http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/columnsandopinion/ Latest from the online edition en-gb Fri, 03 Sep 2010 02:21:02 +0000 Copyright (C) 2010 Clyde and Forth Press Ltd http://www.clydeandforthmedia.co.uk/feeds/ 78 http://www.clydeandforthmedia.co.uk/furniture/wme_logo_500x75.png http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/columnsandopinion/ Dear readers: this column wishes to launch an appeal to try and save yet another endangered species in this under-threat country. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/09/01/3999637-save-the-wink-appeal-/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/09/01/3999637-save-the-wink-appeal-/ Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:30:00 +0100 News There is something about a story with an unexpected ending which throws the listener and sticks in the memory; the twist in the tail, so to speak: or 'the best laid plans of mice and men' - especially when it relates to a 'Smart Alec' getting his "come-uppance." http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/08/04/3998989-tales-of-the-unexpected/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/08/04/3998989-tales-of-the-unexpected/ Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:30:00 +0100 News The Bernie Comaskey column: There was an excellent editorial in this newspaper two weeks ago stating that it was time to take back the town from the thugs. Mullingar is getting bad press as a result of gang warfare - thankfully still fought without the guns; but unless the bully-boy threat to society is dealt with, as sure as God made little apples, we will have another Moyross on our doorstep. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/07/13/3998522-it-is-time-to-take-another-look-at-the-death-penalty/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/07/13/3998522-it-is-time-to-take-another-look-at-the-death-penalty/ Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:05:41 +0100 News I was about to head out the door on my way to Croke Park for the Louth match, when I paused, thought for a moment and went back to change my shirt to one which I had not worn for some time. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/07/07/3998361-my-lucky-shirt-for-the-match-at-croke-park/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/07/07/3998361-my-lucky-shirt-for-the-match-at-croke-park/ Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:00:00 +0100 News For years, if asked where you were from, and you replied "Mullingar", there were two reactions you were likely to get - either "Ah. Joe Dolan"; or "Mullingar - Go Slow", a reference to a roadsign erected on the Dublin approach to Mullingar many years ago. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/06/30/3998187-time-to-reclaim-the-town-from-the-thugs/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/06/30/3998187-time-to-reclaim-the-town-from-the-thugs/ Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:00:00 +0100 News The Bernie Comaskey Column Here it comes folks, the confession: In all humility I feel compelled to inform you that I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer; my lift doesn't go all the way to the top and so on. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/06/16/3997795-when-expenses-become-expensives/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/06/16/3997795-when-expenses-become-expensives/ Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:00:00 +0100 News The Bernie Comaskey Column "Grandad; I have just done a poo in my potty", announced my three year old grandson. "Good boy, Jack - you're a great guy and a big boy now - that you don't do it in your nappy anymore; and you are Granda's favourite boy in the entire world", I cooed encouragingly. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/06/03/3997478-kinky-kinetic-carryon-in-kerry/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/06/03/3997478-kinky-kinetic-carryon-in-kerry/ Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:00:00 +0100 News There is one way we could solve Ireland's entire financial crisis: at one fell swoop. Cut all social welfare payments; cut the medical card out completely; tell the unemployed it's up to their families to support them; tell the ill it's tough, but that's the way it is. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/05/20/3997128-the-revenge-of-a-depensioned-dil-on-the-public/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/05/20/3997128-the-revenge-of-a-depensioned-dil-on-the-public/ Thu, 20 May 2010 10:00:00 +0100 News The Labour Party has thrown out the suggestion that Ireland needs a new constitution - and it's a call that was made a number of times on RTE's Aftershock programme on Monday evening, and some convincing arguments were made in the course of that programme: principally, that we need to reform our Oireachtas, and that in order to do that, we need to completely redraw our Constitution. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/05/13/3996967-no-need-to-rush-into-changing-our-constitution/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/05/13/3996967-no-need-to-rush-into-changing-our-constitution/ Thu, 13 May 2010 10:00:00 +0100 News Times are always a changin'. Some things just creep up on you until something reminds you of how it used to be. For example, people used to die; but not anymore. We have in fact, given up dying. Nobody belonging to anyone dies these days … they simply "pass away". It is as if we are so afraid of death that the word is being airbrushed from everyday use. Right now we "pass on", "pass away" and no doubt but that Irish people will soon be "crossing over" as well. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/05/13/3996950-if-he-dies-he-dies/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/05/13/3996950-if-he-dies-he-dies/ Thu, 13 May 2010 10:00:00 +0100 News One of the most fitting descriptions of the late Gerry Ryan was uttered on 2fm last Saturday, when someone - blessed with the eloquence which often hits people at times of bereavement - called him "the Minister for Everything". http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/05/06/3996813-farewell-to-the-minister-for-everything/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/05/06/3996813-farewell-to-the-minister-for-everything/ Thu, 06 May 2010 10:00:00 +0100 News Phew … I came close to being found out this week: event filled time and as deadline approached I hadn't come up with anything worth writing about. ('Hasn't bothered you every other week', I hear from the floor!). http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/05/06/3996786-wilful-waste-makes-woeful-consumer-society/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/05/06/3996786-wilful-waste-makes-woeful-consumer-society/ Thu, 06 May 2010 10:00:00 +0100 News The days since last Thursday, when the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull erupted, have been strange and eerie: creating a world of distressed, displaced depressed - and stranded tourists and travellers. And for once, science can't give us any answers. No-one knows when this will end. No-one knows if it will get worse. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/04/21/3996473-nature-showing-us-who-is-really-the-boss/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/04/21/3996473-nature-showing-us-who-is-really-the-boss/ Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:00:00 +0100 News My late Auntie Terry, who lived in California, was quoting Confucius during my trip there many moons ago. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/04/14/3996291-people-who-like-animals-too-much-like-people-too-little/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/04/14/3996291-people-who-like-animals-too-much-like-people-too-little/ Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:00:00 +0100 News Westmeath man, Michael O'Leary is arguably Ireland's greatest ever businessman. This column is not privy to knowing who his close friends are, but we are willing to bet that when Michael was starting off, at least four of his five best friends went on to be successful in their chosen field. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/04/07/3996131-manoeuvre-yourself-into-the-winners-enclosure/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/04/07/3996131-manoeuvre-yourself-into-the-winners-enclosure/ Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:00:00 +0100 News It's official (well kind of) Michael Collins is the greatest Irish person that ever lived according to the results of this week's Examiner Vox Pop. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/04/07/3996145-michael-collins-is-number-one/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/04/07/3996145-michael-collins-is-number-one/ Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:00:00 +0100 News There are over five hundred credit unions in this country, and the number of instances of wrong-doing or mismanagement is virtually nil. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/04/07/3996158-now-that-theyre-our-banks-does-that-mean-theyre-credit-unions/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/04/07/3996158-now-that-theyre-our-banks-does-that-mean-theyre-credit-unions/ Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:45:11 +0100 News You could nearly smell it coming off the front page of Monday's Irish Independent: "Accept my deal or quit, Lenihan to tell bankers", the headline read. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/03/31/3995950-ministers-tough-words-on-banks/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/03/31/3995950-ministers-tough-words-on-banks/ Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:00:31 +0100 News This is Intercultural and Anti-Racism week, when Ireland really should be indulging in a spot of self-examination, and seeing how do we measure up in our treatment of people not originally from this country. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/03/24/3995780-time-to-look-at-our-consciences-on-racism/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/03/24/3995780-time-to-look-at-our-consciences-on-racism/ Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0000 News The Bernie Comaskey Column The story is told of a call received by the New York Emergency Services from an almost hysterical lady who had stumbled across a man lying prone on the footpath. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/03/24/3995776-a-serious-outbreak-of-deadly-humour/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/03/24/3995776-a-serious-outbreak-of-deadly-humour/ Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0000 News "I disagree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it." This quote has been attributed to at least three different sources and irrespective of who said it first, it has come to epitomise the right of free expression in a newspaper. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/03/18/3995684-publish-and-be-damned--free-expression/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/03/18/3995684-publish-and-be-damned--free-expression/ Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:17:04 +0000 News It's no surprise that the Government has decided to increase to 68 the age at which workers will, in the future, become entitled to the state Old Age Pension. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/03/13/3995428-a-lot-of-questions-about-the-governments-pensions-plan/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/03/13/3995428-a-lot-of-questions-about-the-governments-pensions-plan/ Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:00:00 +0000 News It's no surprise that the Government has decided to increase to 68 the age at which workers will, in the future, become entitled to the state Old Age Pension. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/03/10/3995529-a-lot-of-questions-about-the-governments-pensions-plan/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/03/10/3995529-a-lot-of-questions-about-the-governments-pensions-plan/ Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:57:00 +0000 News "What I absolutely love about living in Delvin is that if I got an Oscar on Thursday and I sold ten bullocks on Friday, they would be much more interested in the price of me bullocks than the Oscar, and I love that. "I treasure being from Delvin, I think I'd be a basket case if I wasn't because I think our industry is loopy." http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/03/03/3995213-well-holy-god-its-mary-mcevoy/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/03/03/3995213-well-holy-god-its-mary-mcevoy/ Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0000 News Time is of the essence for 16-year-old Mullingar girl Natasha Dyer who needs to raise €22,000 in just six weeks if she is to have a vital operation in Germany which will save her hearing. http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/02/24/3995047-german-op-only-hope-to-save-brave-tashas-hearing/ http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/roundup/articles/2010/02/24/3995047-german-op-only-hope-to-save-brave-tashas-hearing/ Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:12:00 +0000 News