16/05 Today’s papers
The Front Pages
The Sunday broadsheets are carrying a variety of stories today, some of which are well worth a look.
The Sunday Tribune leads with ‘Survivors at loggerheads over denial of sex abuse’. Apparently people who suffered sexual abuse in religious-run institutions are embroiled in an ‘increasingly bitter’ row over how €680m in compensation from the orders should be shared out.
The paper also picked up a story that will leave TDs red-faced in these recessionary times. Apparently, an underground tunnel between Leinster House and another building on Dublin’s Kildare Street is being proposed in order to shorten a 100-yard journey TDs and Senators are currently forced to endure. As if the tubby feckers don’t need the exercise.
The Sunday Independent has got hold of a cracking little story for their lead. Apparently, Gardai have been busy training in secret for Greek-style riots. The lads were apparently hard at is within hours of the fracas outside the Dail earlier this week so expect to see more images of middle-aged women with burst noodles flashing across your screen in the near future.
The Sunday Times carries the story ‘Pensioners set to face means tests’. Apparently the elderly will be hauled back onto the chopping block as we strive to further tighten the belt. Social protection minister Eamon O’Cuiv has ruled out an ‘across-the-board’ cut in the state pension but means-testing is still on the agenda. So the garda riot squads will probably be facing off against the blue rinse brigade over the coming months. My money is on the pensioners.
Tales of the Tabs
The Irish Daily Star leads with the story of ‘Crazed double killer’ Mark Nash. Apparently he’s fallen for a pretty Dublin lollipop lady. Nash is serving in Arbour Hill prison so I’m not sure what sort of future the relationship has to be honest. I’m not convinced it will go the distance.
The Sunday World reckons it has the inside track on this week’s weapons seizure in Kildare which included rockets and ‘warheads’. They say exiled crime boss Liam Byrne arranged the shipment from Spain on behalf of his cousin ‘Fat Freddie Thompson’ who is said to be embroiled in a gang-feud. Everybody needs a hobby I suppose.
The Irish Sunday Mirror, meanwhile, have a story about late Boyzone star Stephen Gately. Apparently his mother is none too impressed about ‘slurs’ featured in the acknowledgements section of a book penned by the singer’s husband. Apparently he wrote that Stephen had grown up in ‘one of the poorest parts of Dublin City’. Apparently, ‘during the 1980s it was a place of civil unrest and terrorist activity.†What a muppet.
The Sports Pages
The big story in the news section of most of the non-rugby orientated papers is Chelsea’s FA Cup win against troubled Portsmouth. Didier Drogba hit a 59th minute free kick to clinch a league and cup double for the London side.
The Irish Sunday Mirror carries a story about how World heavyweight champion David Haye has been accused of dodging the Klitschko brothers. The pair claim they are the ‘real’ World champs and that Haye is ‘running scared’. It might also have something to do with the fact that the Klitschko brothers are so boring to watch that Haye would probably fall asleep during a bout.
The Sunday World has a nice little spread on the players who they reckon are the top targets for the various Premier League clubs. Apparently Stephen Ireland could be on his way to either Spurs or Villa while Robbie Keane might be heading to either Everton or Villa.
They also carry a feature from Sean McGoldrick about Charlie Vernon. It’s an interesting tale about the footballer who will be expected to play a big role in today’s Derry v Armagh game from Celtic Park. Kickoff is at 2pm and you can catch all the action on Joe’s live tracker on JOE Sport Sunday.
Star Sunday is highlighting some of the figures around the impressive new Aviva Stadium. They run with the headline, ‘Amount now due: €411m – now all we have to do is pay for it lads’. Cian Murphy also goes on to reveal that the GAA have managed to clear the €268m debt they had as a result of the redevelopment of Croker thanks in part to the cash generated by renting out the stadium to Irish rugby and football. Everyone’s a winner! Except tax-payers, obviously.
It’s very much horses for courses in the Sport section of the Sunday Times. They’ve opted to lead with the story of Leinster’s Magners League triumph over Munster with mentions for the FA Cup final and the quite ridiculous story of the FAI snubbing Barcelona who are practically begging to be allowed to play a friendly against Limerick FC. It’s a real own-goal from the FAI which seems to have ignored the fact that the game could be used as a means of luring Barca striker and cheating scumbag Thierry Henry to Ireland – so he can be arrested and executed.
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