It’s just about a year ago since, according to Michael Wolff in his ‘Fire and Fury’ book, Donald Trump surprised himself, his backroom team and the rest of the world by becoming President of the United States. You would have to say that, whatever about being safer, the world would certainly be a lot duller if Hilary Clinton had made it to the White House.
‘Fake News’ has become Trump’s answer to everything no matter what he says about anything, including his derogatory description of Haiti at the weekend. Just like his speech in which he reportedly said that African nations were “s***hole countries” – you can be sure that will be passed off as ‘Fake News’ also.
However, his recent little spat with Kim Jong Un, the highly volatile leader of North Korea, about the size of their respective nuclear buttons, in which Trump claimed to have a bigger and more powerful button than Jong Un, would appear to be a little childish and it would hardly inspire confidence in his leadership qualities.
Nonetheless, if he doesn’t plunge the world into chaos, and if we can avoid another world war (a big ask, in my opinion), I have to say he’s great craic, very different to any president we’ve seen before and for newspaper editors around the globe, he must be a godsend – he sure is good for headlines!
Regarding our own President, Michael D is beginning to annoy me a little bit. I am a great admirer of Michael D Higgins, and I think he has done a wonderful job as our main man, but with an election due this calendar year, surely it’s time he says whether he intends to go again or not. It is on record that he said, in 2011 when he was elected to the Áras, that he would only hold the office for one term. If he still feels that way then to my mind he should stick to his word. It’s time to tell the world so we can let our other would-be Presidents get on with it.
Matt Cooper, in the Mail the other day, wondered if we will ever have a political President anywhere again, with the Americans talking of having a chat show host, Oprah Winfrey, as a possible runner in 2020. Here it’s Miriam O’Callaghan that’s being touted as a realistic candidate – personally I couldn’t care less who or what becomes our Head of State, provided he or she is a positive ambassador for our little country.
I do think it’s time we knew where we stood regarding a Presidential election but no matter how much pressure I’m put under, I’m telling you now I will not be a runner!
Local fund lifts the January gloom
The month of January is, traditionally, a month where we feel sorry for ourselves – we usually have over-spent, over-eaten, and over-indulged in alcohol, and the chickens come home to roost in the cold, harsh, dark, dreary, and miserable January days. The trousers that fitted perfectly in November are now getting stuck halfway up the thighs, the bank account that for a little while (after getting a couple of weeks’ pay, and a little extra due to the Christmas bonus) looked as if it belonged to someone else, is now even worse than normal – and that’s saying something! It’s fair to say that everything is looking and feeling fairly grim.
That was before I met a Lecarrow resident, whom I won’t name, and he told me the very inspiring story of the Lecarrow Benevolent Fund, which is definitely one of the great local community success stories. Now the theory behind it is so simple that you would wonder why every parish doesn’t do it!
Basically a committee is in place in Lecarrow, which through its own fundraising efforts, has a fund, which, in simple terms, is used to help out people in their own immediate area and further afield who, for whatever reason, are in need of a financial dig out. Now obviously we didn’t go into the actual nuts and bolts as to how the scheme works but in an era which is dominated by greed and selfishness it is heartwarming to hear of a community which is prepared to do so much to help their own in time of need.
I know this fund has been in existence for quite a long time now so obviously a lot of people have been helped over the years and all I can say is well done to everyone involved, it’s a wonderful initiative, and maybe it’s time to roll it out in other local communities – now that’s food for thought.
St. Ciaran’s GAA needs you!
Finally for this week, Justin Conlan asked me to remind you all in the Creggs, Fuerty and Athleague areas, that the St. Ciaran’s GAA AGM takes place at Mulhern Park on Friday night next at 9 pm. Everyone is invited to attend.
As soon as young players in this area are finished with underage football they split up and play with either Creggs or Fuerty, depending on which place they are from. It should never be forgotten the part St. Ciaran’s (the local underage GAA club) plays in their development and it needs all the support it can get.
The underage structure has been very successful down through the years, and an example of the quality of the players it currently produces is that in a county challenge match played over Christmas against NUIG, three of the six starting Roscommon backs, Shane Dowd, Aengus Lyons and Philip Neilan were all St. Ciaran’s players. Now I am aware that it was only a challenge, and maybe none of that trio will be there when championship time comes round (or maybe they will) but either way, it still shows that the club is developing some top class talent.
So, if you have time on your hands and would like to help out in any way, get to Mulhern Park on Friday night at 9 pm and I’m sure you will be more than welcome.
Till next week, Bye for now!
