15th February, 2001
Alan Dukes was back on Questions and Answers last
Monday, and the good news is that the ‘Beatle’
hairstyle is gone!! Also gone is John Bruton (who?), stop it
Michael!! Speaking of Michael, the man from Limerick is now
leader of Fine Gael. I read a piece in the newspaper last week
where the writer, a former Labour party PR man, described Michael
as a good, honest, decent man. The same words used to describe
John Bruton before the knives came out. Back in 1979 Jack Lynch
was a good, decent, honest man, but like Wild Bill Hickock, he
didn’t watch his back!! Enda Kenny told us that he had youth
on his side and vision (and more hair than Michael). All he
needed was to be able to play the saxophone and we would have our
own Bill Clinton. Anyway Michael, good luck in your new position,
don’t sit with your back to the door, sleep with one eye
open, and if any member of your party tells you that you’re
a good, decent, honest man ... pack your bags!!
Speaking of politics, a well known and respected business man in
the Douglas area tells me that he is thinking about standing as
an Independent in the next general election (South Central). He
feels that the politic situation in Ireland has reached an all
time low, corruption, sleeze, tribunals, and the opposition seem
strangely silent, as if they also have something to hide. I think
that in the next general election we will see quite a few
Independent candidates standing, they could hold the key to who
forms the next government. I’ll let you know as things
develop.
Are the roads in the Douglas area some of the worst you could
hope to see? Tramway Terrace Road (the road from Pipers old
grounds to the Fingerpost) is in a shocking condition. There is
no control over development, how much more of it can we take?
Douglas is bursting at the seams, and the road are like some you’d
encounter on the East African car rally, not to mention the poor
cyclists who take their lives in their hands when survive to
avoid craters, potholes, etc...
I read last week that the people of Glanmire want their own UDC (Urban
Distant Council). In Douglas, if you have a pothole outside your
gate you have to ring the council office in Carrigaline!! Not
good enough, I’ve advocated having our own UDC in Douglas
since I started the Douglas Weekly, however, I believe that some
politicians wouldn’t favour that move, because they would
lose their power base in Douglas. Passage West has its own town
Council, an excellent old folks organisation, Kinsale has a UDC,
Crosshaven has its own Council office, and what have we in
Douglas? Nothing!! If you don’t believe me, look up in the
phonebook under Cork County Council offices, and look under
‘D’ for Douglas. Go to page 104 of the phonebook and
under the Cork County Council logo it states “Working for
ALL the people of Cork County”. Now start at the top of the
page, which states, ‘Headquarters’ and finish at St.
Oliver’s Cemetery (how appropriate!!) ... and no mention of
the second fastest growing urban area in Ireland, Douglas.
I drove down to Monkstown today (Tuesday afternoon) at about 5.00pm.
I drove over the worst stretch of road from Tramway and past the
roundabout (more potholes) to be met by two Gardai doing a check
point, no doubt for road tax. If I was a Garda I would go on sick
leave rather than ask people if they had road tax. I don’t
blame the Gardai, but would whoever sent them out please walk or
cycle (don’t drive, you’ll wreck your car!) that route
and then justify having to pay tax for something which is a
disgrace, a bloody disgrace!
Well done to local man Gary Weldon who appeared on ‘Winning
Streak’ last Saturday night. Five time world karate champion
and Gary, if I ever go into politics, would you watch my back?
That time of the year is coming around again, the Douglas Rose
selection night. The Cork festival committee have moved it back
one month, so now the Douglas final will take place on Sunday,
March 25th (instead of April). We had already decided to have a
Mothers Day show on that night with Dickie Rock in the Rochestown
Park Hotel, then we decided, let’s make it a big night with
the Rose selection on first, then followed by the Mothers Day
special. So we booked one of the best bands in Cork, the Kieran
Kramer band, to open the show, followed by the Rose selection,
topping that with himself, Dickie Rock. Rose application forms
are available from the ‘Weekly at (021) 4896496. Tickets
will be on sale shortly.
Organiser of Home Design 2001, Peter Crowley, let me into a
little secret yesterday. Top girl band, and now in the charts,
Switch, will perform live at the exhibition which begins on
Friday, March 9th. Also performing live will be Fiona Kennedy.
This will be our third year having a Douglas Weekly stand at the
show and I know its going to be bigger and better than last year
(the show, not the Douglas Weekly stand!) Local craft furniture
will also be on display for the first time at the show.
Good luck to Bill and Marion who have opened a Launderette and a
Dry Cleaners in Main Street, Passage West. What impressed me were
the opening hours, 8.00am (drop in your clothes on the way to
work) and open until 7.00pm (collect them on the way home from
work). Most importantly of all, two lovely, happy, smiling people
to greet you when you walk through their door. As security man,
Bert, from Douglas Village Shopping Centre says, “A man
without a smile shouldn’t open a shop” How right you
are Bert, keep smiling!
Bye for now,
Michael O’Hanlon.
