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Updated 3pm
A NEW TOURISM initiative that is being billed as the east coast’s response to the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ was launched yesterday.
‘Ireland’s Ancient East’ aims to deliver as many as 600,000 overseas visitors to the east of the country by 2020.
However one Louth-based TD felt that organisers at Fáilte Ireland had made a bit of an oversight when drawing up the map.
The map issued by the tourism board appears to exclude Co Louth from the sites that will be focused on during the initiative. The most northernly landmark is for the Battle of the Boyne – which took place in Co Meath.
To view a larger version of the map click here.
In response to this, Fáilte Ireland has made it clear that Louth will very much be part of the initiative, and that it will be, “geared to maximise the history and heritage in Louth”.
Speaking today, Director of Business Development with Fáilte Ireland, Paul Keeley, said:
With attractions such as Mellifont Abbey, Carlingford’s Medieval town, Drogheda’s Cromwellian history, Cúchulainn’s Stone, Monasterboice and Castle Roche – to name but a few - Louth ticks all the boxes with regard to the main themes of Ireland’s Ancient East with ancient, early Christian, Medieval and Anglo-Irish sites all within reach.
Despite the acknowledgement of Louth’s importance to the overall initaitive, Fine Gael’s Fergus O’Dowd told TheJournal.ie:
The key point is that it is the map that needs to change. [It] needs to change so that we have Carlingford, Drogheda and other locations on it.
O’Dowd also expressed a feeling that Northern Ireland should be included as part of the initiative, and that while he said Fáilte Ireland had done “fantastic work”, the oversight in the marketing had been a “huge mistake”.
The overall reach of ‘Ireland’s Ancient East’ is said to extend from “Carlingford to Cork and from Cavan to Carnsore”.
It is currently described as a “evolving initiative” and businesses and communities in the relevant region will be consulted with over the course of its implementation.
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What’s more worrying is that these two are the “best” a country of over 300 million can come up with
@Dave McAuliffe: Biden may be flawed and past his best, but Trump is a recipe for unmitigated disaster. The two are not in any way equivalent.
@Brendan O’Brien: They’re both just front men for the old Anglo-American ruling elite who still covertly hold sway through their grip on the financial, industrial and military structures they created. They are both beholden to their lobbyists and doners. Do you really believe Biden or Trump would dare stand up to Israel(the most influential lobbyists in Washington), for example? Two cheeks of the same ar5e
@Darth O’Leary: ‘Two cheeks of the same ar5e’ – nope. One would abolish US democracy and the other wouldn’t.
@Brendan O’Brien:
“Biden flawed and past his best”!? That’s like saying roadkill is in need of urgent veterinary care! Give it up,Brendan, you’re literally flogging a dead horse!
@Jonn: Another Trump presidency would have dire consequences for the US and the world, which is clearly what you want.
@Brendan O’Brien: you have a bad case of TDS, it’s funny
@John D Doe: If TDS is ‘takes democracy seriously’, then yes.
@Darth O’Leary: beholden to their doners, that’s why the planet is getting shawarma
@John D Doe: TDS is ignoring the fact you are cheerleading for a proven rap ist and convicted felon. You’re in a cult.
@Brendan O’Brien: do you honestly believe that Trump can or will abolish US democracy?. Please explain to me how he’ll manage to actually do it? And why he won’t be stopped?
@Darth O’Leary: you do know that Tiny is grovelling to the most hardcore of Zionists , promising to do whatever they want? Is that your 2 cheeks? Your whole post is gibberish.
@Ger Whelan: Tiny hasn’t the brains to do a single thing but the deplorables behind him do. If you haven’t heard of project 2025, read up on it. If you have and you’re not horrified, you’re in the cult.
@Bobby Digital: Couldn’t be bothered reading up on anything to do with US politics. I just find it hilarious how many people on here get their knickers on a twist over it.
@Ger Whelan: ‘Despite these precedents, however, there is one sense in which the current moment is uniquely dangerous. In these past examples, authoritarian presidents were cast into the dustbin of history, lacking the political power to continue their constitutional abuses. This time, a president who threatened democracy is doubling down, and we risk seeing him take office once again.
‘The current threat is also unique in that Trump has learned from his previous term where the choke points of American democracy lie. Unlike Adams, Johnson and Nixon, he threatens to recapture the presidency with a clear roadmap for toppling the traditional checks on the office.’
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jun/20/trump-threat-democracy-precedents
@Brendan O’Brien: Ah you side stepped my point with some clever sound bites. Please answer me this… Can representative democracy exist when lobbyists are so influential? The answer is NO. Thus you’re point is fatally flawed. I personally can’t abide Trump btw. I’m just not going along with this pretend “democracy” nonsense when the rules based international order that the US promotes is blind to apartheid and genocidal policies in Palestine for example. It’s very far from democratic if you bother to look past the surface
@Brendan O’Brien:
You mean he might bring us to the brink of nuclear conflict with Russia by funding a proxy war in Ukraine..hang on,that sounds familiar, I’m confused!?
@Darth O’Leary: Regardless of what you may say about lobbyists and all the faults in the system, which are many, outcomes of a Trump and a Democratic presidency would be very different in many ways (e.g. environmental impact), and the former would be far worse.
When there are two evils, the lesser should always be chosen.
@Brendan O’Brien: It’s not “what (I) might say” Brendan, it’s the truth. It’s curious that you find it difficult to face up to these facts. The American constitution has been usurped by global financial institutions and their lobbyists but you won’t even acknowledge that’s a problem. Democracy in that country has given way to corporatocrcy yet you can’t even bring yourself to look at this fact because you hold a dead idea so dear. Trump might be the lesser of two evils but your ignorance of the nature of power in that country is obvious. Worse still, you’ll never be able to broaden your understanding because that fatal mixture of hubris and cognitive dissonance has you spouting propaganda slogans instead of examining the facts
@Darth O’Leary: That could be any candidate, Biden followers are hardly going to storm Capitol buildings and then be pardoned by him afterwards. The potential is much worse with Trump, a serial liar and bluffer.
@Bobby Digital: Yes. Both Biden and Trump are complicit in Israeli war crimes. They are both a disgrace to humanity
@Ger Whelan: LOL…I’m the same Ger. I’ve very little interest in another country’s president, but I do love throwing up a pro-Trump comment now and again, just to see all the soft lads on here lose their minds.
@Brendan O’Brien: that’s hyperbolic hogwash.
How *exactly* do you imagine Trump would “abolish US democracy”?
Hysterical nonsense. Cop yourself on.
@Seamus: Did you read the link I posted?
@Brendan O’Brien: yes. Propaganda from the left leaning media, who have demonstrated a consistent bias against Trump. I don’t know what you think this proves?
The American public won’t vote for Biden because he is obviously senile. Further, he is directly responsible for the inundation of America with 30 million plus illegal migrants across their southern border.
Conversely, Trump can string a sentence together and pledges to fix the border problem, in addition to calling a halt to the massive funding of the puppet Nazi coke head in Ukraine.
@Seamus: The article I posted is by a professor of political science at Brown University, the author of The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It.
He knows a lot more than you do (not hard).
@Brendan O’Brien: Brown University professor? Bordering on infinite standard deviations left of The Guardian.
@Oh Mammy: Did you read the article? Can you point to anything in it that isn’t true?
@Brendan O’Brien: it’s only July and you are in total meltdown lol
@Brendan O’Brien: there’s a lot of speculative assertions; “could”, “would” and various expressions of the author’s opinion doing a lot of heavy lifting.
And, again, a biased perspective from a biased, left leaning academic, published in a left leaning rag.
I’m sure you enjoyed the article: it conveyed a message you agree with. That does not make it substantially correct or accurate.
@Seamus: Complete nonsense: ‘could’ doesn’t appear at all; ‘would’ and ‘should’ appear a couple of times each in completely non-contentious contexts.
Obviously you can’t point to anything in it that isn’t true, so you are bluffing. You won’t fool anyone.
@Brendan O’Brien: like yours, Brendan, mine is just an opinion. I don’t need to ‘fool anyone’; it seems strange that you apparently believe I do.
But, as I said earlier, when it comes to Senile Joe and the American people, after last week’s spectacle, he also “won’t fool anyone”.
Cope.
@Seamus: Opinions that aren’t based on facts aren’t worth much: in fact they’re generally worse than useless and can do a lot of harm.
@Regular John: sad life that bigging up a rap ist is your idea of lolz. Can’t get much softer than that, lad. Get out in the fresh air and treat rap ists with the disdain they deserve.
@Brendan O’Brien: interesting point Brendan, especially from the man who routinely cheerleader and asserts baseless opinions of both himself and others as indisputable facts.
Safe and effective, eh? Spoofer.
@Jonn: put down the hosepipe there jonn, the murderous, fascist Russians are 100% responsible for the invasion of Ukraine. Or are you really fooled by the Russian lies aimed at low information readers?
@Brendan O’Brien: Are you not basing your opinion on other peoples opinions? So what makes their opinion facts?. Have you seen the research behind it?
@Brendan O’Brien: As stated above (you conveniently ignored it and moved on to tackle easier topics but that doesn’t change its validity) Democracy in the US is illusory. Only card carrying members of the establishment(who’s interests this illusion ultimately serves), their mouthpieces and the propagandised can manage a straight face while pontificating on the dangers to “democracy”
The notion that democracy could be imperiled would have to presuppose the existence and functioning of democracy in the first place. And so your entire premise is compromised. Now… will you allow yourself to adjust your position or will you side step and deflect and stick to your fallacious reasoning? To understand is to transform, after all
@Brendan O’Brien:
If he’s a professor at a US college in 2024 then in all likelihood he’s an unashamed Marxist,so we can safely ignore his nonsense as being totally biased and ideology driven! Next…
@Bobby Digital:
Well since our leaders in their determination to uphold democracy and free speech have shut down all Russian news sites for fear these ‘low information readers’ might be exposed to an alternate viewpoint how could I possibly be fooled ! And surely the ‘fascists’ are the Ukrainian troops,the ones that haven’t been killed or mutilated yet anyway, with their well known fondness for Nazi badges and tattoos?
@Jonn: ah, so you swallowed it wholesale. I thought as much.
@Jonn: At the risk of sounds pedantic Jonn but for Brendan to be ‘literally flogging a dead horse’ he would have to be standing over a dead horse and beating it with some implement or other.
You’re welcome.
@Bobby Digital: swallowed what? What is incorrect about that post?
@Pat O Dwyer:
Haha that’s true, I stand corrected!
@Seamus:
No point trying to reason with them, their programming defies attempts at facts or logic!
@Ger Whelan: who could stop him if he gets elected again? Hes basically been given a carte blanche, a king who is above the law. All he has to say is this is an official act. For the good of the country im suspending the constitution listen to the man when he tells you what hes going to do – ill be a dictator from day one!
@Brendan O’Brien: the US is not a Democracy
Congress was bought and paid for by AIPAC
@Seamus: it doesn’t make it wrong either
@Darth O’Leary: The words “ruling elite” are the words of a person who believes everything is run by these mythical elites, whoever they are.
@Ger Whelan: He caused an insurrection which tried to negate the will of the people, he’s not in jail so he will try again.
He should nave been arrested and tried on January 6th. The fact he’s now admitted that he will use military tribunals against his opponents says it all.
Trump is not my favourite person, but he was President of America for four years and there was no Armageddon!
@Brian Hunt: if the fact that he is a proven rap ist doesn’t repulse you, the disclaimer of not being your favourite person is worthless
@Brian Hunt: No just his instigated attack on the Capitol with officers dying, corruption, lying, deceit, rape, to name a few. But no Armageddon. That’s during his next tenure
@Brian Hunt: Nonsense. Trump greatly escalated the USA’s existing wars in multiple theatres, leading to skyrocketing casualties: Afghanistan, he substantially upped the amount of airstrikes, leading to a 330 percent increase in civilian deaths; Yemen, he escalated both U.S. counterterrorism activities and support for the Saudi-led war against the Houthis. The UK’s Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported that there were 2,243 drone strikes in just the first two years of Trump’s presidency, compared with 1,878 in the entire eight years of the Obama administration. Trump also came very close to tweeting the country into a nuclear war with North Korea in late 2017 and early 2018. Also in 2018, Trump bowed to Washington’s neoconservative Hawks and withdrew from the working nonproliferation agreement with Iran, which resulted in Iran scaling up both its provocative activities in the region and its nuclear program. Trump put the U.S. on a path to ‘great-power competition’ with China, incited a failed coup in Venezuela, and increased support for reckless, repressive clients around the world. Trump was viewed as such a dangerous interventionist that Congress passed the first war powers resolution in history to try to end his support for the Yemen war. Less than a year later, Congress passed a second resolution to move him back from a potential war with Iran after he OK’d the assassination of Commander Qassem Soleimani. Plus, both measures passed with Republican support, making opposition to Trump’s militarism one of the very few areas of bipartisan agreement during his administration!
@Bobby Digital: What you think is of no interest to me, and by the way Trump was never convicted of ra pe, so try telling the truth!
@Brian Hunt: hiding behind the word convicted as usual. A jury of 9 came back IN UNDER 3 HOURS!!! and declared Tiny a rap ist. The cult cannot hide from that. I await the second killer cult argument that because she couldn’t swear it wasn’t his teeny, tiny fingers etc.
@Bobby Digital: ZZZzzzzzzzz
@Brian Hunt: Only because under New York criminal law, an assault constitutes ‘rape’ only if it involves vaginal penetration by a pen1s. That was the definition the jury was instructed to use in the civil case.
@Brian Hunt: troll
@Brian Hunt: So by Trump not being in power, the little Russian man decided the time was right to start invading sovereign nations?
@Brian Hunt: ‘no Armageddon’ is a very low bar I would have thought.
@Brian Hunt: that’s not the reaction of someone who claims the rap ist is not your favourite person. I’m starting to suspect you’re telling us little porkies there Briano.
@Brian Hunt: there was an insurrection
Where is the neither option!
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: A younger, dynamic Democrat would be ideal.
@Ray Dunne: She doesn’t want the job. What ever happened to Kamela Harris. Remember how she was going to make waves and be the future for the democratic party.
@Ray Dunne: lol!
@Ger Whelan: I think nearly everybody in America hates Kamala Harris. Bad candidate.
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: was just going to ask the same question.
Yesterday’s Supreme Court decision has made the choice even more stark. Choose Trump and he will rule as a dictator and never relinquish power.
Project 2025 is the Republican plan to end democracy in the US and it’s out there for anyone to read.
America, vote Biden or lose your democracy.
@Ronan Mc: Yes, I read an in depth interview with Steve Bannon yesterday.
“Trump is the noise, we are the signal.” Project 2025 is well on the way to establishing a new order in America. Everything is going to change. Very scary read, yet totally understandable from his point of view. The banks got bailed out, the working class were made homeless. He says that in the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency they will have changed everything. Replace all government employees with the MAGA faithful.
All ready to go according to him.
@P0h2YVAL:
You have got it in one.
Swearing allegiance to him would be first on the list.
Obliteration,and elimination to all opposing his batty, and outrageous plans.
He was never a politician,and still isn’t.
A corrupt narcisstical dictator.is exactly what he is.
@P0h2YVAL: And the poor and working people will continue to suffer under Project 2025. Healthcare, workers rights etc etc. all obliterated. The SC effectively ruled this week that Federal agencies don’t have the authority to regulate industries so the public can’t even rely on them to intervene.
Trump, with the outrageous latitude granted by SCOTUS yesterday, is a worrying prospect. A deeply flawed, deeply unpleasant ogre of a man.
How can people still be unsure when it comes to Mango Mussolini?
@John Condon: Many of his supporters are sealed in info silos/echo chambers. Many of them are also trolls who are just happy to stick it to [insert your choice of branding here for never Trumpers]. Many are “the poorly educated”. Many of them want big changes in American politics, but don’t exercise any discrimination of how bad that could make things, just as long as there is change. For many of the others a former cult member who has been de-programmed would be able to give a full explanation.
@John Condon: Unfortunately, put Donald Duck on the ballot paper and the Republicans’ will vote for him.
I preferred Blur or Oasis
RFK
@Gerard Mooney: aaaahahahaha
Neither.
MAGA
@Darren Cooney: With Biden. Trump failed the last time.
@James T.Kirk: Biden failed this time
Trump in one very dangerous person
Michael D. Higgins is the man for the job! Yes, he’s older than both of them, but with 13 years in the job of El Presidente for life, he has far more experience than the two of them combined. His heartfelt inaugural speech and poem about healing the nation would no doubt be epic…
@William Tallon: …he would bind up the nation’s wounds and…….
Boden will get dropped, he can’t be allowed to have the nuclear codes for four more wars.
@Dave Grant: you seriously think that Biden is more of a threat with the nuclear codes than a man who literally has never read a book and whose missives are constructed from a toilet at 3am … :-D
Does the Journal not know that there are more than two candidates?
@Kevin Farrell: Little point in discussing no-hope candidates.
Unlucky Journal readers, it’s gonna be Trump.
A propped up dead Mr Biden (el Zid’) would be preferable to Trump. TRUMP is the beginning of the end of civilisation as we know it.
@Patricia Mc namara: more hysterical hyperbole. Cop on.
I’d say Krusty the clown would be a better option if he was available, or real.
@David O Brien: the fact he’s not real wouldn’t stop the Americans voting for him.
@Ger Whelan: Very true
America is fcu ked.
RFK
As I have lost all faith in the present system, I would like to see Trump.
Whoever condemn Israel’s genocide and whoever stops funding the puppet Zelenskyy
third option: A.N.Other
@Garreth Byrne: Jill Stein and Cornell West
I don’t know what the Irish have against him. That’s so messed up.
Option….none of the above?
No Russian invasions under Trump.
That all happened under Obamas and Bidens watches!
MAGA!
With a poll result like that, it’s definitely going to be Trump so.
Could you imagine the state of biden after another year or two
Both are gen oh cide supporters and both are em barrassments to all decent people.
America — and the world — deserve so much better.
Tbh… neither.
I haven’t heard of Unsure, but she’s got to be better than the other two.
Trump because I need more memes. And he actually care about removing Hamas from the planet.
If Biden wins he’ll be dead within a year or two.
@Ollie McGlinchey: That won’t make much of a difference, really, as he’s already been cloned! It’ll be a bit like the movie “Dave” but with a clone instead of a lookalike. I suspect, though, that some of those clones are already being utilised…
@William Tallon: Bahahaha – I see a career in stand up in your future,well that is if you can find your way out of the rabbit hole you’re stuck in.
@Ann Reddin: A classic and rather lazy “ad hominem” attack! Fascinating…
Who in their right, dementia free mind, is hoping Biden will win?????
He’s been terrible for the USA regardless of opinion on Trump.
Also Journal I see you too are conveniently leaving RF Kennedy off the list.
Run the poll again with RFK included.
Mitch McConnell said the US Institutions would save the country from Trump – now McConnell has shaken hands with Trump and the Supreme Court has given Trump a passport to autocracy.
Yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling in the words of the dissenting Justice opened the door for dictatorship. The next President will likely appoint three Justices. Appointed not elected and they just doubled down on their powers. Most scary election ever
Atari Jaguar
@Joe O’Reilly: back to boards with ye
Sleepy now 9-2 on betfair, trumpo 8-13 best price.
Under Trump US military actions were reduced.
Obama before him and Biden after him have been bloodthirsty warmongers.
But killing brown people in the middle East never bothered the Democrats!
I think I’ll vote for an impartial third party…
Tbh with the genocide the US are funding in Palestine, I have lost any interest in who becomes president, their politics is rotten to the core
Bring in kermet the frog better than Biden or trump
Ye!
LOL. Trump can’t help losing. He’s lost this poll Bigly!
@Mick Hanna: but will win the election
@Robert Bell: We’ll see, but something tells me, The WOMEN have Joe’s back!
Neither. If I was American I’d vote Jill Stein and Cornell West.
I miss waking up every morning to see what Trump got up to the previous day. I don’t think there ever was a no Trump news morning.
Surely, they can come up with a better candidate.
Aww for god sake give it to Bono
How about “neither”? Of that I am pretty sure.
Sadly it looks almost certain that trump will be the next president, Biden is not cognitively fit to run America. And of course trump has never been cognitively competent . The democrats only hope is to replace Biden as a candidate, of course that’s not going to happen. The only consolation is the American constitution which means trump can can only serve one more term, he will however do a great deal of damage in 4 years. Given the state of politics in America I can’t see any potential candidate who can unite America.
I am a dual citizen… and I will be voting in the US election. I am given a choice to vote for a p*ssy grabber dictator wannabe or a Netanyahu apologist who can’t remember what he had for lunch. What do you think should be my vote? Curious.
Is this a trick question!!!!
I would prefer Joe Biden but only because he’s the lesser of two problems. Joe should have bowed out and the DNC should have had at least one strong candidate in the wings. They’re running this by the seat of their pants and they may pay dearly if they lose the election. The DNC has a terrible lack of strategy.
There should be an age restriction on being president up to about 72. Most people are forced to retire and often for good reason. A presidential job, especially for the US, is both physically and mentally demanding. For those that disagree, Joe Biden is a perfect example of why an age restriction is a good idea and should also be applied to the Supreme Court and similar.
Neither of them will be the next president.
Donald Trump, I can’t take your golf course off you, my work is with sin. I need you to give it to me and need you step down as candidate.
I have your son Barron at the table, 1000 year bond.
I’ll say to you as I’d say to another, don’t have your son carry your sin. He won’t be able to carry it, he’s not you.
See you soon Donald.
@Séamas Mac Cárthaigh: A Cluasanaí!
No
Where’s option 3 for a hunger games competition to see who wins
I cant believe there’s only these 2 running for president, where are all the other candidates??
Its a younger person that’s needed for that job not those 2 old goats
I’m not sure that’s the right question. Assuming Biden and Trump ultimately do remain then it’s Trump or democrats by virtue of Trump’s narcissm. Biden I suspect can move side at anytime and the collective efforts off the democrats will ensure honest values based decisions with grandpa Jo in the background but with a more energetic upfront leader
The guy who supported Ireland’s position during Brexit, or the guy who openly hates countries he can’t monetize, who appears to be in Russia’s pocket… Tough choice…
Both no good
have your say