Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism development authority, is reportedly organising a line-up of family-focused activities in Dublin this New Year’s Eve. For those who might find the typically energetic city centre celebrations overwhelming, MCD is arranging two supplementary concerts marking a diversion from the usual city centre festivity, to be located on the north and south sides of the city. The southside concert, managed by the promoter, will feature music performances in Sandycove’s Newtownsmith, kicking off at 4pm and ending at 9 pm. The spectacle will be complemented by an 8pm fireworks display off Dún Laoghaire’s eastern pier. Meanwhile, on the northside, a similar celebration, comprising music and fireworks, will unfold at Howth Harbour. Availability of around 7,000 tickets is predicted for these events, of course, this is dependent on necessary permissions being granted.
On another note, staff at Stripe’s office on Grand Canal Street, Dublin, can anticipate their employer, John Collison, spending more time with them as he’s reportedly set up residence in the vicinity. Collison, a Tipperary-raised entrepreneur, co-founded Stripe, a high-value tech payments company. The younger Collison brother has spent roughly €4 million on a historic six-bedroom residence located in Dublin 4’s diplomatic enclave, a stone’s throw away from his parents’ home. This renovated property has already received planning permission for a vast two-story, over-basement expansion. Much like his previous €11.5 million investment in Abbeyleix House, Co Laois, this transaction was handled through a company registered in Jersey.
A sense of déjà vu might be felt upon hearing the news that the European Commission has voiced worries over Phil Hogan, an ex-EU commissioner, being employed by a law firm within a year of resigning from his EU trade commissioner position. During this period, Hogan should have been in a cooling-off phase, yet his eagerness to bring his experience to DLA Piper, a renowned law corporation, was unmistakable. Although questions were posed, Hogan chose to quit in March 2022 to fully assure his fidelity to the code of conduct. He presently belongs to an exclusive group in which he shares company with another previous Irish commissioner.
Not long after leaving the position of internal market commissioner in 2010, Charlie McCreevy was mandated to leave the board of a banking company due to probable conflict of interest issues. McCreevy, who of late could be seen on the sidelines of Kildare GAA matches as part of the team behind ex-manager Glenn Ryan, resigned from NBNK Investments subsequently to ethical matters being flagged by the EU. He was the first past commissioner to make this move following the installation of a new body to supervise interest conflicts.
Regarding road safety front, there is a fresh phase on the cusp for another ex-member of the Progressive Democrats. Liz O’Donnell, previously a Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs during the Belfast Agreement deliberations back in 1998, has her name continually associated with the Road Safety Authority, having taken over as chair from Gay Byrne a decade ago. It’s been reported Overheard that her term, which was lengthened five years ago, is set to conclude the coming month.
Could the Department of Transport be on the hunt for another recognisable face to fill the high-profile position?
Turning to news regarding Terenure Synagogue, it appears that Dublin’s Jewish community has decided to wave the white flag on their endeavour to sell the Rathfarnham Road site. After rejecting several offers, its members, part of the capital’s Hebrew congregation, put the Synagogue on the market last year with a price tag of €7.5 million. There’s a change of plans now, with a decision to renovate the site themselves, partnering with developer, Martin Lydon of Granbrind Ltd. The plan is to construct 66 flats in three blocks varying between three and six floors each.
The planning application indicates a proposal for relocating the congregation to a different synagogue. The congregation includes both Dublin natives, predominantly old people, and newcomers who migrated to Ireland for jobs in the tech industry.
In the recent Paris Olympics saga, there was some interesting activity regarding the “high-performance athlete” citizenship. Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) was actively engaged in seeking citizenship for this unnamed athlete leading up to the games. The eligibility criteria for HSI participation in these games were straight and clear – having an Irish passport. The Irish football team was often embroiled in controversies over selecting players with far-off family ties to the nation.
Denis Duggan, the CEO of the showjumping organisation, was in direct correspondence with the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, and her special adviser, Patrick Cluskey, attempting to secure citizenship for this athlete. Although the athlete’s identity remains undisclosed by HSI, McEntee, a horse-riding enthusiast herself, could have been a potential advocate.
On a different note, John McGuire, the entrepreneur who made a profitable sale of Quotedevil.ie for over €30 million a few years back, is leading a fantastic retired life. McGuire took up residence on Eglington Road in Donnybrook, Dublin 4 after the sale and declared his plans for retirement. Living up to his announcement, the 52-year-old former Virgin Media presenter is enjoying his life post-retirement.
McGuire recently received approval for constructing a garage for his collection of classic cars. Further, he has proposed plans for creating a room in the garden to accommodate a gym and a golf simulator to keep himself engaged during the early nights.