Ireland Says No to Bush

NO real surprise that 67% of the Irish people believe that President George W. Bush should not be allowed visit Ireland at the end of this month, according to a poll in the Irish Examiner newspaper.

Indeed, given the level of vitriol there is against the American president at present, 67% seems like a somewhat low figure to many experts. 

Only 19% stated that they actually wanted Bush to visit, while 14% had no opinion on the matter. It is a reflection on how active the opposition has become in Ireland with regards to President Bush.

Sinn Fein has certainly begun to capitalize. The party recently held a major press conference calling on the government to stop American troops landing in Shannon Airport on their way to Iraq. It is clearly an issue that is popular at the Irish doorsteps as the local Irish elections loom.

Sinn Fein, however, has to tread warily on this one. There are many conservative Bush supporters among the party’s backers in America. They might not take too kindly to the hard line on the U.S. that the party is currently taking.

Organizers are expecting over 100,000 protestors when the Bush visit happens, according to media reports. This is the number that came out to protest the war soon after it started. It will be interesting to see if that number can be surpassed now.

Sopranos Disrupt Election

WE know The Sopranos are popular here in America, but apparently the HBO show is also having a huge impact in Ireland.

Canvassers for several of the political parties in the upcoming elections have been told to avoid doing so on Tuesday evenings at a certain time because they have gotten hugely negative feedback from house residents.

The reason? It’s the time that The Sopranos is showing and it means that the folks are glued to the television. Now unless the canvassers can make them an offer they can’t refuse, people want to view the show in peace, it seems.

Bloomberg’s Irish Link

NEW York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg might have riled some Irish business owners with his hard line on the issue of smoking in bars and restaurants. But there’s one Irishman who appears to be doing all right with the mayor.

Declan Orpen has been dating the mayor’s daughter, Georgina, for over a year now. Now there are reports that the young couple will actually be moving in together.

“They really like each other,” one pal told the New York Daily News this week. “They’re both very serious and hard-working. Georgina has had a bunch of boyfriends in the riding world. But she’s pretty starry-eyed about this one.”

Described as “darkly handsome,” the Irish-born Orpen is said to be an avid polo player.

“By all accounts, he’s a great guy,” Show Circuit magazine’s editor in chief Jill Brooke added to the News. “And he’s lucky to have her.”

That’s all well and good. But you’d think the mayor of New York’s daughter would live in the town over which hizzoner presides. But no. The young couple will reportedly set up a home just of outside Palm Beach, Florida, in the wealthy enclave of Wellington.

Dynasty Star Dives In 

SPEAKING of elections, it appears voters in Britain are about to deliver a major shock to the established parties – and the star of the popular 1980s soap Dynasty, Joan Collins, is set to play a large part.

Collins was among the celebrities who gathered for the launch of the United Kingdom Independent Party, which is a British version of ourselves alone, the Sinn Fein original slogan. The members don’t want to give over any sovereignty to Europe, and it appears their message is resonating.

Fully 14% of the electorate now say they will vote for them – just behind the third placed party the Liberal Democrats. That would certainly be a huge upset for the books. 

Ireland Is Costly

IRELAND is now the second most expensive location in Europe after Norway, according to a new survey.

It is not news that will necessarily surprise Americans, who have known for some time that the cost of staples in Ireland has been shooting through the roof.

But the second highest in Europe? Yes, says American Express, which recently studied 12 countries in Europe by comparing the cost of 13 items in a shopping basket.

Some of the comparisons are startling. Ireland’s total was Œ177 compared with just Œ104 in Spain. 

Among the most extraordinary differences were the fact that a six-pack of beer costs Œ12.33 in Ireland but just Œ1.08 in Spain. Meanwhile, a bottle of lager, such as Heineken or Harp costs Œ5.40 in Ireland, and only 77 cent in Portugal.

Because of the fact that the Euro currency now exists, there is at last ample scope to match the cost of products in one country against another. When it was liras, pesos and pounds it was hard to tell the difference. 

Now we know what we have long suspected – Ireland is getting more and more expensive.