We are all the better for the departure of Eamonn Gilmore from frontline politics. But Joan Burton becoming Labour Party leader makes it worse.

Now she’s Tanaiste, could she not take the whinge out of her voice? Maybe she’s forming a duo with Miliband across the water, The Useless Adenoids?
Really low remark, that. I suppose I should take it back..
One of Burton’s first moves was to dump Joe Costello as minister in charge of development aid. Normally, I couldn’t care less about the leg-ups and downsides of Labour. But I remember Joe from the days he was heart and soul of the Prisoners’ Rights Organisation. Not “political” prisoners, but old lags and damaged youngsters easily demonised and hard to stand up for.
I wouldn’t ever join Labour. Even more so wouldn’t back coalition. Corrosive to every core principle. But Joe regularly went far beyond the call to do what was possible for people in distress, and even managed somehow to retain decent beliefs and a tinge of idealism.
Come to think on it, that’s probably why they wanted rid.

I sprinted up Shipquay Street at a faster lick than you’d credit for an athlete my age to catch Ego The Jackal (Conor McGowan of Skruff as was) at the Playhouse, now travelling the land with a car-boot of CDs and a handful of songs to sing you that you won’t regret stopping to savour. More later. Keep an eye.
Earlier, I’d emceed the launch of new label Music Asylum’s first offering, at Café Soul. Adam Flanagan, 14, introduced a mournful number as “a break-up song”. Two local guys with the sound of the hip-hop underground, Rick O’Shea who had detoured through the South Bronx to get here, and Versatyle, with staccato cascades of angst at social ills and a bag of attitude on either shoulder. And Donegal traditional chanter and hard-rock princess Tina G. And Amanda Healey late of the Clash-Supremes cross-over Shambelles.
And, ah!, Johanna Fegan, street-smartest woman around. A local rock guru had called her to the table we were wasting time at a week beforehand to lie, “He says you’re the best-looking woman in the world”, when, actually, all I’d said was, “Possibly the best-looking woman in Ireland.” I felt I might be downgrading the remark if I issued a correction. So, alright, in the world.
She’ll be even more embarrassed now, which as a matter of fact tends to enhance her.

Idly chatting on day of the death of Alfredo di Stephano, Jobby Crossan from Hamilton Street casually remarked: “I was on a pitch with him.”
Jobby, ex-Derry City, Coleraine, Sparta Rotterdam, Standard Liege, Manchester City, Sunderland and Northern Ireland. Scored two for Standard Liege against Rangers in a European Cup semi-final at Ibrox. Played also against Eusebio (Better than all the rest: 733 goals in 744 competitive games), Zinedine Zidane, Johan Cruyff, George Best.
Sometimes nowadays Jobby stands with Charlie Ferry, Eddie Mahon (only Ancient Greek-speaking goalie in League of Ireland history. No, really) and myself at the Brandywell.
“Respect” doesn’t cover it. But of course we don’t tell him.

Here’s a couple of quotes from the most revered of Israel’s founders.
“Peace will come to the Middle East when the Arabs learn to love their children more than they hate us. We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children” - Prime Minister Golda Meir.
“It was not as if there was a Palestinian people in Palestine and we came and threw them out and took their country away from them. They did not exist” - same schmuck.
“How can we return the occupied territories? There is nobody to return them to” – same again.
Deputy Prime Minister Yitzhak Katzir - “We will keep them on their knees. We will follow them all over the world and kill them”.
Chief of Staff Minister Moshe Dayan - “jackals”. Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir - “grasshoppers”. Prime Minister Menahem Begin – “two-legged vermin”. Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan - “We need to keep Palestinians like drugged roaches in a bottle.”
This from Jewish Voice for Peace: “We reaffirm that all Israelis and Palestinians deserve security, justice, and equality, and we mourn all those who have died.
“Our unshakeable commitment to freedom and justice for all compels us to acknowledge that this violence has fallen overwhelmingly on Palestinians. And it compels us to affirm that this violence has a root cause: Israel’s illegal occupation.
“We are united in our belief that: The denial of Palestinian human rights must end; Illegal settlements must end; Bombing civilians must end; Killing children must end;
Valuing Jewish lives at the expense of others must end.
“Only by embracing equality for all peoples can this terrible bloodshed end.”
Supporters of the bombardment of Gaza routinely rubbish Jewish Voice for Peace as “self-hating Jews”.
Ten thousand out in Tel Aviv against Gaza assault.
Backing for boycott, divestment and sanctions growing everywhere: Presbyterian Assembly of US now onside.
Irish Congress of Trades Unions has voted for BDS. Time to make this a reality.
A peaceful way forward to justice is possible. Keep the pressure on.

My hearing is good so I am not a Garth Brooks fan, but deaf people have rights too. That city manager’s edict could set a seriously dangerous precedent. I found myself with the cowboy boot-boys.