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Casting a dye over the ATM robberies
HAVE to laugh at the banks and all the rubbish that is being talked about the theft of ATMs (automatic teller machines) from banks and retail outlets around the country. The gardai are now calling for a nationwide strategy to ensure the JCB men are stopped as the recession begins to bite even harder.
There is one way of ensuring that the theft of these 'easy targets' stops. Already, banks have put specially designed dye in the pouches carrying the cash from bank to bank and while the bundles of notes are being kept under the counter.
There are many bright people in the country and one of them would have very little difficult coming up with a device that could be attached to ATMs to make sure that if it is removed by a JCB from its permanent position that the cash is destroyed by this special ink making it absolutely useless to the thieves unless it is being handed over the counter in some late night joint in the half light when you might get away with it.
This one simple move would cut down on the robberies and on all the wasted man hours spent by gardai chasing these hardened criminals who really don't seem to care if they are caught by unarmed gardai.
Actually, the Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern, should put up a prize for the person who can come up with this device as quickly and efficiently as possible in the interests of the country.
Of course, if the gardai were cute, they would set up a sting operation and leave one of these huge mechanical diggers outside a bank or petrol station or leave it conveniently park-ed close by and hope the hobos spot it and use it.
In the case of the JCB-ATM robbery in Graignamanagh, the thieves were obviously driving through Graig a day or two before the robbery and saw the JCB and thought it was worth taking a chance. Of course there should be anti-theft device put on the JCB, but that's another story.
Dixie going back into hospital
Best of luck to Dixie Doyle who goes into hospital shortly for another operation. The Carrickmourne man is hoping that his medical trials less will end soon so that he can start campaigning for the next local elections in five years' time when he is hoping to target the Fianna Fil seat in Thomastown held by fellow farmer and first-time councillor Sean Treacy.
What is John McGuinness really at?
Heard John McGuinness TD on the KCLR 96fm news last week, talking about how Taoiseach Brian Cowen had to "move up to the plate" and more or less saying that he wasn't up to the job.
But Big Mac has changed his tune where Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan (another man dying his hair), is concerned. He thinks he is doing a good job "now" and had successfully grappled with all the problems facing him and the country and was in charge of his brief with a handle on what was needed to be done.
Yet he claims that Cowen is stalling and not making decisions or telling people what he plans to do. I would have thought that Cowen and Lenihan would have done that together and were a team like Batman and Robin; the Lone Ranger and Tonto, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, Abbott and Costello.
Or is it that there is an ever so subtle shift in power at the top? Could there be a hint of a coup going around there corridors of power with a number of disgruntled back benchers including Big Mac lining up Lenihan to take over from Cowen in what might be a bloodless coup?
It would mean that a battle would be avoided and minimum damage done to the party, going forward to the next general election.
Big Mac has a great political brain and I wonder does he know little more than most. He might seem to be an outsider within the higher echelons of the party but there are many other TDs who admire him for having the courage of his convictions, before he was sacked, of asking if Cowen and Tanaiste Mary Coughlan were up to the job.
Some within his own organisation have been saying that Big Mac will never again get a chance to shine at ministerial level. I would have thought that any new leader of FF would put him at the centre of any reform of the Government departments because he has a great track record in business and is not afraid to take tough decisions and to say the right and possibly unpopular thing. He may become the comeback kid.
Paul Kinsella to retire
Paul Kinsella, the highly-regarded principal of St Patrick's De la Salle primary school, is to retire this autumn after a lifetime of service to the education sector. It will give him more time to work as chairman of the County Kilkenny GAA board.
Dermot Curran
Another great educationalist, Dermot Curran has retired. The principal of the CBS secondary School, James's Street has called it a day after a successful period at the helm where he guided the school with intelligence and passion, A good mixture. We wish him well on his retirement.
Two circuit courts in Carlow-Kilkenny?
IT does seem foolish to have two court house, one in Carlow and the other in Kilkenny, for Circuit court business. They are empty most of there time and it would seem logical; step to have one for both counties as is the at present. That's because Kilkenny court house, formerly known as Grace's Castle, is getting a multi-million euro make-over to make it an absolutely fabulous building. So will the legal eagles in Carlow go along with the plan at top level to move all circuit court sittings to Kilkenny? Don't think so.
Or is it that there is an ever so subtle shift in power at the top? Could there be a hint of a coup going around there corridors of power with a number of disgruntled back benchers including Big Mac lining up Lenihan to take over from Cowen in what might be a bloodless coup?
It would mean that a battle would be avoided and minimum damage done to the party, going forward to the next general election.
Big Mac has a great political brain and I wonder does he know little more than most. He might seem to be an outsider within the higher echelons of the party but there are many other TDs who admire him for having the courage of his convictions, before he was sacked, of asking if Cowen and Tanaiste Mary Coughlan were up to the job.
Some within his own organisation have been saying that Big Mac will never again get a chance to shine at ministerial level. I would have thought that any new leader of FF would put him at the centre of any reform of the Government departments because he has a great track record in business and is not afraid to take tough decisions and to say the right and possibly unpopular thing. He may become the comeback kid.
Paul Kinsella to retire
Paul Kinsella, the highly-regarded principal of St Patrick’s De la Salle primary school, is to retire this autumn after a lifetime of service to the education sector. It will give him more time to work as chairman of the County Kilkenny GAA board.
Dermot Curran
Another great educationalist, Dermot Curran has retired. The principal of the CBS secondary School, James’s Street has called it a day after a successful period at the helm where he guided the school with intelligence and passion, A good mixture. We wish him well on his retirement.
Two circuit courts in Carlow-Kilkenny?
IT does seem foolish to have two court house, one in Carlow and the other in Kilkenny, for Circuit court business. They are empty most of there time and it would seem logical; step to have one for both counties as is the at present. That’s because Kilkenny court house, formerly known as Grace’s Castle, is getting a multi-million euro make-over to make it an absolutely fabulous building. So will the legal eagles in Carlow go along with the plan at top level to move all circuit court sittings to Kilkenny? Don’t think so.
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Weather for Kilkenny
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 4 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South
