Maman Poulet

h/t:Feministe

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The weekly ritual that is the reading out of ‘interesting’ bits of the paper from home took place in the henhouse yesterday. Given that my partner is from Donegal it is the Donegal News that she tries to entertain me with.

After a few pages of court reports involving scraps, using false driving licences bought on the internet and making away without paying for petrol etc., I paid attention when I heard the words ‘Charges dismissed after garda admits ‘kneeing defendant in ribs.’

Three brothers from Letterkenny have had public order charges against them dismissed after a garda admitted kneeing one of them in the ribs during his arrest. The charges were dropped at Letterkenny District Court before two members of the public, who were due to give evidence about concerns relating to garda conduct, were able to do so.

The court also heard that CCTV footage fo the arrest had not been obtained by gardai despite a written request from the defence solicitor three days after the incident.

…The court heard allegations from defence solicitor Frank Dorrian that members of the public saw gardaí knee Connell Ferry in the ribs, hold him to the ground placing a knee on the back of his neck and kick him while he was on the ground. Mr Dorrian also levelled criticism at the Gardaí for jumping to the wrong conlusion without making proper inquiries and for failing to obtain CCTV from the premises that would have clearly showed the incident.

Giving evidence Garda Ian Oates admitted under cross-examination that he had kneed Connell Ferry in the ribs during a struggle in which the defendant had grabbed him by the testicles.

The case was adjourned shortly after Garda Ian Oates admitted kneeing Gerry in the ribs and when the case resumed Inspector Denis Joyce dropped the charges.

The incident that the three were charged with took place on January 24 of this year. Gardai intervened in what they said was a row between a couple, however the brothers asserted that they were out alone and that a woman began shouting at one of them after being told by one of them that the Abrakebabra was closed. The brother refused an adult caution and reinforcements were called in.

There were two members of the public in court, both who had remonstrated at the manner of the arrest and one of whom had took independent legal advice and made a statement to the Gardai protesting the manner of the arrest. Both were willing to give evidence on behalf of the defence.

Three Gardai (McKenna, Mulvihill, Morrison) gave evidence saying they did not see Mr. Ferry getting kneed in the ribs before Garda Oates made his admission under defence questioning.

The very extensive report in the Donegal News contains full coverage of the case, the failed and delayed attempts to get the CCTV coverage, and the fact that two members of the public (unconnected to the defendants) complained to the Gardai about the treatment of the defendants by the Gardai shortly after the incident had taken place.

I cannot find a link to the case report in any other media source and am not aware of it being on RTE. I assume it was reported on Highland Radio? If I cannot find it reported elsewhere to link to in the next week I’ll transcribe more of the report as it makes for interesting reading regarding the manner of the arrest and subsequent investigation.

One wonders how the case ever came to be heard at all. And what investigation will now take place?

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It’s probably no surprise to read that I’m a Yes voter. I voted Yes to Lisbon the last time and I’m voting Yes again – this time with a lot more passion and understanding and conviction.

This time I’ve been more incensed by the lies being told by the No side, by the poor campaigns run by the Yes side including the ‘Civil Society’ groups.  (One of the groups which I would exclude from this criticism is Generation Yes who didn’t do a bad job at all with very little money  from my very external viewpoint but more plaudits and pastings of the campaign after Saturday.)  Now I just want it all to be over because it does nothing for anyone.

This is because I feel Lisbon/the Reform Treaty is not really as  important as all this fuss that is be being made of it  – Nice and accession were the important decisions – the fall of the Berlin wall and everything after that has meant that the European Union needs better ways of working.

If you still have a stomach for Lisbon related material Nick McGinley explores many reasons for voting Yes and details lots of the intricacies nobody really understands because they a) can’t be bothered or/and b) have not had them presented to them in a readable manner. 100 Reasons to Vote Yes is probably not for everyone but I’m grateful it pokes fun at some of the stances taken by both sides during Lisbon I whilst explaining why people should vote Yes in Lisbon II.  I won’t hold the fact that Michael O’Leary’s handing out copies deter me from this mention Back to my own fairly uninformed thoughts…

What is being presented in this reform is not perfect, but I wish I was in the position of other EU citizens and let the Government, the commission and the parliament elected get on with things.  My vote for politicians on their European policy should be what counts.   That said the government’s unobserved and un-monitored  cap in hand to Brussels looking for those guarantees infuriates me.  Again the requirement for the Government to legislate for the X case is ignored as some pointless further guarantee is made on a lack of interference by the EU on right to life. (We’ve had that for 17 years already.)

We’re not going to be waging war on anyone or losing our so called neutrality. We have a responsibility, as small as a country we are, to make sure massacres and human rights violations throughout the world don’t go unchecked and that our voice along with other EU members are heard in both peace keeping and peace enforcing.

That as small as a country we are is important to reflect on also.  All this stuff about how a No vote will stop things and get the whole reform process started again.  Absolute rubbish.  The quality of the debate being held in Ireland on EU membership and the future of the Union is an embarrassment. The racism and intolerance that has crept into the opposition arguments is also of great concern.

I despair at the lack of understanding about the European Union and the way it works.  This lack of political education and presentation has allowed the No side gain un-deserved traction for their Chicken Licken arguments.  The parochial nature of Irish Politics is also to blame for this.

The reasons I have some understanding about the European Union maybe is because I have needed it’s institutions to progress in life be it

• the programmes sponsored by the European Social Fund which supported and trained me when for years I could not gain regular employment,
• funding for organisations and programmes that Irish governments would not fund due to discrimination and intolerance,
• equality in terms of pay and social welfare entitlements,
• freedom to travel,
• safety in terms of consumer issues and product standards,
• transport assistance at Airports that is universal in standard and quality so far (it’s fecking amazing what an EU directive has done to my quality of life as a disabled person in getting in and out of this country in the last year. )
• and on and on and on

There are more EU Directives to come that will improve the lives of myself and others – the unemployed, ‘underprivileged’, and coalface workers that Patricia McKenna says are not represented in the Yes side.  I’m a coalface worker voting Yes and I think there lots of us about.  The cuts in services and recession related issues are not the EU’s fault and it’s pure folly to try and link the fears of people affected to Lisbon.  The No side feast on the lack of information and the insularity and fear that many express due to the actions of government and effects of the collapse of the economy?

I won’t go on anymore.  I wish that in future when Treaties are being negotiated and reforms proposed that we have active dialogue and interest. That when the Oireachtas debates EU policy and legislation that those doing the debating are informed participants, the matters are reported in all forms of media and that groups representing those affected are prepared for debate and are consulted.  I’m looking forward to the navel gazing stopping and insularity ending, I doubt it will happen. If as I hope there is a majority Yes vote on Friday I’d rather we don’t close the book but actually learn something about how we are to progress our membership of the European Union in the future.

Tin hat on.

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…at 7p.m. I’ll be joining Cultureshock’s presenter Fionn Davenport and some other guests to discuss Political Satire. Whilst satire goes back centuries and was present in essays, cartoons, theatre and even poetry, today we seem to mainly associate it with television and web related content.

I’ve been watching a lot of it in the last few months but my addiction goes back to Spitting Image and Not the Nine O’Clock News.

Over the years I caught up on older stuff including TW3 and Halls Pictorial Weekly. Like many in the nation I was glued listening to Scrap Saturday at 10.30 on a Saturday Morning which was never ever matched by anything else in Ireland. Unfortunately I can’t find any of it on Youtube! I was fortunate not to find any clips of RTE’s poor attempts in Bull Island or State of the Nation.

Halls Pictorial Weekly

Spitting Image

Some of the best stuff the US campagin has been from Saturday Night Live – ok has been from Tina Fey!

We’ve had lots more from groups like Public Service Administration.

You can call in or text the show with your best bits and comments on your thoughts on satire in Ireland and elsewhere. I’ll be remembering Political Thicko and a few other web based Irish Satirists and wondering where the rest of ye are!!

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Currently in Malaga (as in the birth place of Picasso rather than Torredelargerlout) en route to Seville continuing the love affair with Spain. The weather is pleasant enough, no woolies needed.  The cigarettes are €3.10 a pack, the locals are friendly and the food is rather good. The hotels booked have laptops in every room – not a word!

Meanwhile commenters still visit to leave interesting tidbits.

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In our apartment block or in the car park. He jumped to his death. I don’t know anymore than that and neither will most other people as suicides don’t make the news and probably rightly so. However I haven’t stopped thinking about him and also his family. I was leaving for work when I noticed the Garda tape across the car park entrance which the Garda had to move to let me out.  A woman trying to get in to get her car asked me had I not seen him. I hadn’t. I feel sorry for those who did find him and sadder still that he felt he had to do what he did.

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Cos if I was my gmail account would not have been hacked into or attacked by virus would it? Thousands of emails sent out last night to my contacts list.

Text messages, emails and phone calls from many of these contacts have been received this morning. (Thank you to those who weren’t laughing at me!)

I’m sorry.

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Another moment from life as a disabled person in Dublin. No money being offered this time – no I got much much more than that.

In the past few months I have been offered leaflets by different religious movements as I made my way through town. I’m now a deft mover practiced at the art of saying no thanks and speeding on by. However I have come to realise that my very visible disability is a sort of a flashing neon sign that says ‘muppet in need of saving, healing, hands being laid on, etc. etc.)

Today (outside Butlers Cafe again!! I may have to cease stopping outside this place!) I was approached by a woman with a buggy asking if she could speak to me for a moment. I thought I knew what was coming next. I then looked at her t-shirt and saw the word Pastor and therefore confirmed that this was a religious tap rather than a tap for money or even a query for ‘where did you get yer mobility scooter’.

I said no thanks – I did not need to be saved. She wanted to know if I ‘had given up already’.

No I don’t need saving and I’m not interested in anything religious.

How did I know it was religious she said – I pointed to the word Pastor and said that it was fairly easy!

She gave up.

Pity about the 6 (YES SIX) other members of her group who didn’t get the message and who decided to approach me between the Spire and Talbot street. Three of whom separately approached me while I was parked up outside another shop as my gf was inside.

I was offered a chance for a cure by Pastor Chris by two of them. I met another friend who uses a wheelchair who was told that he could be helped to walk again. As we compared notes on the healings that were offered we were approached again by someone who saw a chance for a double booking.

We both shouted at him to go away. So now they and others who witnessed it probably think that it was more than our physical bodies that needed saving. Goddess (that’s a non religious one) only knows what I would have been offered if they knew it was a lesbian disabled being that needed saving!)

A bit of digging has led me to find out that Pastor Chris is coming to London – not sure if there is a video link from Dublin or if he is coming here himself but I’m sure some good person from the church will be along to let us all know. What we can do to stop them jumping on every disabled passer by during their publicity campaign I’m not sure. Suggestions welcome in the comments.

(And I know since we’ve not stopped the Catholic Church blessing the special children and bringing them to Lourdes and the like without their consent I don’t suppose we can do much about Pastor Chris’s friends. I have no issue with anyone’s practice of their religion just leave the rest of us alone and give up on the prosyletising.)

This is what I’m missing!

Before today I was planning a post on the Cóir muppets who chased me on Friday evening with Vote No to Lisbon leaflets and are sure that a disabled person like myself must surely be anti-abortion. They’re safe enough for the minute from my wrath.

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Tis a lovely thing that’s sitting in a box in our livingroom at the moment. I don’t quite yet know where I’m putting her yet. It’ll remind me to keep doing what I enjoy doing and as I think I said last night I blog simply because I enjoy it and it can be done. Thanks to all the readers, commenters, nominators, judges, and of course to my sources of information and inspiration!

She’s a she of course. And indeed varieties of her were won by a whole load of lovely talented women last night – Sinead, Sabrina, Beaut.ie, Gingerpixel, Lorraine @ Italian Foodies, Grannymar, A Simple Yarn, The Family Voyage. We’re only brilliant! And I look forward to the continued increase of and respect for the voices of women in Irish blogging, because as last night proved we’re rather good at this – and I’ll also hope to see and support continued chances to introduce other women to the formats and possibilities in documenting whatever stories we have to tell. Lads yer all brilliant too!

Many thanks to Irish Broadband for sponsoring the category, to Hosting365 for sponsoring the Champagne from Bubble Brothers, and to Moviestar.ie for the DVD player!

I don’t think enough thanks and praise can be given to Damien Mulley for the making the (completely non profit/NGO supporting/non business generating/headwrecking) thing that is Irish Blog Awards and the community spirit, the nights craic, the profile given to social media, interest, support, friendly rivalry that goes with it. Rick cried last night when he won – what’s that say? (I snivelled later at home…not a qik in sight…)

Finally thanks to Karen, (who was referred to as Mrs Suzy, the wife, Maman Poulet’s other half and the Rooster last night.) Thanks for being there, loving me and helping me in lots of ways do what I enjoy doing. I’ll never be your wife though but I think you understand!! x

Update – Photos are beginning to appear – more links as I get them – Marcus has lots of photos here including some of me!

Ryan’s set of official photos are now available here.

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Last week I received an invitation from John Gormley’s office to attend a consultation that the Green Party was holding to discuss forthcoming developments in the legislation for Civil Partnerships for same sex couples.

Readers of MP will know I have been vocal on the issue of the Green Party policy in government regarding same sex partnership, particularly their response to the Labour Party Civil Union Bill. The meeting was held in Government Buildings yesterday evening.

In attendance were representatives from LGBT groups, individuals and commentators. I was invited because of my commentary on the issue of late on this blog and elsewhere. I have also experience on the issue from the perspective of providing online resources and support to lesbian and bisexual women in Ireland.

The Green Party were represented by John Gormley, T.D, Ciaran Cuffe, T.D., Senator Dan Boyle, Roderic O’Gorman and several party and private office officials. The meeting was well chaired by Dan Boyle and I think the phrase full and frank exchange of views could be attributed in a more positive sense of the term

After introductions from the Green Party on their history of policy on the matter of legislating for same sex partnerships and discussing the nature of the discussions on the forthcoming bill promised by the Minister for Justice, the discussion was opened to the floor.

The heads of the bill are due for publication in March. The Green Party (led by Roderic O’Gorman) have been meeting with Departmental officials to discuss the bill and will continue to do so. There seems to be a twin track approach – in terms of party members and party policy and then the efforts and inputs of ministers at and around the Cabinet.
The following clarifications were made by the Green Party representatives regarding the forthcoming bill and I think these are important to highlight.

• The legislation will provide for a scheme which will be regulated in the same way as other significant life events – i.e. through the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

• It will provide for Civil Partnerships for same sex conjugal relationships, not elderly brothers or friends who have lived together for years.

• There will also be provision for a scheme of dealing with those relationships which are not currently or subsequently recognised through marriage or a civil partnership – particularly in terms of dissolution/ending of those relationships (through break up or death etc.)

The issues of children’s rights and parental rights are the most difficult in terms of the negotiations. More visibility of lesbian and gay families and couples in the public discourse and contact with TD’s was identified as being of most help in highlighting the issue.

Very little other specific detail is available on the bill and it’s contents as this is a matter for the Minister for Justice. There were a lot of ‘don’t knows’ and a few ‘we hadn’t thought of that’s’ which was healthy in terms of the dialogue but alarming in terms of the impact and content of any lobbying done to date. That’s the news as such from the meeting – for more on what happened and some general opinion/commentary click below

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