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What anger drives people: A tale of five stories
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
IT’S often said that when you are too close to something you cannot see it. That thought crossed my mind last week when a cousin emailed me from New York after he read the Weekender’s digital edition.
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An open letter to Brian Cowen
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Dear Brian,
HEARTIEST congratulations on your upcoming elevation. We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet but I do remember seeing you one night in the Bridge Hotel in Tullamore a few years ago.
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O’Donnell Abu signals end of radio era
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
THE well-known Irish traditional tune O’Donnell Abu was the final sound emanating on a radio service that served Ireland well for more than 70 years.
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Patients sense the cancer way forward
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
LAST week while in the waiting room for the pre-admission clinic at Sligo General I could not help but overhear a conversation between two fellow patients.
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Sligo roads robbed of €108 every second
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
THE Sligo clock isn’t ticking. That’s the conclusion to be drawn from Minister Noel Dempsey’s launch on Wednesday last of the Second Annual Progress Report on his Transport 21 programme.
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Long wait for first mobile? More like a long weight!
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
THE emphasis on technology in this week’s Weekender and during the month of March focuses attention on where Sligo and Ireland is now at and where we are going in terms of modern facilities.
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Big Brother must strike right balance
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
ARE Sligo’s planned CCTV cameras an essential deterrent in the fight against crime? Or do they simply shift the lawbreakers from one location in the town to another while at the same time impinging on our civil liberties?
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We have the world’s biggest Sligo
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
AS the debate continues as to whether Sligo is a town or a city we can all be confident of one thing: This is the world’s biggest Sligo.
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Sligo town? City? Does it matter?
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
IS Sligo a town or a city? It’s an issue that we all seem to get confused about.
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Parking idea is a cut above the rest
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
LAST week I discovered that my barber and a major development company have at least one thing in common.
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Sligo must admit it has a litter problem
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
SLIGO kicked off the new year with the distinction of having the first gun murder of 2008 and being named as Ireland’s dirtiest town.
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Road-row soap continues to run
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
IT WOULD appear that in Sligo we must at all times have a row about road routes and bridges to keep us ticking over.
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Cancer crosses three Irish borders
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
DOWN the years the partition of Ireland has proven to be detrimental from an economic and social point of view, particularly to communities living close to the border on both the southern and northern sides.
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Well done to the 31 workers on a train
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
WHERE would you find a town or county with a rail service where only 31 people out of a workforce of 26,829 travel to work by train?
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This tight boundary will strangle Sligo
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
PICTURE the scenario: An election candidate knocks on a door while canvassing and tells the voter that he wants their vote but admits he cannot do anything for the voter if he is elected. Unlikely to happen, you may say.
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Let’s not go backward on O’Connell Street
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
THE closure of Sligo’s O’Connell Street is as far from being an open and shut case as far as public opinion goes. Fifteen months after its pedestrianisation, opinions are divided as to the way forward.
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When Escorts and Imps ruled rally
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
THE names Paddy Hopkirk, Roger Clarke, Billy Coleman and Rosemary Smith will not mean anything to most of the thousands of rally fans assembled in Sligo and Leitrim next weekend.
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Dear Santa...a new airport, please
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
WHILE looking for something on the internet last week, I happened to come across a report in a Bangkok newspaper about the relocation of the city’s airport last year.
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Dear Santa...a new airport, please
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
WHILE looking for something on the internet last week, I happened to come across a report in a Bangkok newspaper about the relocation of the city’s airport last year.
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Get your hands off our hospital
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
WHILE I wasn’t around then, by all accounts the early 1940s were bleak times all over Ireland. . . and I imagine that things were no better in Sligo.
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David doesn’t have a god given right to beat Goliath
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
OVER recent weeks any visitor from the other side of the world who knew nothing about Ireland could be forgiven for jumping to the wrong conclusions about the country.
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Sligomen do battle in eye of the storm
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
EVERY time you turn on the national news these days you can bet your life that a Sligo man will feature in the top three stories.
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Airline narrows gap between Sligo and UK
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
THE death last week of Ryanair founder Tony Ryan focused attention on how an airline that started out with one plane can grow to become a European leader in the skies.
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NRA attitude to the N16 is a disgrace
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
NORMALLY nowadays when you find yourself frustrated driving behind a slow-moving truck on a narrow bendy stretch of national primary road and you look across the fields, you are likely to see a new wide road being built to replace the existing one.
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Mythical ‘dirty town’ just doesn’t exist
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
THE announcement of the results of this year’s Tidy Towns results sent me delving through the Weekender archives for a story I wrote back in 1988.
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Words that bring terror to kids (and drivers)
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
THEY are three words that most kids hate. But for many mammies and daddies, the same words bring a sigh of relief.
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Archbishop’s shot at stars misses real target
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
NOBODY can argue that the Catholic Church isn’t facing big problems in today’s world. There is the shortage of priests, decreasing congregations and the fallout from numerous clerical sex abuse scandals, to name but a few.
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Thousands of memories behind 200 words
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
EIGHT people have died violently at the hands of others in Sligo within the past nine years. Running at almost one a year, violent death has become almost an expected if not acceptable part of the society we live in.
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Shannon move has implications all round
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
SOME 218 miles stands between two centres where emotions ranged from jubilation to anger last week as Aer Lingus announced a departure and an arrival.
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The train from Sligo is a changing
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
THE train from Sligo moves too slow as it brings her from the school. She wants to be there faster than the train from Sligo ever ran.
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It’s more than just a game of football
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
WHILE I have to confess to not being a great attender of sports events of any code, I decided to go along to the Sligo v Galway game. While Galway were firm favourites, hopes were high in Sligo that the pundits might have got it wrong.
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‘One-in-ten’ should embrace our culture
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
IT seems only a few short years ago when, if you heard someone in Sligo speaking in a foreign language or broken English, you went home thinking it must be a good tourism season.
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Good and bad news on parking in Sligo
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
ONE of the mostly frequently asked questions on the streets of Sligo will soon be heard no more. Monday next will see 80 new parking disc dispensing machines go into operation in car parks and around the streets.
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A bit of pride can help the way we look
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
WHILE driving or walking around the town you love so well - and know so well -- you may not see it as others do.
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Change - but it all remains the same
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
IT’S a new beginning on three political fronts. Ireland has a new coalition government, Sligo has a new mayor, and a new Cathaoirleach for the county council will be in place next week.
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Westlife? This really was Pestlife!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
IT’S a pleasant surprise when a journey across a city in a foreign land ends with a Sligo link.
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Celebrations, disappointments...and what ifs
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Those of us who were looking forward to a long day and night of high drama and suspense at the election count on Friday were disappointed. Two hours after the first ballot box was opened, the outcome was obvious.
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Tallymen continue to add things up
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
THEIR epitaph has been written twice, but they are still very much alive and will appear again in all their glory on Friday next.
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Water tests flowing slowly in Sligo
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
WATER, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink - a frightening thought. But for 90,000 people in Galway it is a reality. They have been told not to drink the water from their taps until it has been first boiled.
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OPW must climb with its Maeve signs
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
A 30-MINUTE walk and 700 ft in altitude separates an ancient monument and its lonely protection sign.
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Community numbers that fail to add up
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
A casual observer at a meeting in Sligo last week could be forgiven for thinking that the spirit of volunteerism and community involvement was dead.
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World Rally brings huge kudos to Sligo
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
THE news, at long last, that Sligo will be the host for a stage of the World Rally Championship later this year, is a fantastic boost for the area.
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Nurses: A solution must be found now
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
On Friday night, March 30, this scribe watched an elderly patient in St. John’s Hospital pass to his eternal reward.
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We all want to know results in advance
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
“It’s only a snapshot at a particular time” and “the only poll that matters is the one on election day”. These are two of the most common comments made by politicians and others when opinion polls are discussed.
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Priests are too old and too few
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Many readers will be surprised to learn this week that the average age of priests in the diocese of Elphin is now 70.
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Two great events, both to be commended
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
On St Patrick’s Day McHugh’s Views was focused on two large annual local events – the Sligo parade and the Goal Ball.
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Enough to try the patience of a saint
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Before putting fingertips to keyboard to write this column I spent a little while on the internet in an effort to find a precedent for what I am writing about.
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Local decision on airport’s future
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Sligo airport has survived all sorts of turbulence down the years. Up to now it has stemmed from external factors and from decisions taken elsewhere.
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Families shouldn’t have to pay
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
There is a service in Sligo which every day of the week is battling to save people’s lives. In some cases it succeeds but unfortunately many times it doesn’t.
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How can this vandalism be fun?
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
People have many sources of fun and amusement nowadays. Actually, if you look up the definition of the word fun, you will get the following descriptions: enjoyment, amusement, pleasure and entertainment among others.
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Parking solution a long way off
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
If there is one thing that unites all of us who live, work or frequent Sligo town, it is the issue of parking, or to be more precise, the lack of it.
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Now we MUST upgrade the N17
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
A little-known Scottish airline will make its inaugural flight into JFK Airport New York on May 27. Only a handful of the 19 million souls who make the New York Metropolitian area their home will know or care about the new arrival.
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Volunteers really can make a difference
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
The dictionary definition of a volunteer is someone who serves in a community because they choose to do so. Within the restraints of one sentence it sums up what volunteering is about.
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Clipboard collectors prey on shoppers
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
A woman is rushing down Sligo’s O’Connell Street to do some shopping on her lunch break. She is chased by a young man who catches up with her and makes unwelcome advances.
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Let’s leave Maeve as we found her
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
This week McHugh’s Views are on McHugh’s view. For every time this scribe looks out his sitting room window or goes out the front door, Maeve’s mound is in full view.
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Old and new sit side-by-side
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
The New Year is a time for looking back and also looking ahead. This column is going to do both at the same time, using radio as a mechanism.
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I hate to say I told you so…
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
No, I don’t really mean that. Someone else wrote the headline before I put fingertip to keyboard!
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Hotels that have bitten the dust
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
According to the Wikipedia online encyclopedia a hotel is “an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis”.
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Glasshouse will float on river
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Some bedrooms are painted orange and others are green; paintings on walls upstairs are of the loud abstract modern art variety.
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Why do we insist on waiting?
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Many readers expressed surprise at last week’s Sligo Weekender front story on the low uptake locally for a scheme that can drastically cut hospital waiting lists.
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Dervish go for a double win
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Dervish are already Eurovision Song Contest winners. I kid you not. A group of Turkish "whirling dervish dancers" accompanied singer Sertab Erener, to win the contest in Riga, Latvia, in the 2003.
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Publicans must save themselves
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
A Fine Gael councillor in Tipperary ran into a storm last week when he admitted that he drinks and drives.
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Let’s stage a Halloween festival
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
It is illegal to set off fireworks in Ireland. So therefore nobody does it. Right?
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Hospital hosts drama of life
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Hospitals by their nature are large unattractive buildings that don’t exactly excite you as you drive or walk past.
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A good mix is a must in housing Sligo’s people
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Listening to the comments of some of those opposed to the controversial plans for housing at Rathbraughan was enough to make the blood boil.
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Let there be light on the Garavogue (and under it)
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Readers who have seen the architectural lighting on the recently opened N15 bridge at Ballyshannon will have been impressed. It enhances the structure in a big way.
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Mercury rising as Radio Ga Ga arrives in North-West
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
These words are the opening lines of Queen’s big 1984 hit, Radio Ga Ga.
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A Hungarian in Sligo, an Irishman in Hungary…
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Last week in our Welcome To Sligo feature, 24-year-old Hungarian girl Katalin Me’sza’ros shared her thoughts on life as a waitress in Grange.
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Brian still has views, even from sunny Lanzarote
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
WHEN I volunteered to take over editor Brian McHugh’s column this week I wasn’t sure what to write about, to be honest.
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‘Levy-for-no-spaces’ money MUST be ringfenced
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Sligo is a difficult place to get widespread agreement on anything. But there is one issue that we can all agree on – the need for more parking spaces.
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Parents must take blame for under-age drinking
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Young Junior Cert students will throng Sligo’s streets tomorrow (Wednesday) evening to celebrate their results.
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Ray faces a big challenge in his new tourism role
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Ray MacSharry has worn many hats in his distinguished career, both before and after entering public life.
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St Paul and Sligo marchers on different planets
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Today’s world is full of contradictions. In some ways society has moved on to a stage where we witness events unheard of in years not far gone by.
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Pedestrianisation requires wise use of streets
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Narrow streets are packed with cars stuck in huge traffic jams while the town’s main street lies empty apart from a few shoppers on the footpaths.
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Sex shop and casino are ok, but Argos is out
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
August is often referred to as the silly season. In the newspaper business many of the normal sources of news are absent while other off-beat things step in to take their place.
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Sligo must hold on to its world rally event
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Those of you who were around when the Circuit of Ireland Rally really was a circuit of Ireland – as opposed to driving through half-a-dozen counties -– will recall the excitement it generated.
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Chart toppers hit rock bottom in lyrics
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
"It's only words" was the title of a song first recorded by the Bee Gees back in the nineties.
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More road deaths, but let’s put the shoe down
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
It’s Monday morning, and I’m late, but there’s time to listen to the news over a quick breakfast.
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Sexy legs knock me off my feet
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Women’s legs. It’s a subject that has fascinated men since Eve displayed too much in the garden.
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Criminals find new targets to attack
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Recent weeks have seen a change in how our violent criminals make their presence felt.
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MacSharry gives Haughey insight
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
The last time this scribe wrote about Charley Haughey was almost 20 years ago when a piece of land he owned in North Sligo was slowly being ebbed away by coastal erosion.
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Volunteer work thriving despite rush
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
A commonly held perception is that today's hectic pace of life leaves little time for voluntary work for the community or for those around us who are in need of help.
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Pedestrians should become kings and queens
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
It now looks like that one of the promises made when the Sligo Inner Relief Road was being planned is soon to be delivered on.
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To the manners born - yes please, thank you
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Has basic manners become a victim to the hectic stress-filled lifestyle of today?
For centuries Ireland has been known far and wide for the friendliness of its people.
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Shootings must not become acceptable
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
When hideous acts start being accepted as part of modern-day life, then we have a problem.
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Aer Lingus fails to land customer contacts
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
One would imagine that channels of communications with customers would be a priority for any business striving for success.
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Census form failed to treat children of the nation equally
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Government departments, the agencies under them and civil servants in general, exist to provide a service to the people of the country.
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Pets become sheep slayers
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Readers will be shocked by the pictures in this week’s paper of the bodies of lambs after they were savaged by dogs.
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Podge and Rodge ‘interview’ Sligo’s Aine
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
You can either love them or hate them, but few will not have heard of the gruesome twosome known as Podge and Rodge.
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Sligo man flying high with E1 billion sale
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
A Sligo man is set to take centre stage in the sale of a company valued at E1 billion.
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Let’s shed some light on the Garavogue
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
For a town that derives its name from the river that flows through it, Sligo down the years hasn’t shown an awful lot of appreciation for that natural asset.
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Health service is country’s sickest patient
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
An elderly woman died on a hospital trolley in a nurses’ tea station after waiting four hours to be seen by a doctor.
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Rag Week is raising trouble and giving headaches
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Rag Week is a week when a group of students sell rags with poems on them in order to give something back to society – the money is donated to the poor.
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Saehan employees step into a different world
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
It will be an emotional occasion for the last remaining Saehan workers as they bid farewell to their jobs at the end of April.
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Let’s have an early decision on allegation
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
A Strandhill congregation sat stunned on Sunday week last when Bishop Christy Jones told them that their priest, Canon Niall Ahern, had stood aside pending the outcome of investigations into an allegation made against him.
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Prevention is better than a cure for crime
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Two interesting Garda-related stories feature in our news pages this week and last week.
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Hospital parking system requires surgery
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
A recent comment in this column on parking problems prompted a reader to contact us with his story about a related incident.
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‘Three wise men’ deliver similar message
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Just before Christmas I invited three men, all of whom have a big role in shaping Sligo’s future, to write articles for the paper.
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Barber’s plan aims to cut parking woes
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Now that the hype about Christmas preparations is again almost nine months away, it might be a good time to analyse how aspects of the festive rush might be improved next time around.
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A look into the mind of a murderer leaves many unanswered questions
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
It’s New Year’s Day in Sligo’s largest housing estate. Normally, like most places in town, the estate would be quiet on the first day of the year.
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Here’s to a happy Christmas – whatever it may mean to you
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Happy Christmas. This two-word wish is by far the most frequent expression in use this week
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Parking has to be top of list for Santa
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Further major development is planned for Sligo. Taking several projects together, some of which are already underway, a large area extending southwards from the Garavogue to Lower Pearse Road – with a few untouched ‘islands’ in between – is set for a major change.
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Tickets and trolleys on the Sabbath Day
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
A long time ago a guy called Moses delivered a set of rules from on high called the Commandants. The fourth of these said: "Thou shall keep holy the Sabbath Day".
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Millionaires in water war over Sligo girls
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
A millionaire pop guru has two cups of water thrown over him by an even more well-heeled personality of the same business. He just smiles, shirks his shoulders and dries himself off.
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Change is unlikely to benefit Sligo’s shoppers
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
The headlines told us last week that shoppers can expect E100 a month off their shopping bills following the government’s decision to scrap the Groceries Order.
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What’s new in transport plan for Sligo?
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Is it a new era for transport in Ireland which will see provincial centres like Sligo getting a first class road and rail service?
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Government must fuel a plan to avoid oil shortages
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Every day we hear of changes in the price of a barrel of oil on the world market. Most times the move is upwards, but either way it doesn’t bother us enough to keep us awake at night.
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Faulty thought process led to attack on Lissadell
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
There are times when it’s difficult to understand the thought process of some people.
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There are great voids which can never be filled
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Communities that have one are very fortunate. Communities that haven’t got one don’t feel at a loss because they don’t miss what they never had.
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New lifebuoys must be respected
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Fun comes from various sources for different types of people. If you look up the meaning of the word fun, you will get enjoyment, amusement, pleasure and entertainment among other descriptions.
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Road may be imperfect but but it’s still very welcome
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
The perfect solution is a very difficult thing to find. And there are times when it doesn’t exist.
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Why, on balance, it’s best Walshe is gone
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Being a journalist has its challenges. High up among these is the need to maintain objectivity - not letting your own opinions get in the way of your reporting of the facts.
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Murder slips from minds but others still remember
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
It is now almost four months since the murder of Hughie McGinley. Apart from his family, his death seems to have been forgotten about. In the early days, and for weeks after the killing, we in the media made regular calls to the garda station enquiring if there was any progress with the case.
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Shopping package will deliver goods for Sligo
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
They say that good things come to those who wait. Sligo has been waiting for quite a few things for a long time and now two of them come together.
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Too much money doesn’t bring happiness
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
WHAT would I do with it, was the question which crossed many people’s minds last week as a Limerick woman won E115 million in the European lottery.
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Fussing over life-saving ban was all smoke without fire
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Looking back on all the fuss that had us all so engrossed in the run-up to the smoking ban, we now have to ask what was it all about?
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Met office pours cold water on St. Swithin’s Day theory
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
It’s not often that Michael Woods of Coolera House finds himself having to admit that there is something he doesn’t know. The affable publican is normally a fountain of knowledge on most subjects.
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Large developments and small shops attract interest
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Two items in last week's Sligo Weekender attracted more than average reaction – thankfully all of it being positive.
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Sligo much-changed from Snia low point
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
The 16-page Developing Sligo supplement in this week's paper captures, in one publication, most of the major developments either currently taking place or in the pipeline in Sligo.
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Alcohol hits the headlines and makes a splash in the car park
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
It’s a hot and humid Friday night and I’m back in the office working to catch up on a few things so as to clear the decks for a hectic Monday coming up.
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It's tough at the top in Irish banking circles
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Two weeks ago a Sligo man was said to be ecstatic with his E2.5 million lotto win. And it is understandable that he would be after picking up more money that he could ever possibly need.
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Cranes fail to lift the fortunes of all our people
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Looking around Sligo today, it is obviously on the crest of an economic wave.
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Women take control in business and commerce
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
What's the world coming to? Or to be more precise, what do the women of Sligo think they are at?
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Rail campaign goes off track for Sligo
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
"Expenditure of this order would be very difficult to justify and I have to say that the case for its restoration, as things stand, is weak except on the grounds of balanced regional development".
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Murder may send out wrong impression of Sligo
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Sligo is not a wild-west town with all of its population living in fear. That’s the message that needs to go out after recent events and subsequent wrong impressions people in other parts of the country may have formed of what is going on here.
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Murder leaves the innocent to suffer a thousand deaths
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
The weather was pleasant last Saturday evening as the final hours of April faded away for another year.
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Town streets take an unexpected turn
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
SOME things come when you least expect them. Take the upcoming changes in Sligo’s one-way traffic system for instance.
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It’s a good time to be around
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Sligo and its people had cause to blush recently. It also had reason to be proud and excited about the future.
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People celebrate big day in many different ways
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Several centuries ago a young Briton named Patricius landed in Ireland and fell in love with the place – even though he worked here as a slave for years.
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Broadband 'rolls out' to service Sligo communities
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
As you grow more frustrated trying to negotiate your way around what appears to be road works all around Sligo, try to grin and bear it.
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GAA should not have to share key asset with rivals
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
As Sligo GAA celebrates the golden jubilee of the opening of Markievicz Park it brings to mind again the controversy over 'Rule 42' which bans the playing of soccer and rugby at Croke Park.
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I know what Charlie is going through as mammy says no
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
A couple of weeks ago in this column I suggested that Charlie and his blushing bride, Camilla, should be invited to Sligo for their bash to mark the tying of the knot.
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Two men make the headlines in health related stories
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
A Sligo man and a Donegal man made headlines in health related stories this week for different reasons.
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Let’s bring the Charlie / Camilla wedding to Sligo
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Have any of you received an invite to the big wedding yet? Yes I’m talking about the one that the media – including the Irish papers, TV and radio – seem to think is so important.
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This year’s early start of Lent was decided in 1582
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Several times in recent weeks I have heard people remark that Lent and Easter is coming early this year. Lent starts on this Wednesday and Easter Sunday is March 27 which is the earliest it has been for some time.
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Is it just a coincidence or a form of mental telepathy?
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Recently I’ve had been asking myself if I’m developing some kind of telepathy or is it down to coincidence.
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Communications breakdown with eircom machine
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Those of you who were around 25 years ago or so will recall all the optimism that was around regarding how technology would make our lives easier.
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Drivers focus on speed signs for first time
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
This week there will be more interest in speed limit signs than ever before.
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Why does benevolent God make innocent people suffer?
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Is there really a God and, if there is, why did he let – or make – the terrible tsunami happen?
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Casualty department needs treatment
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Some people may feel aggrieved by the New Year’s Day E10 hike in charges at hospital A&E departments.
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New traffic squad will be kept busy in Sligo-Leitrim area
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
The news that 700 gardai are to be assigned to a dedicated Traffic Corp is welcome.
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Why is Christmas feared as the lights go on?
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Is it just me or is time really flying for everyone nowadays? The weekend saw the switching on of Sligo’s Christmas lights again after what appears to be only a few months since they went off.
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Let’s hope Joe is right again this time
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
“There are rumours that direct flights from Sligo to Britain could be on the cards for next year”.
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Silence reigns at beginning and end of a tragic story
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
It all started in silence on a cold Saturday morning in February 2003 and ended in silence on a mild Thursday evening in November 2004.
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Memories of teaching on purgatory and prison thoughts
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Sitting in the editor’s chair I am well aware that the press gets blamed for lots of things.
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Mouse helps pay fines but long walk disc walk remains
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
If you are unlucky enough to get a parking ticket, then McHugh’s Views has a little bit of good news for you.
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Tears turn to champagne as radio operators switch over
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
What a difference a day makes. Certainly when it came to the switch of local radio operators, the weekend scene in and around the two stations could not have been more different.
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High-flying observations on way home from holiday
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Have you ever been on an aeroplane and with nothing much to think about you start making various observations on aspects of flying, planes and aviation in general.
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After 14 years coming soon changes to going soon
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
"Coming soon" were the words in large bold type at the top of a full-page advert in the Sligo Weekender of October 26, 1990.
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Children make the news in several different ways
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Children feature in a big way in newspapers at the moment. Internationally, the Russian siege children story is one of the most horrific reported in recent memory.
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Road planners had radical proposals to change town
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
The announcement that Sligo is taking part in car-free day on September 22 by pedestrianising O’Connell St and the obvious progress with the Inner Relief Road, prompted me to go digging through some old stuff in my office cabinet.
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Another giant leap for mankind is needed
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Sometimes it takes a person who is not familiar with a place to identify what should be a very obvious problem with where you have been living and working for decades.
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Underground trip makes it easier to tolerate the boss
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
If you’rE ever getting fed-up with the desk job, the work is becoming monotonous and the boss is becoming a pain in the butt, then I have the answer for you.
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Late-night pub calls detect smoke
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
A holiday at home can be an interesting experience. Recently I spent a week away from the Apple Mac, mainly taking it easy in the North West.
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Beware, we’re in for a bumpy ride by 2015
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Let’s start with a question this week. If traffic on the road from Bundoran to Ballyshannon soars from 9,000 vehicles a day to 20,000 over the next 15 years, how many cars will be squeezing through Sligo’s roads and streets by then?
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Divine intervention after Holy Well visit
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
It wasn’t quite a miracle. But a visit last week to Toberalt Holy Well did produce what could be described as divine intervention.
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Paper search reveals changes and similarities
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
While looking for something else at the weekend, I found myself looking through the pages of a copy of the Weekender from this time last year.
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Attitudes to smoking ban raises questions
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Am I the only one who thinks that the smoking ban in pubs is a Godsend? Why does it appear as if only a tiny minority of us prefer clear healthy air in a pub rather than smoke, overflowing ash trays and an unpleasant substance made from cigarette ash mixed with spilled beer?
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Hutch asks why Eugene had to go down to mind George
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Why did Sligo Weekender sports columnist Eugene MacHale and 100 other gardai from Sligo / Leitrim have to spend a weekend minding one of the world's nicest men?
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People should be given opportunity to decide on mayor
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
By the time this article comes before your eyes, Sligo will have a new mayor. I’m writing these ‘words of wisdom’ at the weekend as this page goes to press early on Monday morning.
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It’s now up to the politicians to deliver on promises
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
The political drama of the weekend counts are over, not just for now, but for all time.
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Sr Marie gave of herself in death as she did in life
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Last Friday saw the passing of one of Sligo’s most beloved people in the untimely death of Sr Marie Finan, late of Ursuline Convent, St Angela’s College and Shalamar, after a short illness borne with great dignity and faith.
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Thoughts on newspapers, radio stations and Lissadell
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Sligo and Roscommon – probably the only readers who want to be reminded of Saturday evening’s game in Markievicz Park are those from the other side of the Curlews.
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What is it that drives your local councillor?
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
The current scurry for election to Sligo County and Borough Councils and other local authorities prompts the question – why do they do it?
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Let’s coin it in O’Connell Street on Friday next
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
In the old English fairy tale Dick Whittington thought that the streets of London were paved with gold so he set off with his cat to pursue the elusive dream of a new beginning.
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Tiger’s ghost makes his presence felt in Sligo
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
John Bromley’s feature article on page six and seven this week highlights the number of new hotels either being built or at the planning stage in Sligo at the moment.
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Dinosaur gets reprieve as electronic poll goes
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
Rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated, wrote Mark Twain.
The same could be said for the manual election count of votes and with it the tallymen.
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Ladas make way for BMWs in Budapest
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
If a man stops you on a Sligo street on Saturday next and in an urgent-sounding voice says "ferfi" to you, then you must reply "sajnalo" followed by "nem".
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Large and small schools make the news
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
In recent years we have been hearing much about the poor state of some national school buildings, including some in County Sligo.
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If the laws are not being enforced, let’s make new ones
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
Existing laws are not being enforced, so the Government is preparing to act – by introducing more laws.
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Smoke, road and tax passes in the diary
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
The big day has come and gone. Yesterday, Monday, was heavily marked in diaries for a number of reasons.
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Road story reaches its final chapter
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Is there any other subject in Sligo that there have been as many words written about as there have been about the Inner Relief Road?
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Is it Saint Patrick’s Day or Paddy’s Day?
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
Is it St. Patrick’s day or Paddy’s Day? I suppose it all depends on how you think about it. Are we celebrating St. Patrick or is a day for the Paddies to let it all hang out?
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Pin comes down in wrong place for Sligo
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
How would the name John Maugherow work for an election candidate?
Or would you vote for someone called John Castlebaldwin, or John Bunnanadden, or John Ballinacarrow, John Monasteraden, or even John Ballaghaderreen.
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Gilmartin follows Jinks in national controversy
Tuesday, March 02, 2004
As Sligo’s Tom Gilmartin starts to tell his story to the Flood Tribunal this week, some observers are predicting that the end result could be the downfall of the Government.
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Memories of trains return as rail campaign gears up
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
The recent stepping-up of the campaign for the opening of the rail line from Collooney to Limerick brings to mind with sadness the closure of another line.
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Invitation issued to Sligo’s car burners
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
You get a bill for a service you didn’t order. When it arrives, it may never enter your property, but yet you are expected to pay for it.
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Those who opt not to use system object to its coming
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
It is proposed to spend E40 million on a new scheme to help people to exercise their democratic right in a more efficient manner.
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Ben makes me an offer I can refuse
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Is it that my editor’s salary is too much? Or is that it that after having moved from Cavan more than 30 years ago, I don’t appreciate the chance of making a whole lot of easy money?
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Black ice finds two complicated routes
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Even the experts can get confused at times. The AA is an expert organisation in getting you to your destination on schedule.
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Here’s to those who tread the boards for fun
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Colin Farrell does it and gets well very well rewarded for his efforts. The same can be said for Pierce Brosnan, Nicholas Cage, Jennifer Lopez and numerous others all over the world.
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Some things change and some don’t
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
As I write, it is the first working day of the New Year, and things are quiet. There isn’t much happening. I position myself at the keyboard of my Apple Mac. What will I write about in McHugh’s views this week?
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Looking back on 2003 and forward to 2004
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
As the curtain comes down on 2003, it is customary to have a look back over the previous 12 months and maybe also try to peer into the crystal ball to see what lies ahead.
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Knock proves that miracles do happen
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Miracles do happen. And if anyone doubts it, they should take a look at Knock airport.
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Can Sligo give back the gateway?
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
We fought hard for it, we got it, but so far all it has done for us is to cost us jobs. The ‘it’ in question is Gatway status.
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Shane and Gillian ask for presents for charity
Tuesday, December 02, 2003
If you were watching for the postman in anticipation of an invitation to Shane and Gillian’s wedding, I have bad news for you.
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Let’s take the roads as they really are
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Do we take the theoretical approach and accept things as the book says they are, or do we recognise them as being as they actually are?
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School kid asks a difficult question
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Editors are supposed to know everything about newspapers and news. So when a young national school child, during a school visit to our offices, asked me what should be a simple question, I should have had the answer.
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A word to the wise
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
It is early November and only a few weeks since our long glorious summer ended.
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Two ‘Free States’ to be abolished
Tuesday, November 04, 2003
Many Northern people still refer to the South of Ireland as the Free State.
And it would appear that many Northern motorists think the free means it is a place where they can drive as they please.
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Smoke ban pros outweigh the cons
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
There probably has been more words written about the pub smoking ban this year than there has been on any other subject.
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Statistics fail to show full trauma of cancer
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Statistics, they are everywhere nowadays. Figures on a page, they are intended to tell us the scale of whatever they are dealing with.
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Manual calls recalled as eircom rings changes
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Eircom phone users in Sligo and surrounding areas are currently bidding goodbye to their old numbers and saying hello to new ones.
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‘British’ All-Ireland fails to make news across the water
Wednesday, October 01, 2003
WHILE Sligo didn’t get very far in this year’s All-Ireland championship series, it was nice to see one man from the county doing his thing in Croke Park during Sunday’s final.
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€150 refuse charge leads to jail while Sligo pays €520
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Sligo householders are watching with interest the ongoing row in Dublin over the refuse collection charges. They see Socialist TD Joe Higgins and his party colleague, Clare Daly, going to jail in their campaign against the charges.
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A dining date with Dana and her draft document
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Will the proposed European constitution be good for Ireland? A boring subject, I hear you say.
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Give tourists lessons in drinking pints
Tuesday, September 09, 2003
The tourism season is drawing to a close and as detailed in our feature on pages six and seven this week, it appears to have been fairly quiet in this general area.
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It’s back to school and traffic jams
Tuesday, September 02, 2003
Back in June it seemed like September and back to school time was a long way off.
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Lissadell is an opportunity missed
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
SLIGO was shocked by the last week’s private sale of Lissedell House. But really it did not come as a surprise.
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Sunny afternoon brings reflections
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
As I write on a sunny Sunday evening various thoughts cross my mind.
Having mentioned the sun, let’s start with the weather. Isn’t it glorious.
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Disappointment as wives fail to meet
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
An apparently happy couple exchange marriage vows in the Church of Saint Christopher. As the ceremony nears the end, a young mother and her newly-born baby just happen to be passing the church.
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Headline Here and Here
Tuesday, July 08, 2003
Upsets to family plans come in very varying degrees. Saturday last was our wedding anniversary. It was a nice morning and we were all set for a day of activities centred around the family.
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Time to sing the same tune
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
The old saying, united we stand, divided we fall, has stood the test of time.
However, down the years many people with key roles in Sligo don’t seem to have heard of it, or if they have, they decided to ignore it.
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Shame on Louis Walsh
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
THIS week and next is a very special time in the lives of the teams, the organisers and all the participants in the Special Olympics.
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Sligo gets swings and roundabouts
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
At last Sligo has a major public playground for its children as Saturday next sees the official opening of a large facility at Kevinsfort.
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Judging is a very tough task
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
Being the editor of the Sligo Weekender takes in a wide variety of activities.
Within the past ten days it involved judging two events: The Sligo Lions Rose of Tralee and the Shop Assistant of the Year award.
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Sick rabbit leads to trains
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
Taking a pet rabbit to the vet can be an interesting experience. This is particularly so if the vet happens to be Peter Bowen Walsh of Collooney.
Peter is a man whose knowledge extends to a range of subjects much wider than looking after animals.
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The day the NWR music died
Tuesday, May 06, 2003
LISTENING to local radio on Wednesday last reminded me of the lines from the song “the day the music died” in the Don McLean classic, American Pie. Or was it more like Queen’s Radio Ga Ga?
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Doctor Jimmy has difficult mission
Tuesday, April 29, 2003
Former Sligo GP and now TD, Doctor Jimmy Devins, this week entered the debate on the SARS issue
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How Countess would see Sligo today
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
As Minister Seamus Brennan unveiled the monument to Countess Constance Markievicz at Rathcormac yesterday, Monday, several thoughts came to mind.
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Easter has many meanings
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
Easter is almost with us again. Here in Sligo it means different things for different people.
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Two clues to why Sligo is wallowing in its love of litter
Tuesday, April 08, 2003
Sligo people appear to like litter. That is the conclusion that could be drawn from two recent indicators if they are to be taken at face value.
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European award brings reflections on early days
Tuesday, April 01, 2003
The venue is Aachen City Hall in Germany. It is packed with representatives from the leading newspapers in Europe.
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Saint Patrick’s ‘disciples’ spread parade joy every year
Tuesday, March 18, 2003
Saint Patrick’s Day is over and now it is nearly as far off again as are the snakes. This year as usual it brought thousands out on to the streets for parades round the country.
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It’ll be a red letter day when delays in the post improve
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
How long should it take a letter to make the 13-mile journey from Sligo town to Ballinacarrow on the N17 road to Tubbercurry?
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Abbott do it again
Tuesday, March 04, 2003
Abbott have done it again with the announcement of 900 jobs of which more than 300 are for Sligo.
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Airport recovers from costly mistake
Wednesday, February 26, 2003
The arrival of flight RE211 at 9am next Monday morning marks the beginning of another chapter in the life of Sligo airport.
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NWR listeners are not inferior
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
One of the applicants for the new local radio franchise for this area is already making the headlines.
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Snia fire was Sligo's biggest
Tuesday, February 11, 2003
Last week’s McHugh’s Views on the 21st anniversary of the Snia closure brought reaction from a number of former employees of the factory.
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21 years since Snia closure
Tuesday, February 04, 2003
Many of our younger readers will not know what I’m talking about when I recall that it is 21 years since the closure of Snia.
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Twenty year old airport is entitled to a break
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
Last July of last year this column optimistically stated: "If Euroceltic deliver the promised Fokker 50s and the new ticket reservation system, then possibly the airport can look forward to a period of stability, growth and development".
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Teresa takes over in Sligo IFA at a very difficult time
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Sligo’s first IFA lady chairperson, Teresa Gilligan, takes over the reins at a difficult time for the organisation.
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New gateway city will be unable to sort its mail
Wednesday, January 08, 2003
Why is a new gateway growth centre not able to postmark its own letters?
Last month Sligo was getting excited about having been selected as one of Ireland’s new gateways.
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Another ‘Saehan miracle’ is now needed on road
Wednesday, November 20, 2002
What can be said about the Inner Relief Road debacle at this stage? After 30 years of rows about the route, consultants’ reports, public enquires, claims, counter claims, promises, funding coming and funding going, the project has again come a cropper.
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Speed limits come into focus
Wednesday, November 13, 2002
Now that the long promised penalty system is finally up and running, it has been welcomed by most people who are concerned about the carnage on our roads.
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Real fight starts after selection
Wednesday, October 30, 2002
Now that the Nice referendum is out of the way, the government is expected to reveal its hand shortly on which towns and areas it intends to earmark for development under the National Spatial Strategy.
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Visit to Budapest clinic reveals a changing city
Wednesday, October 16, 2002
Ten countries in Eastern Europe will watch with a keen interest to see how we vote on Saturday in the Nice referendum. One of these is Hungary which this writer visited last month.
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Death in the news
Wednesday, September 25, 2002
Three deaths in Sligo are recorded in our news pages this week. Roisin Barr died while she was in the US to attend a family wedding. She was a woman who spared no effort to further the cause she believed in.
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League table makes little difference
Wednesday, September 04, 2002
The debate about the Sligo litter report continues. The question being asked is does the town merit its second worst placing in the litter league? There is much criticism of the report and how it was compiled.
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Reaction to tragedy grows out of proportion
Wednesday, August 28, 2002
I have been debating with myself over the weekend whether I should express my thoughts on the reaction to the killing of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.
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RTE man gets it right on Sligo
Wednesday, August 07, 2002
It’s a great day to be a Sligo person exclaimed the excited RTE commentator as the men in black and white scored the equalising point on Sunday.
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Hundreds of people go missing in Sligo
Wednesday, July 31, 2002
Where were the people who live in the hundreds of new homes all around Sligo town and its environs on the night of April 28?
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Three set to push for Sligo in Seanad
Friday, July 26, 2002
Normally, the Irish Senate, or Seanad Eireann, to give it its proper title isn’t something that attracts an awful lot of interest for the man or woman in the street.
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