thursday, April 06, 2006
A NICE €64,000 question suitable for the TV series Who wants to be a Millionaire?
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A cruel end to a truly great life
Thursday, March 30, 2006
A TWO part series on Harold Wilson, the former British Prime Minister, was shown on UTV recently and it was quite informative.
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A wonderful week for the Irish
Thursday, March 23, 2006
WITH ministers scattered far and wide all over the world last week, Cheltenham was certainly missing a few punters from the political arena.
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The racing priest takes centre stage
Thursday, March 16, 2006
I WAS bowled over by a racing book that I was forwarded to review by the publishers and with the Cheltenham festival underway, this could be a good week to tell you about it.
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We must all be on alert for bird flu
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
AT the moment the world is very much on the alert for bird flu. The European Union has set surveillance requirements for its 25 member countries to test wild fowl for the disease.
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Seasoned traveller makes his final journey
Thursday, February 23, 2006
A PHONE call on Monday afternoon last week brought me the sad news that my old and valued friend from my UCD days had passed on.
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Time was money for the great Franklin
Thursday, February 16, 2006
WELL in the running to be the most famous American of them all, outside of those who held presidential office, must be Benjamin Franklin who was born 300 years ago this year and the occasion surely merits a mention.
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Kavanagh brothers keep genius in the family
Thursday, February 09, 2006
IF ever a man was his brother’s keeper, Peter Kavanagh was that for the poet Patrick Kavanagh.
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Kitchener’s strong links with Black Wood Cross
Thursday, February 02, 2006
MY daughter, Sinead, bought me a Christmas present of a book entitled 100 Great Lives which contains a century of obituaries from The Times.
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Stampede tragedy can never be repeated
Thursday, January 26, 2006
THE most tragic event of the year 2006 to date must surely be the stampede that killed up to 363 pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
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Edison learned it all in spite of his old teacher
Thursday, January 19, 2006
FR Teddy Lenihan, in his very interesting homily at the first Sunday Vigil Mass of 2006 in St Mary’s Cathedral, Killarney, told the story of young Tom Edison whose teacher requested the boy’s mother to keep her son away from school as he was most annoying, hopelessly stupid and wouldn’t learn a thing.
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A special anniversary for a very special genius
Thursday, January 12, 2006
ANNIVERSARIES of famous people are .usually recalled on special occasions. One that is bound not to go unnoticed is that of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who was born a quarter of a millennium ago.
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Death of racing legend Michael Osborne
Thursday, January 05, 2006
JUST before Christmas, the death took place of Michael Osborne who was a key figure in the racing scene in Ireland for four decades and well known throughout the world as well.
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By Dickens, Charles was surely the greatest
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
SOME of the great stories of Charles Dickens are currently being shown on our television screens and I expect some readers of The Kingdom are following same with great interest.
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It was, my dear friends, a year best forgotten
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
“THE velocity with which time flies is infinite, as is most apparent to those who look back.” So wrote Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4BC- 65AD) around 2000 years ago and he got it right.
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Farewell then Georgie, the Best of them all
Thursday, December 15, 2005
NOT since Winston Churchill's funeral has a person's departure from this world been afforded so much publicity as that given to George Best.
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A wonderful occasion in the cathedral
Thursday, December 08, 2005
WHAT a magnificent pageant we were privileged to see in St Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney from November 27 to 29!
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Bush pedals his way to success in China
Thursday, December 01, 2005
PRESIDENT George W Bush’s visit to China was something special. There he was to be seen cycling around on his bicycle complete with helmet and accompanied by Chinese.
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Blair in a real spot of bother
Thursday, November 24, 2005
HAROLD Wilson’s dictum that a week is a long time in politics has been constantly shown to be true in the way that, in a short time, a politician can soar from great heights in the opinion polls right down to the bottom and vice versa.
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Best Mate had the right name alright
Thursday, November 17, 2005
SPORTING heroes, be they animal or human, increasingly capture the public’s imagination and become a great drawing card in the process.
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A fitting tribute to the master of racing
Thursday, November 10, 2005
IT was a great occasion, that’s for sure, and it was nice to be there for the launch of the official biography of Vincent O’Brien at the K Club, Kildare on October 25.
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Take Cameron to be the new Tory leader
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Now the Tory party is looking for a Tory version of Tony Blair and they may have found him in an unknown called David Cameron.
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Merkel could well be Time’s Person of the Year
Thursday, October 27, 2005
SHE made it in the end. Angela Merkel has entered the history books by becoming the first lady Chancellor of Germany.
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Beware of the modern day black death
Thursday, October 20, 2005
TWO mass killers of human beings have been recorded, namely The Black Death of the 14th century and the great flu that took place at the end of World War I.
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Vatican’s great secrets come out in the wash
Thursday, October 13, 2005
OUTSIDE of visiting the Abbey Theatre to see a couple of John B Keane plays, the last play I saw there was The Conclave. It was one person’s idea as to what happened in The Conclave that elected Pope John XXIII.
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Pope John Paul II deserves the Nobel Peace Prize
Thursday, October 06, 2005
THIS month the winners of the Nobel prizes will be announced and of these the Nobel Peace Prize arouses most interest.
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Gogarty made a monumental impact on life’s journey
Thursday, September 29, 2005
NOW it can be told. Here is an explanation for President Bush’s falling down on the job on the case of hurricane Katrina.
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Here’s to two glorious days at the races
Thursday, September 22, 2005
CHAMPION Stakes day at Leopardstown was one of those special days that seemed to have everything.
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Schröder likely to make way for Merkel
Thursday, September 15, 2005
PROBABLY the most interesting election in the year 2005 takes place in Germany next Sunday. The election was called a year or so in advance after Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s Social Democratic party suffered a series of defeats in local elections.
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Cathedral celebration was a credit to all involved
Thursday, September 01, 2005
A MAJOR milestone of note in this historic diocese of Ardfert and Aghadoe, now commonly referred to as the Diocese of Kerry took place in St Mary’s Cathedral, Killarney on August 22.
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Walesa still a force quarter of a century on
Thursday, August 25, 2005
TWENTY five years ago this month an unknown man came on the scene who was to have a mighty impact in this world we live in. His name? Lech Walesa.
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All we are saying is give peace a chance
Thursday, August 11, 2005
IN the modern world where everybody has instant access to what is happening, terrorist tactics should not be resorted to by any organisation.
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It’s hard to fathom these topsy turvy times
Thursday, August 04, 2005
THE death of Tara Whelan in a terrorist bomb blast in Turkey gave us a touch of the grief that can befall a family and a nation in such tragic circumstances as readers of this column will have read about last week.
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Parents of bomb blast victim show true Christianity
Thursday, July 28, 2005
NEWS on the home front last week was dominated by the death of a lovely Irish girl in far-off Turkey.
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Killarney gets big season off to a flying start
Thursday, July 21, 2005
KILLARNEY kicks-off the major horseracing festival each year and it is closely followed by the biggest one of all in Galway which gets underway just two weeks later.
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Alcock and Brown were among the world's greatest innovators
Thursday, July 14, 2005
IT was very fitting that the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean should be commemorated in style. It was fitting recognition for a remarkable achievement, accomplished 86 years ago by John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown.
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Keeling alerts the world to lurking dangers
Thursday, July 07, 2005
FROM time to time, a person is born who seems to have been given a specific job to do while on earth. Christopher Columbus sailed over the ocean wide to discover America.
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Aung San Sun Kyi deserves her freedom
Thursday, June 30, 2005
IT was certainly a wonderful gesture to see Aung San Sun Kyi, the leader of Burma’s opposition National League for Democracy, being awarded the title of Freeman of Galway City.
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Minister fronts a fitting tribute to Kerry’s merry ploughmen
Thursday, June 23, 2005
“THE Curfew Tolls The Knell Of Parting Day, The Lowing Herd Winds Slowly O’er The Lea, The Ploughman Homeward Plods His Weary Way.
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Seán Doherty was one of a very rare breed
Thursday, June 16, 2005
COLOURFUL figures in Dáil Éireann are a scarce enough breed. There are generally only one or two there.
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Herbert Warren Wind was a great pal to Kerry golf
Thursday, June 09, 2005
THE death occurred last week of Herbert Warren Wind, the greatest golfing scribe in the USA.
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Harry played host to the stars of the big screen
Thursday, June 02, 2005
TWO recent deaths caught my attention and are recorded here. Harry Lush was the manager of the Adelphi Cinema in Dublin for many years.
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Labour Party weekend gathering brings memories flooding back
Thursday, May 26, 2005
HEARING that close on 2,000 delegates will be in Tralee for the Labour Party’s national conference at the weekend, my mind wandered back to 1991 when the same party held its annual gathering in Killarney.
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The time has surely come for a Killarney National
Thursday, May 19, 2005
KILLARNEY’S spring race meeting is generally regarded as the curtain-raiser for the festival season ahead, which ends with Listowel in late September.
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Blair’s ambition is now fulfilled
Thursday, May 12, 2005
“ALL day long the noise of battle roll’d”. Well, in this case, it was all night long for Tennyson’s words came constantly to mind as I followed the UK election results live overnight on television.
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The big question is how much will Blair win by?
Thursday, May 05, 2005
GENERAL elections are always fascinating and I have a feeling next Thursday’s contest in the UK will not be found wanting for a few thrills and spills as the winners unfold.
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Interesting times ahead with Pope Benedict at the helm
Thursday, April 28, 2005
THE big surprise about the selection of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope was the swiftness of selection.
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Cardinal Diongi Tettamangi is my tip to be pope
Thursday, April 21, 2005
THE conclave to elect a new pope is underway in the Vatican and I expect there will be no result for a few days at least.
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John Paul taught the world how to live and how to die
Thursday, April 14, 2005
WHEN Pope John Paul II visited Ireland just over a quarter of a century ago it was the most momentous event ever to take place on the island.
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The last 12 days of Hitler recalled
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
JUST 60 years ago this month, Adolf Hitler, one of the greatest mass murderers in history, bid this world adieu, in a bunker in Berlin.
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Pontiff could well emerge with this year’s Nobel Prize
Thursday, March 31, 2005
THE Nobel Prize is probably the finest accolade you can get in this world giving, as it does, recognition for services rendered in the field of literature, physics, chemistry, medicine and peace.
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Irish invaders conquer Cheltenham in style
Thursday, March 24, 2005
CHELTENHAM’S first fourday festival of racing got off to an auspicious start for the Irish invaders with three fine Irish wins on the opening day.
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Heartbreak for Culloty as Best Mate comes a cropper
Thursday, March 17, 2005
THE greatest feast of jump racing in the world gets underway this Tuesday at Cheltenham, England. This year for the first time it’s a four-day festival with great action assured until Friday.
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Salute Kim Peek, the smartest man in the world
Thursday, March 10, 2005
JUST what is it like being the cleverest person in the world? That distinction falls on Kim Peek, a 53years-old, living with his father in Salt Lake City, USA.
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A Blooming great story from the day I spoke with Joyce
Thursday, March 03, 2005
BLOOMSDAY – the most famous day is literature when Leopald Bloom stepped out of Eccles Street and walked through his native city, all recorded in James Joyce’s novel Ulysses – was June 16, 1904.
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Miller penned his way into the history books
Thursday, February 24, 2005
AS recorded in my column of October 19, 2004, the last time I visited a theatre was on October 9, last year. I went to the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin to have a second look at Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman.
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They didn’t come any better than Raymond Smith, the supreme journalist
Thursday, February 17, 2005
THERE was no better person than Raymond Smith to capture the spirit of a sporting event.
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A great day for Iraq as citizens find their voice
Thursday, February 10, 2005
THE most interesting election for us Irish folk this year will undoubtedly be the one in the UK next May. Even though it looks a foregone conclusion that Tony Blair will get the nod once more.
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Punters’ binoculars turn to Cheltenham
Thursday, February 03, 2005
READERS of that top racing and sporting daily, Racing Post, are currently engaged in selecting the top 100 races in British and Irish racing history.
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The Healy clan branches have spread very far and very wide
Thursday, January 27, 2005
A FEW years ago I was given the loan of a book called The Healy Story as the lender expected that I would find suitable material in it for this column.
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A disaster that shook the earth to its core
Thursday, January 20, 2005
THE aftermath of the tsunami has dominated the news since 2005 got underway. The Mail on Sunday had a very interesting piece by Caroline Graham who told readers that geophysicist, Dr Stuart Weinstein was the first man in the world to know that the tsunami was coming.
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Light arrives after the darkest hour
Thursday, January 13, 2005
AFTER one of the world’s darkest hours, it was heartening to see the wonderful response for help from human beings everywhere.
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One of the greatest human tragedies ever seen
Thursday, January 06, 2005
THE end of the year, 2004, provided those living on earth with horrific images of one of the greatest human tragedies ever known.
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The year that was carried a huge minus factor for the human race
Thursday, December 23, 2004
For close on quarter of a century, Finbarr Slattery has penned an annual end-of-year letter to his friends and it is published annually in The Kingdom just prior to the festive season.
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The Guardians of a great end of year tradition
Thursday, December 16, 2004
ICOLLECTED my 53rd Guardian Yearbook at the Killarney Bookshop earlier this month. This edition consists of 324 pages and costs €21.90 (£14.99) and has contributions from no less than 105 of The Guardian’s best writers.
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'I don t know you,' said Kavanagh, as he turned away
Thursday, December 09, 2004
A POET is not just a person who is able to fit words in the right place, so to speak.
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Hitler's henchmen were a contrasting bunch
Thursday, December 09, 2004
ADOLF Hitler's henchmen were a strange lot. What a contrasting bunch they were, to say the least!
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A disaster that nobody wants and nobody needs
Thursday, December 09, 2004
THERE must be a strong similarity between Ireland at the time of the treaty in the early 20s and Ukraine today.
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Will Bill mention Lisselton in his library of dreams?
Thursday, December 02, 2004
I WONDER if Bill Clinton’s unscheduled stop in Lisselton features in the Clinton Library of Little Rock, Arkansas, USA? I forgot to ask him when I interviewed the great man in my dreams a couple of nights ago.
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Margaret’s slaying was the most shocking image of the year
Thursday, November 25, 2004
THE appalling killing of Margaret Hassan must be the most shocking murder of the year 2004 to date. Who killed her and why are there baffling questions?
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Arafat failed to follow Mandela’s example
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
PALESTINE got its name from the Arabic word Falastin – the English equivalent is Philistine. One of the best known stories in the Bible is the story of David and Goliath.
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Without contempt, the US voters have made their choice
Thursday, November 11, 2004
JOHN Kerry may have been best suited for the task ahead but the American people thought otherwise and, as I predicted last week, George W Bush was given “the nod to stay in office for another four years”.
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Bush seeks God’s blessing in election race
Thursday, November 04, 2004
THE candidate perceived to be "a holy person" always seems to do well in American elections.
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Time to salute Killarney’s pioneers of days gone by
Thursday, October 28, 2004
JUST 50 years ago this month an event took place in Killarney that deserves honourable mention in this column - the World Ploughing Championships.
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The salesman lives on many years after his birth
Thursday, October 21, 2004
THERE is only one William Shakespeare and, undoubtedly, he was the greatest of them all.
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Too early to call as Kerry and Bush go head to head
Thursday, October 14, 2004
ELECTIONS are always fascinating and the marathon US presidential election is no exception.
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The September pageant followed the script
Thursday, October 07, 2004
ALL the pundits got it right when they forecast an easy Kerry victory over Mayo and so it was.
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Nostalgia as my class of ’54 reunites 50 years on
Thursday, September 30, 2004
THE jubilee of my graduation from UCD’s Faculty of Agricultural Science, a very nostalgic occasion, was held in the O’Reilly Hall UCD on Friday, September 17.
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There’s no escaping evil in this world of horrors
Thursday, September 23, 2004
THE staple diet in the media, week in week out, has been the brutal attacks by terrorists all over the world. The worst of all was the terrorist attack in the school at Beslan which was the main item dealt with in my column last week.
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Pity the innocent caught up in slaughter
Thursday, September 16, 2004
MAN’S inhumanity to man was never more shockingly witnessed than the happenings in Beslan so vividly portrayed on our television screens during the first week of the month of September.
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The lad from Brosna showed the Dubs how to do it
Thursday, September 09, 2004
ALADY born in Co Limerick died in Dublin on August 23, aged 103. She had strong Kerry connections through her marriage to Kerry man, Denis Guiney, who truly was a legend in his own lifetime.
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Historians can settle my dispute with Hugh Leonard
Thursday, August 26, 2004
ONE of the dominant figures in world history during the 20th century was Adolf Hitler.
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Why I'm captivated by the Olympic Games
Thursday, August 26, 2004
THE big event on the world stage right now is the Olympic Games. I was really captivated by the opening ceremony.
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Passionate Sven will be canonised in due course
Thursday, August 19, 2004
THE man of the moment on the world stage since the month of August began must surely be Sven Goran Eriksson, the centre of a very British scandal that we hadn’t seen the likes of since the days of John Profumo and Christine Keeler back in the early sixties.
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The great Bob Tisdall blazed a captivating trail
Thursday, August 12, 2004
ONLY three Irish persons have won gold medals in track and field events in the Olympic Games - Bob Tisdall, Pat O’Callaghan and Ronnie Delaney.
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Peter the great shoots straight from the hip
Thursday, August 05, 2004
DR Peter Kavanagh was his brother’s keeper. He made that clear in his interview with John Waters at an occasion to celebrate the centenary of the poet,
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Stories of appalling tragedy and great power in India
Thursday, July 29, 2004
THE saddest event of the year to date must surely be the school blaze in Kumbakonam, India, during which 86 children - 46 girls and 40 boys, all under 10 years of age - were burned to death.
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Killarney Races another job well done
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
KILLARNEY got the festival racing season in Ireland off to an auspicious start last week - a nice aperitif for Galway Races which get underway next week and many winners there will have raced in Killarney.
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Final curtain for the greatest of the them all
Thursday, July 15, 2004
WAS he the greatest movie star of them all? The general consensus seems to be that Marlon Brando who died on July 1, 2004 was just that – "second to none" to quote one obituary writer.
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Tributes flow in for a job well done
Thursday, July 08, 2004
I'D BE making a serious omission in this column if I didn't pay tribute to an Irishman who was the leading European for the past six months.
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Crime and punishment around the world
Thursday, July 08, 2004
COUNTRIES differ in their punishment of crime. Here are two items that caught my eye last week.
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60 years later, my class of 1944 reunites
Thursday, July 01, 2004
MEETING old friends three score years after we had shared a classroom was a wonderful experience. I had that privilege on Sunday, June 20 when the sixth year class of 1943/44 in Blackrock College met to celebrate a nostalgic reunion.
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Harry’s Game is following the great pioneers of the sky
Thursday, June 24, 2004
WHAT must it have been like 85 years ago for a sevenyear- old to hear a loud noise overhead and look up and see an aeroplane in the sky for the first time?
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The day I nearly met Ronald Reagan
Thursday, June 17, 2004
IMISSED out on meeting Ronald Wilson Reagan back in those good old days when the world was at my feet. One night in the late 1940’s he visited the Adelphi Cinema in Dublin boosting up a film he was in called “King’s Row”.
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Let’s see how my Euro tips will measure up
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
I HAVE been forecasting elections results now for well over half a century and the forecasts are there for all to see, if they can be unearthed in the various publications in which they were made.
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Sexual violence is nothing new in war
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
A LOT of mileage in the news media during the month of May was given to the published photographs of Iraqi prisoners being tortured at the hands of that country’s supposed liberators.
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The sport of kings still proves a big Attraction
Thursday, June 03, 2004
GUINEAS weekend at the Curragh was a mighty occasion, particularly on the Sunday with Attraction winning the Boyle Sports Irish 1,000 Guineas in the manner of one of racing’s greats.
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Two real life stories make great fairytales
Thursday, May 27, 2004
TWO happenings have occurred that must be the nearest to fairytales we will ever get in the modern world.
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The shocking reality of man’s inhumanity to man
Thursday, May 20, 2004
THE biggest news story so far this month has been the disgraceful treatment of Iraqi prisoners by American and British forces.
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A salute to Sir Gordon to mark his centenary year
Thursday, May 13, 2004
GORDON Richards was born 100 years ago this month and it would be a shame to let the centenary of his birth pass by unnoticed.
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The day the great Stanley Kubrick earned me a rhyme award
Thursday, May 06, 2004
ARECENT article in The Guardian caught my eye. It was about Stanley Kubrick, a man who I have always held in high esteem ever since I saw The Killing – one of the first films he directed.
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End of an era as Park Place is demolished
Thursday, April 29, 2004
PART of Killarney disappeared last week with the demolition of the Park Place Hotel on Wednesday. What nostalgic memories flooded back?
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Killarney memories of the late Robert Sangster
Thursday, April 22, 2004
ROBERT Sangster, racehorse owner, died of cancer on April 7, 2004. Had he lived another 46 days he would have been 68 – just two years short of the allotted Biblical span of three score and ten.
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Good night and good bye Alistair
Thursday, April 08, 2004
VERY few people get a full page obituary in the four quality newspapers published daily in England. Last week two made it in successive days, Sir Peter Ustinov and Alistair Cooke.
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One down, three to go as spotlight is on the top men
Thursday, April 01, 2004
FOUR people from three different continents featured on the front cover of last week’s edition of The Economist.
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Reasons to cheer after Cheltenham
Thursday, March 25, 2004
THE biggest cheers in Killarney and Tralee on St Patrick’s Day occurred in the betting offices in both towns around 5.50 that afternoon when Jim Culloty emerged victorious on the Tom Cooper trained Total Enjoyment in the Weatherby’s Champion Bumper - the last race run at the Cheltenham festival that afternoon.
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Take Culloty and eight Irish winners to steal the limelight at Cheltenham
Thursday, March 18, 2004
Take Culloty and eight Irish winners to steal the limelight at Cheltenham THE highlight of the racing year in Ireland doesn’t take place at Listowel, Galway or even the Curragh on Derby day.
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He who puffs in boyhood is risking not making manhood
Thursday, March 11, 2004
THERE is no way that I would be writing this column in the year 2004 AD if I hadn’t stopped smoking 27 years ago. I knew they were getting me down and the time had come to call it a day as far as smoking was concerned.
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Eight wives on, Mickey is still hale and hearty
Thursday, March 04, 2004
MICKEY Rooney (83) and his eight wives were recent guests on the Late Late Show.
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Going without for Lent is not asking for too much
Thursday, March 04, 2004
WALKING through the Killarney Demesne on Ash Wednesday, the thought crossed my mind that I should write about the old practice of doing without something you like during Lent.
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Remembering Christy 25 years after his death
Thursday, March 04, 2004
ON this day 25 years ago, I was in Cork. That afternoon the news spread like wildfire over the city that Christy Ring was dead and there was a sudden gloom all over the place.
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Tragedy all over the world including on Dublin's streets
Thursday, March 04, 2004
THE sad bus accident on Dublin's Wellington Quay on February 21 came as a bolt out of the blue and numbed us all.
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Revealed: why the Tralee train always reverses into Killarney Railway Station
Thursday, February 26, 2004
THIS month marks the 200th anniversary of the first successful journey on rails by a steam locomotive. In February 1804 Richard Trevithick built the first steam engine to run on
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Blair and Bush come under the spotlight and both have must work hard to survive
Thursday, February 19, 2004
THE Hutton report has me baffled. Lord Hutton was given the task of reporting on the death of Dr David Kelly, the weapons scientist, who committed suicide.
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Haiti is a tough spot for life's big exam
Thursday, February 12, 2004
THE Republic of Haiti achieved independence 200 years ago. In 1804, after an uprising against French colonial rule led by the former slave, Toussaint L Ouverture - who died in prison in 1803 - and Jean-Jacques Dessalines, independence was achieved.
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John Kerry seems to have the vital ingredient
Thursday, February 12, 2004
EVEN though the New Hampshire Primary is approximately 10 months in advance of the actual polling day in the American Presidential election, after it has taken place it is always a good time to size up the situation in that intriguing contest for the White House.
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Carson’s colour orange was a divisive shade
Wednesday, February 04, 2004
SO Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has lost out on the Bertie Bowl and misses out on the €50 million promised by JP McManus.
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The value of education is underlined by the incoming President of UCD
Thursday, January 29, 2004
DR Hugh Brady, incoming president of UCD, gave his inaugural lecture in the O'Reilly hall, UCD, last Tuesday.
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History should judge Bush favourably
Thursday, January 22, 2004
THE deaths of US soldiers in Iraq is always very harrowing with young men killed in the back of beyond trying to bring peace and harmony to the natives of the very country in which they were killed. It is good to see that the casualties have lessened since Saddam Hussein was captured on 14 December 2003.
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Yes Nick, it always happens to the nice guys
Thursday, January 15, 2004
THE sad story of Tom Watson’s caddie has just been written by golfing journalist John Feinstein.
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Time soldiers on as the Yanks make their mark
Thursday, January 08, 2004
TIME magazine’s Person of the Year 2003 was the American Soldier and it would be difficult to disagree with the choice.
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Taking the X out of Christmas with many wonderful memories
Wednesday, December 31, 2003
KING'S History of County Kerry is always an interesting book to browse over and doing so recently I fount out that the most common surname in the county, around 1912, when the history was compiled, was O'Sullivan.
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Aga Khan's gift is in good Kerry hands
Thursday, December 18, 2003
THE Aga Khan has been a great lover of Irish racing all through his life. He showed that love is no uncertain fashion with his amazing multimillion euro gift to Irish racing this month.
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Remember, if you re not in...
Thursday, December 11, 2003
TWO programmes on the box last week interested me. The first was the film, Primary Colours.
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The power to forgive must be there
Thursday, December 11, 2003
To have the power to forgive, Is empire and prerogative, And 'tis is crowns a nobler gem, to grant a paradon than condemn.
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Best Mate provides a best read for Christmas
Thursday, December 04, 2003
IN this column last week I recommended “The Legend of Mick the Miller” as the ideal book for the lovers of greyhound racing.
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New book tells the story of famous wonder dog Mick the Miller
Thursday, November 27, 2003
EVERY sport has its heroes and most sports have their champion supreme - the greatest exponent of the sport in other words.
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Media oxygen keeps Charles story alive
Thursday, November 20, 2003
"NOTHING loses in the telling" is a saying that has been doing the rounds for many a day.
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Bush should learn from mistakes
Thursday, November 13, 2003
PRESIDENT George W. Bush is certainly not getting an easy passage at the helm of the world’s greatest nation.
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Recent atrocity shows nowhere is safe from terrosists vile deeds
Thursday, November 06, 2003
LAST week we had the worst day in Iraq since victory was declared over the regime of Saddam Hussein last May. 36 dead and over 230 injured in a spate of car bombings that left Baghdad reeling.
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Dylan Thomas was a wordsmith that was way ahead of his time
Thursday, October 30, 2003
A HEADLNE in the Daily Telegraph caught my eye and brought back a share of memories.
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The late great Frank Roe was a legend in his own lifetime
Thursday, October 23, 2003
FRANK Roe was part of the racing scene in Ireland for over three score years and you could not meet a nicer person at the races - I'll vouch for that.
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Revenge should never be in the name of God
Thursday, October 16, 2003
WHAT drives a beautiful 27-year-old trainee lawyer to blow herself up in a crowded café, killing nineteen people in the process?
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Politics is all about victory at the polls
Thursday, October 09, 2003
“IN politics, as in war, we meet with certain ardent minds which never understand the utility of marches, counter marches, ambuscades, and affairs of outposts, but are always, and under all circumstances, for pitched battles.
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Odds stacking up against Bush
Thursday, October 02, 2003
JIMMY Carter, against all the odds, won the Democratic Nomination for the 1976 American presidential election. He defeated Gerald Ford in the race proper, becoming the first President from the Deep South since before the Civil War.
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Robert Emmet certainly combined his pure oral worth with real intellectual power
Thursday, September 18, 2003
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