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FORMER TAOISEACH AND ex-Fianna Fáil leader Brian Cowen has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the National University of Ireland at Dublin Castle today.
The Chancellor of the National University of Ireland Dr Maurice Manning conferred the honorary degree Doctor of Laws (LLD) on the former Irish leader as academics reflected on his long, and at times gruelling, political career.
In her introduction, Professor Mary E Daly described Cowen as “passionate about Ireland, but claims to be more of a pragmatist than a visionary – a practical patriot like his hero Seán Lemass”.
Quoting from previous speeches of Cowen’s, she said:
As Minister for Health from 1997 to 2000, his greatest achievement was to secure a major expansion in services for [people with] intellectual disabilit[ies].
However, his vision eventually gave way to crisis management, she said, and “unprecedented challenges to political institutions and vilification of government ministers” ensued.
The story of the Irish economy after 2008 is well-known: the bank bailout; property crash; soaring budgetary deficits; reductions in spending; tax increases, culminating in a request for a bailout and the arrival of the Troika in November 2010.
Cowen retired from politics following the collapse of the Fianna Fáil-Green Party government in early 2011 after serving as Taoiseach since May 2008.
He presided over the country as the Irish economy began to collapse and austerity policies were implemented as part of the bailout programme.
Prior to that, he served as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications in 1993-1994, Minister for Health from 1997 to 2000, and Minister for Finance from 2004-2008.
He was also foreign affairs minister, and helped implement the Good Friday Agreement.
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I’m only in my the boozer. I’m half drunk, half high and there’s a strange smell of raw meat off me. What the heck am I doing here reading about baby names for?
We should just use our pps numbers
What the article doesn’t state is that this list was issued by Dept of Foreign Affairs and is a list of the first names of babies who applied for passports. It is not a list of all babies born last year. That is done by the CSO and comes out later in the year. This one means nothing
It clearly states at the top of the graph that the names are from birth certs.
Yes. Birth certs provided for passport applications, not all birth certs issued last year. Those stats aren’t collated until later this year. Google it
Yes. From birth certs provided for passport applications. Not all birth certs issued last year. Those stats aren’t collated yet. Google it. Dept of Foreign Affairs released these ones, that’s your clue.
@Santa Carla: That seems legit at face value. I was wondering why the department of foreign affairs were collating birth cert statistics.
Why are people such sheep when it comes to choosing names?
If they really were sheep,we’d be calling them Wooly and Shaun
When you have a kid call it Enda so
Recently I heard a child being called Noah by his Mother.
The first thing I thought of was ‘where is the flood’
If only Daniel and jack were in reverse
@eastsmer #IRExit: When I hear jack I think where is the bean stalk,and as for Emily I think where is the ponies .English to the core this nation of sheep are.
Very soon it will be Mohammed.
Highly unlikely. You’re probably the type who sees the country as overwhelmed with Muslims, when in fact it’s just 1.1% of the population. That’s about 51,000 people out of 4.7 million, and about 4,650,000 people who are not Muslim. That, coupled with the fact that (and this may surprise you) they don’t call all their sons Mohammed, makes it even more unlikely.
But don’t let the facts get in the way of your arsey comment.
On another topic though, I’m sad to see so few Irish names in the lists. None for the boys, and two for the girls. So many nice ones to choose from.
Ah fèck it, there are at least three Irish names for boys. Sunday morning brain is a curse.
@Eamon Mac Gowan: Followed by Abdul,Haifa,Ibrahim,Precious.
Please please please save us from Jack.
It’s been going on 20 years.
1/5 of boys are called Jack.
Its cringeworthy.
It’s awful.
@Tom Burke: Do you know how it started by the way?
Titanic
James Cameron has a lot to answer for
I’d just like to point out that on the Journal’s graph they show lego on the male side. Can’t girls play with lego too? That’s some deep internalised misogyny right there. I knew the Journal was part of the patriarchy! Hell they even use pink and blue. And there’s only two genders!? Sexist and transphobic as ever.
Fyi this is satire just in case I activate Poe’s law
Just wondering how or where the Department of Foreign Affairs comes into it.
It’s not possible to have a list of baby names yet as parent have 3 months to register their kids so a list like this is BS
It’s not the proper CSO list Paul. This is just a list of the names on birth certs for babies who made passport applications last year
Noah and Amelia/Emilia are the best names here
Amelia sounds like some kind of blood disorder…
Yes, but each to their own. I’m guessing that most Emilias are named after the actress’s stage name. The woman who plays Daenerys. I think it would date fast. At least naming a child after a legendary Irish character would mean they or their great-grandchildren could look it up later, while most names from a TV series will seem obscure even one generation on.
Enda is a lovely name. Enda Kenny with be all forgotten about in 5 years time.
It’s a pity his policies won’t be.
AAHH no Enda how many Simon’s
Michelle, surely these are passport related, why else would dept of foreign affairs issue?
my son was born in march 2016,and his name is Thor and that’s not on your list
have your say