Phil Mac Giolla Bháin

Preventable Death

20th October 2009

This timely book explores the appalling death toll of young Irishmen over a twenty-year period.

Campaigning journalist Phil Mac Giolla Bhain travelled the length and breadth of the island of Ireland hearing the stories of heart broken families who have been devastated by suicide.

Phil also spoke to experts in the field who, despite years of research, cannot answer why the suicide rate among our young men is so high.

Finally, Phil develops an analysis why this is a killer of men and not women in modern Ireland and what can be done to neutralise this “tolerated serial killer”.

A country called Europe.

10th October 2009

All of my adult life I have taken decisions that I affirmed my Irish nationality. I’ve only ever held an Irish passport, I’m and Irish speaker and I live in Ireland.

My three children go to an Irish speaking school-they are being raised gaeilgoiri.

You get the idea.

Recently I re-affirmed my wish to live in a country called “Ireland”. Unfortunately many of fellow Irish citizens decided that they wanted to live in a country called “Europe.”

The Dangers of Anti-Depressants (The Right Hook – Audio)

14th September 2009

Interview on “The Right Hook” with hosted by Kevin Meyers with Phil Mac Giolla Bhain and Professor Patricia Casey on 1st September 2009. *LINK NO LONGER AVAILIBLE.

Buddy can you spare a helicopter.

18th July 2009

Anyone who experienced the North of Ireland in the 70s or 80s would testify that the British military had helicopters. Lots of helicopters.

Bessbrook barracks in Armagh was the busiest heliport in Western Europe.

I have no idea what happened to all those helicopters, but they seem to be missing now.

Over the past few weeks the lack of helicopters in Afghanistan has become a political issue in Whitehall with the head of the British army General Sir Mike Dannat entering the political fray.

Britain. No longer a player in the Great Game.

10th July 2009

This week saw the death of one time US defence secretary Robert MacNamara.
He was a JFK appointee and Vietnam was the defining episode of his career.
All the reports from inside the beltway described him, in old age, as being “haunted” by his role in the USA’s first military defeat.

A Marine from Mayo.

27th June 2009

Today, in Britain, it is armed forces day. The cynic in me merely sees a new PR event thought up by a government in deep trouble.

If the British government really cared about the Queen’s armed forces then they would send them into battle with a fighting chance of survival.

They don’t.

There is no team like the Glasgow Rangers!

25th June 2009

This piece is a response to those who had said “show us the evidence” when I had stated earlier that Rangers were unique in British football in that they were, for some reason, unable or unwilling to sign a player from the Republic of Ireland .

This reality of an RoI free team at Ibrox could be seen over many years.

In comparison the ubiquity of RoI players in all other clubs in Britain is striking.

A little bird told me.

21st June 2009

When President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 the news took 11 days to reach London.
The people of London read about it the President’s death in their newspapers.
When JFK was shot in 1963 a satellite link ensured that BBC centre in London knew within half an hour.
I watched the newsflash on our black and white TV.
It was in the day when a newsflash meant something momentous.
Now there is revolution in the air in Tehran.

Preventing further offence.

20th June 2009

It was only a few evenings ago that I was compelled, reluctantly, to re-consider the Famine Song issue.
RTE were re-showing their brilliant “Where was your family in the Famine?”
http://www.rte.ie/tv/wherewasyourfamily/
The programme uses three Irish TV celebrities to trace their family history in the Famine period.
Most of the programme I found fascinating and very well done.

Downloading freedom in Tehran.

19th June 2009

Historians may conclude, with the clarity of hindsight, that the unfolding events in Iran this week maybe the first Internet revolution.
If you have been of a mind to follow what is happening in the aftermath of the Iranian election you will be using you tube and, increasingly, Twitter.