Sunday Independent (Dublin, Republic of Ireland) back issues from December 2007:
The streets really do seem paved with gold On a whistlestop sightseeing and shopping trip to London, Campbell Spray is dazzled by the city's wealth of attractions and fabulous designer stores.
Dec 16, 2007 ... The streets really do seem paved with gold On a whistlestop sightseeing and shopping trip to London, Campbell Spray is dazzled by the city's wealth of attractions and fabulous designer stores EVENTUALLY it all came down to suitcases. Two nights in London, surely we ...
'I'm just a country girl' 'I've always been an odd bird,' admits Dolly Parton, the multi-millionaire businesswoman who grew up dirt poor in the shadow of the Smoky Mountains to become the iconic queen of country. She tells Barry Egan about her long marriage, her breasts and her battle with depression.
Dec 16, 2007 ... 'I'm just a country girl' 'I've always been an odd bird,' admits Dolly Parton, the multi-millionaire businesswoman who grew up dirt poor in the shadow of the Smoky Mountains to become the iconic queen of country. She tells Barry Egan about her long marriage, her breasts and her ...
Our choices for 2007 are sure to suit all manner of tastes Surviving cancer, mid-life crises and extreme human endeavour are among the themes of the books published this year. But regardless of how arduous the challenges may be, books can only ever send messages of hope. We offer you our selection for the books of the year.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Our choices for 2007 are sure to suit all manner of tastes Surviving cancer, mid-life crises and extreme human endeavour are among the themes of the books published this year. But regardless of how arduous the challenges may be, books can only ever send messages of hope. We ...
Christmas winners.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Christmas winners CONGRATULATIONS to all boys and girls who entered our children's Christmas competition. The question was: Who wrote The Golden Compass? The correct answer was Philip Pullman. Hundreds of you got it right but we've only 10 prizes to give away so gift vouchers ...
Aisle be bored in jail.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Aisle be bored in jail IN THE end, it was probably too little too late. As Conrad Black stood in a Chicago court awaiting sentence for fraud, pleas for leniency arrived to the judge from many of the media tycoon's friends. Among the many pleas was a letter from Sir ...
Love is all around us.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Love is all around us THEY say inertia accounts for two thirds of marriages (some say it's really fear of telling the wedding planner that it's all off). But the great news is love undoubtedly accounts for the other third. And I'm happy to say this is the case for ...
Sinead and John on same song sheet.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Sinead and John on same song sheet JOHN WATERS's book, Lapsed Catholic, about his relationship with God and alcohol, is already on my list to Santa. The thing is, I might need a stiff drink to get through it ... John doesn't just look like Leonardo da Vinci, he truly ...
Faulty towers hit by '22m wrangle Residents are living in fear at new Ballymun.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Faulty towers hit by '22m wrangle Residents are living in fear at new Ballymun The most ambitious urban regeneration project in the history of the state -- the '2.5bn rebuilding of Ballymun is now beset by a multi-million euro legal row over alleged shoddy workmanship ...
London bells ring at Shane's fairy-tale bash.
Dec 16, 2007 ... London bells ring at Shane's fairy-tale bash WOULD I tell you a fairy tale? (Come on, this is is not the Mail.) Shane MacGowan's 50th birthday bash in the Boogaloo in Highgate, north London on Sunday night turned into a real fairy tale of London. His big birthday and the bells ...
Kia harvests the profit from Cee'ds.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Kia harvests the profit from Cee'ds THE strong second place Kia achieved in the Semperit Irish Car of the Year poll for the Cee'd was the icing on the cake for the Korean manufacturer. The Cee'd has attracted attention since its launch last year for the five-door family ...
Celebs' Oz trips and rainforests.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Celebs' Oz trips and rainforests SOME people just seem to be able to have it all worked out. Take the case of Michael Colgan. The Gate Theatre artistic director and his girlfriend Noelle McCarthy are flying to Australia on Tuesday for a well-deserved three-week break. ...
Bertie's goodbye to pay rise and hello to bonhomie.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Bertie's goodbye to pay rise and hello to bonhomie WHICH is easier? To get a rise out of the Taoiseach. Or to get the Taoiseach out of a rise. The interesting thing is that having conceded the latter, the former is now possible. In other words, the Taoiseach is is on ...
Let's see climate change realism The carbon emission targets set out by the Kyoto treaty are too binding, as economic growth will soon prove.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Let's see climate change realism The carbon emission targets set out by the Kyoto treaty are too binding, as economic growth will soon prove HARDLY anyone will say so, of course, but the Americans have a point when they reject "binding" targets for carbon emissions ...
A rising tide of global climate worries As politicians meet in Bali with a mission to save the world, Willie Kealy looks at how climate change is affecting man and beast.
Dec 16, 2007 ... A rising tide of global climate worries As politicians meet in Bali with a mission to save the world, Willie Kealy looks at how climate change is affecting man and beast When the 100,000 tons of harmful CO2 emissions caused by all the planes that flew into Bali last ...
Cloo-ed into peace.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Cloo-ed into peace IWONDER exactly what went through Ian Paisley's mind when it was announced that he'd be competing against George Clooney for this year's Tipperary Peace Prize. When you are an internationally renowned, peace-brokering politician, does a sprinkle of ...
Continental drift for Roz and Gav.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Continental drift for Roz and Gav WHEN I heard last May that Roz Lipsett (of the world-famous Lipsett sisters) and Gavin Kilduff (young son of Tony, one of Ireland's first technology millionaires -- last year Tony sold his Shrewsbury Road home for '35m, the second-biggest price ...
The best and the worst of 2007Who is the most impressive chief executive of a quoted company? Who is the worst? What about the deal of the year? After one of the most dramatic and volatile years in Irish business, we polled 24 of Ireland's smartest stockmarket analysts. Shane Ross, Louise McBride and Nick Webb unveil the findings.
Dec 16, 2007 ... The best and the worst of 2007Who is the most impressive chief executive of a quoted company? Who is the worst? What about the deal of the year? After one of the most dramatic and volatile years in Irish business, we polled 24 of Ireland's smartest stockmarket analysts. Shane Ross, Louise ...
EBS cronies confronted.
Dec 16, 2007 ... EBS cronies confronted EBS chairman Mark Moran and his house-trained hit squad thought they had quelled the rebellion of EBS members. The well-heeled EBS board, who all profess to love mutuality, have been quietly plotting a peaceful AGM in April. Wounded by the 2006 ...
Tinney renews battle at EBS.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Tinney renews battle at EBS Ethna Tinney, who narrowly lost her seat as an independent director of the EBS last April, is to launch a challenge to regain her seat on the board. The RTE producer has written to EBS supporters seeking signatures for her campaign to be ...
A bright new professional world casts a dark shadow The GAA is plunging itself into an abyss it will never surface from, writes Jerome Reilly.
Dec 16, 2007 ... A bright new professional world casts a dark shadow The GAA is plunging itself into an abyss it will never surface from, writes Jerome Reilly THE taxman has had a moment of clarity that cuts through much of the cant and hypocrisy surrounding the gaelic players' grant ...
'The door's been left slightly ajar' Following their sell-out gig in London, rumour has it that Led Zeppelin will go on tour, says Barry Egan.
Dec 16, 2007 ... 'The door's been left slightly ajar' Following their sell-out gig in London, rumour has it that Led Zeppelin will go on tour, says Barry Egan 'A LIE gets halfway around the world," Winston Churchill once said, "before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." ...
People live in each other's shadows Rev Dr Tony Byrne and Sr kathleen Maguire offer some practical advice to those who have been victims of bullies.
Dec 16, 2007 ... People live in each other's shadows Rev Dr Tony Byrne and Sr kathleen Maguire offer some practical advice to those who have been victims of bullies OUTRAGE, horror, shock anger, sadness, bewilderment and concern are some of the emotions that overwhelmed those of us ...
Diary that broke silence on torment of a suicide teen On the day they buried their daughter, heartbroken parents discovered truth of Leanne's life of being a victim of bullying by girl gang, writes Ralph Riegel.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Diary that broke silence on torment of a suicide teen On the day they buried their daughter, heartbroken parents discovered truth of Leanne's life of being a victim of bullying by girl gang, writes Ralph Riegel HER private diary warned 'keep away' and 'don't be ...
Paper chase to find who 'leaked' Mahon evidence about Ahern wasn't thorough New information has come to light which raises concerns about tribunals with agendas, says Jody Corcoran.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Paper chase to find who 'leaked' Mahon evidence about Ahern wasn't thorough New information has come to light which raises concerns about tribunals with agendas, says Jody Corcoran On September 21, 2006, the Irish Times published a front-page article disclosing that ...
My hero, the Eighty Million Euro Man This nation's ethos of greed makes Michael Lynn a true son of modern Ireland, writes Gene Kerrigan.
Dec 16, 2007 ... My hero, the Eighty Million Euro Man This nation's ethos of greed makes Michael Lynn a true son of modern Ireland, writes Gene Kerrigan Meet my new hero -- fugitive solicitor Michael Lynn. What a guy! When the history of these frenetically greedy times is written, ...
Trucks removed Lynn belongings before he fled.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Trucks removed Lynn belongings before he fled Neighbours of flamboyant runaway solicitor Michael Lynn have told gardai that two truckloads of belongings were removed from his Dublin 4 home in the days before he fled from a High Court grilling. It is now believed that ...
Cancer patients join march to save St Luke's.
Dec 16, 2007 ... Cancer patients join march to save St Luke's Cancer patients took to the streets yesterday calling on Health Minister Mary Harney to keep St Luke's hospital in Rathgar in Dublin open, saying it had saved their lives. Instead of moving the institution to St James's ...
I know Mahon leak source: businessman Taoiseach's friend David McKenna wants the tribunal to investigate own 'servants or agents'.
Dec 16, 2007 ... I know Mahon leak source: businessman Taoiseach's friend David McKenna wants the tribunal to investigate own 'servants or agents' A businessman friend of the Taoiseach has explicitly accused a "servant or agent" of the Mahon Tribunal of orchestrating the leak of ...
The city of lost souls Madeleine Keane is moved by Berlin's blend of dark history and bright future.
Dec 23, 2007 ... The city of lost souls Madeleine Keane is moved by Berlin's blend of dark history and bright future Lights glitter through the bare trees of the Tiergarten onto the River Spree as twilight descends on Berlin. December is a fittingly magical yet melancholy time to be ...
Great Arts Quiz 2007 What a blessed moment of the year it is -- the pressies are wrapped, the cranberry sauce is simmering on the stove, the Christmas tree is winking with lights. ......
Dec 23, 2007 ... Great Arts Quiz 2007 What a blessed moment of the year it is -- the pressies are wrapped, the cranberry sauce is simmering on the stove, the Christmas tree is winking with lights. Really, what else is there to do but pour yourself a glass of Merlot and tuck up on the sofa with the annual ...
Thirty years of kites, weddings and funerals in Afghanistan Actor Khalid Abdalla fell in love with the vibrancy of Kabul while filming 'The Kite Runner' there, he tells Evan Fanning.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Thirty years of kites, weddings and funerals in Afghanistan Actor Khalid Abdalla fell in love with the vibrancy of Kabul while filming 'The Kite Runner' there, he tells Evan Fanning KHALID Abdalla leans forward to show the scars he picked up while in Af-ghanistan ....
'I'm another thing on stage' Given that he's admired by fellow artists and adored by fans the world over, you'd think that singer-songwriter Paul Brady had plenty to laugh about. Yet when not performing, the Tyrone troubadour can seem troubled. Was it boarding school? A difficult mother-son relationship? Barry Egan finds out.
Dec 23, 2007 ... 'I'm another thing on stage' Given that he's admired by fellow artists and adored by fans the world over, you'd think that singer-songwriter Paul Brady had plenty to laugh about. Yet when not performing, the Tyrone troubadour can seem troubled. Was it boarding school? A ...
Tales of Baron Hardup.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Tales of Baron Hardup BOYS and girls, lads and lassies, mams and dads, welcome to the People are Talking panto. Now we've had a few problems this year. We were going to do Mother Goose, but Brian Cowen's got rid of all the golden eggs. Then we were going to do Cinderella but we ...
Beauty lively after makeover PANTO REVIEW.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Beauty lively after makeover PANTO REVIEW 'TIS the season to be jolly -- and how jollier can it get than at the panto? Once again the Gaiety, celebrating its '10m facelift, has rolled out the traditional pantomime, with Beauty and the Beast. ...
Mapping out an emotional journey Drawing on her first-hand experiences of love and loss, Hilary Swank was able to bring a high degree of authenticity to her role of a widow in P.S. I Love You, says Evan Fanning.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Mapping out an emotional journey Drawing on her first-hand experiences of love and loss, Hilary Swank was able to bring a high degree of authenticity to her role of a widow in P.S. I Love You, says Evan Fanning HILARY Swank would like to set the record straight. She ...
Our expectations brought to earth.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Our expectations brought to earth IT MAY not be entirely obvious to most people, but there's a case to be made for this being a great year for Irish sport. Leaving aside any victories we had, what we really did well was manage the public's expectation level. A high level of such ...
I wanted a T-shirt saying 'this is not a shiner, it's an eye infection'.
Dec 23, 2007 ... I wanted a T-shirt saying 'this is not a shiner, it's an eye infection' Thursday pre Christmas The PR companies are sending Christmas cards. Every one in the PR office signs their little name on it. I don't know what they think. Do they think that me and Egan ...
Oriental double is a seasonal wonder The roomy, stylish Subaru Impreza and spacey Daihatsu Terios are a tag team of Japanese efficiency, perfect for Christmas, writes Campbell Spray.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Oriental double is a seasonal wonder The roomy, stylish Subaru Impreza and spacey Daihatsu Terios are a tag team of Japanese efficiency, perfect for Christmas, writes Campbell Spray GOOD old-fashioned value should be the keyword at this most traditional part of the ...
Gardai turn blind eye to the posh pushers Judge slams police for ignoring the middle-class criminals.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Gardai turn blind eye to the posh pushers Judge slams police for ignoring the middle-class criminals A LEADING judge has expressed "huge concern" at the scarcity of prosecutions taken against middle-class Irish professionals who, he claims, provide the single greatest ...
Over 266,000 homes lie vacant nationwide.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Over 266,000 homes lie vacant nationwide More than 266,322 houses, flats and holiday homes lie vacant in the Republic -- enough to house a million people, the Sunday Independent has learned. Housing Minister Batt O'Keeffe claimed two weeks ago that much of the ...
Making the pill more available is a prescription for trouble As UK health officials prepare to trial the pill as an over-the counter drug, Larissa Nolan ponders the risks.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Making the pill more available is a prescription for trouble As UK health officials prepare to trial the pill as an over-the counter drug, Larissa Nolan ponders the risks There are times when some news is announced that really makes you stop and think: "Has the world ...
Defence Forces have become 'Dad's Army' As new brigadier general,57, appointed, concerns expressed that average age of senior officers now reaches 50-plus.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Defence Forces have become 'Dad's Army' As new brigadier general,57, appointed, concerns expressed that average age of senior officers now reaches 50-plus The Irish army's top ranks have become a "Dad's Army" with the average age of Ireland's senior officers above 50 ...
Drivers put on warning.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Drivers put on warning ONE-in-five fatal road crashes that occurs between 6am and noon is drink related, new research shows. It comes as the Road Safety Authority again warned motorists that heavy binge drinking means they could still be well over the limit and ...
GPs 'overprescribing antibiotics'.
Dec 23, 2007 ... GPs 'overprescribing antibiotics' More than one third of Irish GPs are guilty of overprescribing antibiotics -- a dangerous practice that leads to the emergence of drug-resistant superbugs like MRSA -- a study has shown. The survey found that 33 per cent of family ...
Cocaine epidemic leads to rise in brain seizures.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Cocaine epidemic leads to rise in brain seizures Ireland's cocaine epidemic has resulted in a rise in patients suffering from drug-provoked seizures of the brain, according to one of the country's leading neurologists. Dr Orla Hardiman, consultant neurologist at ...
Henry not such a big fish in ocean of Barcelona stars The reality of life at the Nou Camp appears to be weighing heavily on the shoulders of the French striker, writes Aidan O'Hara.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Henry not such a big fish in ocean of Barcelona stars The reality of life at the Nou Camp appears to be weighing heavily on the shoulders of the French striker, writes Aidan O'Hara IN the victory against Recreativo last month, there was a moment that summed up the ...
Here's to a happily oblivious Christmas 'Tis the season to pretend all is well with our nation and forgive fallen leaders, writes Gene Kerrigan.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Here's to a happily oblivious Christmas 'Tis the season to pretend all is well with our nation and forgive fallen leaders, writes Gene Kerrigan In this, the season to be jolly, let's be constructive. Let's look for the silver lining. After all, we've got the rest of ...
The lawyers can't fathom Ahern, that's why they'll never nail him More than anything else, the tribunal is a fight to the bitter end between two great rivals, writes Jody Corcoran.
Dec 23, 2007 ... The lawyers can't fathom Ahern, that's why they'll never nail him More than anything else, the tribunal is a fight to the bitter end between two great rivals, writes Jody Corcoran I bumped into Des O'Neill, the Mahon Tribunal lawyer, in Neary's pub a couple of weeks ...
Take care driving home for Christmas, says AA.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Take care driving home for Christmas, says AA MILLIONS of people are on the move this weekend on the roads, and by air and sea as the Christmas rush intensifies with an exodus from Dublin peaking tomorrow, Christmas Eve. But as the festive season gets into full swing, ...
Ahern vows he'll lead FF to next vote Taoiseach shows no sign of folding under pressure, but 61pc say 'go before June 09 poll'.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Ahern vows he'll lead FF to next vote Taoiseach shows no sign of folding under pressure, but 61pc say 'go before June 09 poll' A battle-hardened Bertie Ahern is showing no indications of wilting under huge pressure from the Mahon tribunal, resolving this weekend that ...
Tony Blair makes switch to Catholicism.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Tony Blair makes switch to Catholicism The former British prime minister Tony Blair has converted to Roman Catholicism, it was confirmed yesterday. Mr Blair was received into the Catholic Church by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, in the ...
Jingle Belles join the party.
Dec 23, 2007 ... Jingle Belles join the party STANDING by the grand piano at Drayton Manor, Wicklow, was the man of the house, with a Christmas party in full flow. Gerald Kean and his good lady Lisa Murphy led the assembled and well-on throng through the singing of the Christmas ...
'The sex scenes were exhausting' Director Ang Lee tells Evan Fanning why he was worn out after making his explicit new film Lust, Caution.
Dec 30, 2007 ... 'The sex scenes were exhausting' Director Ang Lee tells Evan Fanning why he was worn out after making his explicit new film Lust, Caution Ang Lee seems almost too nice for the business he's in. Ten minutes after our allotted interview time has ended we're still ...
Noble bird on song for season.
Dec 30, 2007 ... Noble bird on song for season THE robin's clear song urged the stragglers on to Mass on Christmas morning, passing as they entered the church a young girl with an infant clasped in a harness to her breast, unsure but perhaps decided she would not enter but stand on her own ...
Frank O'Kane Mercury Holdings chairman was a humble man committed to education, business and family, writes Liam Collins.
Dec 30, 2007 ... Frank O'Kane Mercury Holdings chairman was a humble man committed to education, business and family, writes Liam Collins The late Frank O'Kane, chairman and chief executive of Mercury Holdings plc, who died while hill walking in Wicklow the Saturday before Christmas, ...
Exciting chapter ahead in books.
Dec 30, 2007 ... Exciting chapter ahead in books WHAT a difference a prize makes. Anne Enright's dark tale of child abuse, suicide and alcoholism was quietly minding its own business when along came a Man called Booker and sent its sales soaring. By year's end The Gathering had notched up over ...
Mystery skull found in 'haunted' mansion.
Dec 30, 2007 ... Mystery skull found in 'haunted' mansion A HOUSE formerly owned by the Duke of Devonshire's estate is now the focus of a bizarre mystery as gardai attempt to confirm the identity of a human skull unearthed during renovation works. The skull -- believed to be that of a ...
Deadly December as drivers ignore all warnings.
Dec 30, 2007 ... Deadly December as drivers ignore all warnings ROAD deaths this year will number less than the 365 who were killed on Irish roads during 2006 -- but at least 335 immediate families, as well as countless relations and friends, will have been bereaved by the end of the year ...
Gift of cocaine amid the Christmas cards.
Dec 30, 2007 ... Gift of cocaine amid the Christmas cards THERE it was beside two Christmas cards in my apartment letterbox: a wrap of cocaine. The drug has defined 2007 in many people's minds, culminating in the senseless death of model Katy French, and many other young people ...
Des gets '4.8m, Bertie [pounds sterling]50k.
Dec 30, 2007 ... Des gets '4.8m, Bertie [pounds sterling]50k For the past three years Bertie Ahern has been the subject of intense investigation from the Mahon tribunal, in public and private. His crime, for that is how he says he has been made to feel, was to accept around [pounds ...