O’Conall Street

Have to run out the door to lecture some District Policing Partnership Managers on marketing now. Before I go I wanted to express an official protest at a poor budget for Northern Ireland.

No incentives, in fact only significant relief for business will be on capital gains which has the perverse effect of benefiting those who invest for a living rather then those who create jobs or produce something. Great news if you are a developer or a hedge fund manager but pretty crap if you are just about anyone else. That’s the thing with Mr Darling’s approach. It’s designed to keep the home counties happy and frankly stuff the rest of the UK.

Rant over. Was involved in a lively debate about the future of communications last night with Queens University Students here in Belfast. There was a lot of discussion about the impact of social and digital media.

The racing post says the greatest two days in racing history start today. After yesterday’s abandonment, 65,000  can be expected at Cheltenham for the serious business of world class national hunt racing. Chris is off to the bookies with our kitty. I hope he remembers there is a thing called an each way bet.

Finally I watched Austin O’Callaghan’s lovely documentary about the Irish Cricket team’s journey to the Super Eight stage of the World Cup last summer on the BBC last night. Big Weber Shandwick connection. Our Ali’s fiance Iain Knox is the team physio and made a number of notable contributions to the documentary. Check it out on IPlayer.

I turned to the blogs for some consolation after the defeat to Wales in Croker today and found Mick Fealty on Slugger O’Toole had a gem. He has posted a video of Down’s 1960 victory over Kerry. It’s all there in wonderful technicolour. What day it must have been when the two ancient Kingdoms went head to head.

It’s all way before my time and anyway I’m a Jack. The first big game I can remember was the Dublin - Kerry semi in 1977. My Da brought me to the Hill and I spent much of it on his shoulders. They say it was the greatest game of Gaelic ever played. I was way too young to know. All I cared about was Tony Hanahoe and fatso Keaveney and the sea of blue which I was a tiny part of. Tom Humphries chronicles the summer well in his Dublin - Kerry book published last year. The video below is a beautiful summary of the game. You won’t get bored but even if you are not a huge Dub’s fan, and lets face it most O’Conall St readers are not, there is a big movie star and some Thin Lizzy at the end which is worth waiting for. For the record Dublin lifted the Sam Maguire that year defeating Armagh in the final.

Congratulations tio Amergin2006for a lovely bit of editing. Croker has come a long way since then but remains the finest sporting stadium in the world. I am sure every Welshman alive will agree on that one today!

Murphy, O’Gara, Trimble, Bowe….. Try!

Then Bowe again in the Canal - Hogan apex for number five.

Eddie O’Sullivan got his answer from the benches. His forced deployment of Murphy and Bowe consolidated a new look Ireland team which defeated Scotland today at Croke Park, keeping the hopes of another Triple Crown alive.

O’Sullivan got his victory despite his questionable skills. Enough to hang on for another while but a tragedy as the most talented Irish squad in recent history squanders its opportunity of greatness.

Croker looked wonderful and from an Ulster perspective Rory Best’s arrival gave the province a much needed boost and the national squad added depth. With ten minutes to go Eddie dumped the old guard from the bench on our hallowed soil. Typical of a one trick pony who by the way picked an Ireland A side that went down 67 - 7 in Perth last night.

The roar went up when Jordan Murphy was named man of the match. Oh Eddie, how wrong you are.

As Barack would say its time for change we can believe in.

If you are from the North you will know what a Lundy is, and today I can hear the mob on O’Conall Street baying for the RTE ‘traitors’ who decided to shut down the ‘national’ broadcasters medium wave output, leaving many tens of thousands of listeners in the North without coverage.

The Good Friday Agreement signed ten years ago commits RTE to extending coverage to the 32 counties. With the exception of a boost in the TG4 signal the Irish broadcaster has done damn all to deliver on this solemn commitment in the Agreement. Over the past decade I have heard every argument going. From programme rights to advertising licences, RTE has always has a selfish reason for doing nothing.

The people of Ireland are closer today then at any time in recent history. I know an orangemen on the north coast who loves RTE and he is not alone. RTE is popular in NI, but do the D4 liberatchi give a toss, apparently not.

It will take the southern government getting serious about this issue to effect change. Meantime the only major institution on this island which seems determined to live in the past is the very one which for decades was believed to be a breeding ground for liberals and ‘new irelanders’. 

RTE are denying many northerners access to their own culture, sports (they have first rights to big GAA games for example) and news of their fellow countrymen and women. Hardly a credible position for a so called national broadcaster.  

Busy week on O’Conall Street so please be patient if the posts are not as regular as normal. Food on the table and all that.

Before I go. Amy cleans up at the Grammys and deservedly so - what an artist. Daniel  is the toast of the BAFTAS - glory to the living embodiment of the New Ireland, and, it’s a hat-trick in the States for Barack - is this the beginning of the end for the Ice Queen of Arkansas?

From a Dubliner in Antrim, my sympathies to the Saffron’s.    

That is the big question this Ash Wednesday.

For the great northern press corp nominations for the 2008 CIPR Press and Broadcast Awards are now open and entries can be made online. Click here  for more. 

In the US Barack continues to challenge winning most of the states whilst Hillary continues to fight on scooping most of the delegates. The Republicans look likely to nominate the likable John McCain. More fun for us junkies and even more exciting campaigning techniques to analyse.  Will be checking in with Real Clear Politics for all the analysis.  It’s a great way to pass the dark months.

Closer to home Brazil come to a sell out croker tonight. The big question is when will there be a nominee for manager. Players are getting p…… off and I am getting bored.

O’Conall Street has been swept up in nomination fever too. We were very humbled to receive three nominations in the Irish Blog Awards. After just five month’s in cyberspace it’s great to get some acknowledgement - a big thanks to all those who took the trouble to nominate us. We are in the running for:

Best Business Blog 

Best Political Blog

Best Newcomer

Off to dodge the ashes today. Ever the catholic agnostic….

Yes.

We did it.

The nation’s faith has been restored. Shoulder to shoulder the fifteen warriors are answering Ireland’s call.

Just proves the saying, if you want a job done right get a woman to do to.

O’Conall Street salutes the Irish ladies rugby team on their comprehensive defeat over Italy yesterday. Mna na hEireann strike again.

All eyes now turn to Croker this afternoon. Can 15 professional men match the women and put to bed the embarrassing world cup performance of 2007?

Apparently you can get a corporate ticket for a fiver if you really want to. That’s some change from the glory of England v Ireland just a year ago.

Come on lads. The economy is on the turn. The winter has been long and cold. Under the iron sky of Dublin in the freezer put some pride back in that jersey. Your country needs you.

3.00pm.Half time.

The winter has done the boys good. Much better than the summer but still a long way to go. Second half is an opportunity to prove they have properly crossed the rubicon. Fingers crossed. Eoin Reddin is settling in well.

4.00pm.

God they have a lot of work and some praying to do before next Saturday in Paris. Too many dodgy substitutions. What’s the score taking man of the match Reddin off with ten to go?

Eddie is still sitting on his perch in the glorious Hogan stand but for how much longer?

Bottom line since the world cup is that this team is serially underperforming. All the talent - no bloody confidence.

Rumor has it the former NI manager Lawrie Sanchez is being considered for the Republic job. I can hear the northern call - Ulster says NO!

Sanchez is a great communicator and an outstanding motivator but also a fundamental liability in reputation terms. He went to war with the northern press and lost. He went to war with the British press and lost and as one senior hack commented to me yesterday, the press in the south will be having him on toast within the year. In football as in life you have to walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

Curley’s is being sold today to Sainsbury’s in what will be a big blow to the independent retail sector. As well as its well known west Belfast shop the UK multiple will be acquiring thirteen off licences across the north which will give them a significant foothold in the competitive convenience market.

Our systems are down this morning so writing this post on the blackberry and as a result no links. My apologies for that.

Ugh. Getting out of bed and getting on the train on the first day after Christmas is never easy. Belfast’s continued reliance on the public service was notable as I emerged into the less then busy city centre this morning.

 08 promises to be a big year for the Northern Ireland capital. The US investment conference takes place in the Spring, more new 21st century shopping will come to town in March and the city’s new brand should also be launched before the summer.

Dublin can also look forward to an interesting year. Will the Celtic tiger eventually run out of puff? Are Bertie Ahern’s days numbered and, most importantly, will the Sam Maguire be heading back to the capital in September?

Stretch in the evenings already…..  

They are like buses these weekends of mine. Nothing interesting to do for ages and then two good ones come along at the same time. Today is the biggest horse racing day in the Northern Ireland calendar and at 2.30 this afternoon some of the finest horses on these islands will go head to head in the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase, a Grade 1 national hunt contest on the opening day of the Irish jump season.

Its also SDLP conference this weekend. Always a good opportunity to catch up with the political classes on this island. You can expect senior figures from all the major southern parties, the UUP, the British Labour Party as well of course as the SDLP faithful, never afraid of a good chat and a good time.

The Listener is expected to line up against Taranis and Justified in the big race and the odds will be tight between all three I would think. No Beef or Salmon this year. Pity because he always surprised at Down Royal and the crowd loved him. Last years’ final two furlongs between War of Attrition and himself must rate as one of the finest finishes ever at the Co Down course. On the day Michael of Leary and ‘War’ were humbled by the Co Derry champion.

I expect Mark Durkan will deliver a good performance also later. Last night there was a deserved standing ovation for Margaret Ritchie the party’s darling and I expect more adulation for the Co Down girl today.

 I’m for the races but will be down in Armagh with the SDLP in the morning for what promises to be a very interesting private session. More about that later.    

The Irish Times publishes it’s new Innovation magazine today for I think the third time. Available online through Ireland.com, the supplement is a useful tour of the so called knowledge based economy on the island of Ireland. My favourite article ‘From the Ashes’ is the story of business and ideas which picked themselves up after failure and went on to success.  Building on failure is a key characteristic of strong growth open economies in which high added value knowledge based companies succeed.

I blogged some time ago about the ‘creative economy’ in Northern Ireland. Since then it has been refreshing to see Queen’s University Belfast take a number of initiatives to attract top class STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) students. It’s a grand a year if you have three As! Not just a good idea but good corporate communications too.

Not saying anything about the poor Ireland sporting shows this weekend. The Rugby was disappointing, the NI soccer was poor and the Republic, well they were not much better. Just to rub salt in the old wounds the Walker cup boys fell short by a point. Not Good!