FRIDAY
One way or another
Church Street in Roscommon is close to my heart. When I moved into town in 1988 to begin working for the Roscommon Champion, the newspaper’s office was located in Church Street, right across from Gerry Dolan’s butcher shop.
I was quickly introduced to a street full of character – and characters. Time moves on, and the old street has just entered a new era, moving to one-way status in recent days.
I recommend that readers check out the new-look Church Street (the project is ongoing, but the street is back open for business). And please support the great traders there. See our special focus on pages 15-19.
SATURDAY/SUNDAY
Weekend sport
It was probably possible to watch 15 or 16 hours of live sport on both Saturday and Sunday, not that I’ve ever ventured quite that far.
It was certainly a memorable sporting weekend. Wimbledon’s looming and the world’s best golfers are on a birdie blitz at the Travelers Championship, but most of the attention is on the World Cup, and on a mouth-watering series of All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals.
My mostly tongue-in-cheek World Cup musings are on page 40. As for the All-Ireland football quarter-finals, they provided great entertainment. Neutrals were certainly happy, but there was heartbreak for supporters of Cork, Tyrone, Monaghan and Galway.
Kerry v Tyrone was the game of the weekend. Sunday’s draw pitted Mayo against Louth and Dublin against Kerry, lining up the prospect of two great semi-finals.
Meanwhile, congratulations to Roscommon on a superb win over Leitrim in the LGFA All-Ireland IFC quarter-final. The Roscommon football flags are flying countywide with pride!
SUNDAY
Political landscape
Fianna Fáil’s miserable 14% rating in a Red C Poll for the Business Post will have made for grim Sunday morning reading for party activists and supporters.
Stunningly, the Social Democrats, at 12%, are just two percentage points behind the stumbling soldiers of destiny (Sinn Féin lead on 21%, Fine Gael are up one to 18%).
On a Tuesday night in 1992, when I was working for the Roscommon Champion, I rang the late Roscommon TD Sean Doherty. In the course of conversation, Sean said of then-Taoiseach Charlie Haughey: “The end is nigh for Haughey.” It was our front page headline the following day.
There’s none of the breathtakingly chaotic Haughey-like controversy attached to Micheál Martin, but I think the end is nigh for him too. The Taoiseach will have his term as President of the EU, then I expect him to give a timeline for his exit, clearing the way for succession within Fianna Fáil.
And whatever about Mayo’s hopes of winning Sam, the question is: Can Dara Calleary win the race to become FF leader and potential future Taoiseach?
How can it be?
There are unconfirmed reports that not a single former or existing RTE ‘star’ has given a touching interview this weekend in which they talk about contract woes/nervously peeking at listenership/viewership graphs in newspapers, and the horror of having to rise early in the morning. More on this dramatic breaking news as we get it.
MONDAY
Post office closures
The closure of a rural post office is heartbreaking. You lose a lot more than access to stamps and envelopes and parcels and pensions.
You lose winks and smiles and knowing gestures and the warmth of a community’s embrace manifested through the familiar.
You lose Paddy sidling up to Mike and telling him how Roscommon Mart was. Or discussing where it all went wrong for the Roscommon senior team in Clones. You lose the understated joy of neighbours being brought together for fleeting moments of cherished communal companionship.
In buildings that once were post offices but now are not, the conversation is conquered and the heartbeat of parishes weakened.
For many people, passing the now defunct post office will also bring you past the closed, eerie pub and the long-dormant corner shop.
What are they doing to us? Never fear. There is a world of communication and ‘friends’ on your phone, and you can order in a dress from Denmark or an engine part from Estonia.
Never mind what went wrong for Roscommon in Clones. In our disappearing post offices buildings, I wonder what the ghosts of yesterday are saying about what went wrong for rural Ireland?
Is Bill selling out?
Bill Maher, the TV host and stand-up comedian, has a lot to say about politics and current affairs in America.
Generally seen as being a supporter of the Democratic Party, and an arch-critic of President Trump’s, these days Maher makes much of his willingness to listen to the views of both the ‘left’ and ‘right’.
In a classic case of sitting down with one’s enemies, Maher recently met and dined with Trump (they got on well, but Trump has since turned his ire on Maher).
This week, the Real Time with Bill Maher host welcomed Vice-President JD Vance on to his show. Maher will argue that it was another example of him being open to all views, but the host’s childlike excitement at having such a high-ranking guest suggests that celebrity-courting Bill may be selling out!
TUESDAY
The late Penelope Keith
Thinking of Penelope Keith over the past day or so, it struck me that the world of TV comedy has lost three wonderful leading sitcom actresses in less than nine months.
One can only smile when reflecting on the impact made by Patricia Routledge when playing the role of Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances. Routledge died on October 3rd, 2025. Just over three weeks later, the death occurred of Prunella Scales, unforgettably iconic as Sybil in Fawlty Towers.
Easily slotting into their company – some might say she was an even bigger star – was the wonderful Penelope Keith. Immortalised as Margo (Leadbetter) in the hugely popular The Good Life, Keith often stole the show in a sitcom featuring a dream cast (the other principals were Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal and Paul Eddington).
It was an outstanding sitcom, and Keith, who died on Monday at the age of 86, was fantastic as the posh, snobby, demanding neighbour to self-sufficient neighbours, Tom and Barbara Good. The Good Life is regularly repeated on U&Gold.
Penelope Keith (who also starred in To The Manor Born) achieved richly deserved national treasure status in the UK many decades ago. She will be fondly remembered.
