Phil Mac Giolla Bháin

A few weeks ago I met some lovely people in a Galway hotel. We spent two days together and how we bonded! I think the high point of the week end was-on the Sunday morning-one of my new friends was fairly close to rendering me unconscious as he squeezed my trachea back into my spine. Struggle as I did he held the chokehold fast. There was no getting out, as he was much stronger than I. Then, just when it seemed hopeless and the room was starting to get fuzzy, I made enough wriggle room for my head to turn …

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Kieron Brady, the Scottish-born ex-Republic of Ireland internationalist, today launched an attack on those tasked with eradicating racism in Scottish soccer. Brady himself an Anti-racist Educationalist called on Irish players in Scotland to disassociate themselves from anti-racist publicity campaigns.   “In light of the inaction of certain bodies to comprehensively challenge the ongoing anti-Irish racism in Scotland I would ask Irish players to disassociate themselves from the Show Racism the Red Card organisation until such time as more efforts are seen to be made in relation to this ongoing racism in Scotland   James McCarthy and Aiden McGeady, two Scottish …

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 It was a great headline for a great story in the Irish Times. “GAA and Rangers unite to promote Gaelic games.” The piece was by John Fallon and Paul Cullen. The piece was breathless in its enthusiasm. An almost identical piece was in the Indo the same day by Brian MacDonald.  “The GAA and Glasgow Rangers had joined forces to promote Gaelic games in the Rangers heartlands of the West of Scotland!” It gushed about the Glasgow club’s army of community workers opening doors for Gaelic games in what had been, heretofore, hostile territory for the Gah. It seemed a …

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Recently I had cause to travel to Omagh on consecutive nights. My daughter Aislinn was on stage at the Omagh arts centre in the Lyric theatre’s production of Brian Friel’s play  “the Home Place.”  My little one was, of course, brilliant in the part of little Maisie McLaughlin. It was-at the tender age of 12-her first professional role.  Despite working alongside luminaries like Ian McIlhinney and Aislin McGuckin my princess wasn’t out of place. There are no thespians in either familial line. The kid, however, seems “to have it”.  As every parent has to, by dint of having issue, part …

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The following audio file is a Podcast Interview Phil done with Celtic Underground on 26th February. [mp3]http://media.libsyn.com/media/celticunderground/cu36.mp3[/mp3] Here is Celtic Underground’s introduction to the piece; “A slight change in format this week in that we completely ignore the previous week’s game. Having endured it once was probably more than enough for you. It certain was for us. Instead this week Eddie Pearson is joined by Phil Mac Giolla Bhain, the noted Irish journalist who has worked tirelessly to shine a spotlight on the Famine Song and those that continue to sing it. We discuss Phil’s efforts to date, the reaction …

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I have deliberately held back this blog until my anger subsided to the point that I could focus on what was important and relevant. I had originally written a blog in response to the killings in Antrim. Then two good young men lay dead. Then came Craigavon. Now three good men are dead who should be alive. The people who planned and executed these operations clearly have a high degree of technical proficiency. The security forces on both sides of the border are, as these words blink to life, hunting for them I know where they reside. I know where …

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I was discussing this story with the news editor of the Irish Post this week. As ever when journalist and editor discuss a piece the question from the editor is always “what is the peg?” I didn’t have to think too much about that one. I immediately said: “Groundhog day at Celtic Park!” That was my initial feeling. It felt like the first few days of September last year when I had reported on the singing, by Rangers fans, of the now infamous “Famine song” at Celtic Park. Most of you will know that following on from that soccer match …

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Interview on “The Right Hook” with Ivan Yates on 22nd January 2009 after the sentencing in the “Roscommon Incest case”.

AMERICA’S INEVITABLE DECLINE.   I had thought it better to hold back on this piece until the euphoria of the United States having a bi-racial president had subsided. Like the revelry through the night every 1st of January. After a few weeks the New Year looks remarkably like the old one. Of course Obama is as different is style from Bush 43 as is possible to get. The problems he has to deal with are the same ones that caused “Dubya” to stare into the headlights. Obama’s soaring rhetoric will not change a few unpleasant facts. The USA is bankrupt. …

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I suppose when an institution has been in some kind of existence since the days of the Roman emperors then they know a thing or two about re-positioning themselves to stay at the top table. A leading Vatican official declared recently that Darwin’s theory of evolution was compatible with Christian faith, and could even be traced to St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas. “In fact, what we mean by evolution is the world as created by God,” said Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Pontifical Council for Culture. The Vatican also dealt the final blow to speculation that Pope Benedict …

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