The IRA say sorry?
Interviewed on a British radio program, leader of Sinn Fein Mary Lou McDonald said she was ‘sorry’ for the death of Louis Mountbatten and the three others who were killed by the IRA in a boat off the coast of Sligo in 1979. Whether this constituted an ‘apology’ is not clear, because The Irish Times were unable to get an official reply to that question from Sinn Fein.
In the same interview, Mary Lou revealed that she received a letter from Prince Charles wishing her a quick recovery after she contracted Covid-19 in 2020.
Two Deaths
Shay Healy, who died on April 9, composed the song ‘What’s Another Year’ that won the Eurovision Song Contest for Johnny Logan in 1980. A long-time worker with RTE, he also wrote comedy songs for Billy Connolly. He died after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Tom Hickey, who died on May 1, will be particularly remembered for his sixteen years playing Benji in The Riordans on RTE. A native of Co Kildare, he also had Parkinson’s disease.
Fires
We are used to fires in Australia and reading about fires in California and Texas and Canada. But fires in wet Ireland? Not just in mid-summer either but in the middle of spring. They are using helicopters to drop water on the Killarney national park; there are fires also in Mayo, Cork, Wicklow and in the Mourne mountains in Co Down. It is difficult to think of a better indication that mother earth is warming up.
Come On Arlene
Arlene Foster has been the subject of a heave from her DUP colleagues and has decided to resign as First Minister of Northern Ireland from the end of May and as leader of the party from the end of June. She has also said that she will resign her membership of the party.
There are two challengers for her position: Jeffrey Donaldson and Edwin Poots.
Tinteán 