The nine TDs who think to grandstand is to legislate

WE now have the names of the nine TDs who want women who have abortions to be forced to have a funeral for their foetuses or face prosecution. They are Mattie McGrath (Tipperary), Michael Collins (Cork South West), both Healy-Raes (Kerry), Michael Lowry (Tipperary), Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth), Carol Nolan (Offaly), Michael Fitzmaurice (RoscommonGalway) and Noel Grealish (Galway West). All nine are Independent TDs, for of course it is well known that many Independent TDs, in this country at least, think raising a placard is the same as legislating. There is almost no chance their proposed amendments will pass committee stage. But they’ve held up their little placards for their constituents to see, and for them that’s probably enough. What we don’t know are the names of the party TDs who share their sentiments and won’t say so (with the possible exception of the suspended Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín). Luckily it doesn’t matter, as majority rules – both in a referendum and in parliament.

In case it escaped your notice (although how likely is that really?), yesterday was International Uilleann Piping Day. There were events all over the world and in Ireland, with the main places to avoid being Sligo, Mullingar, Castlebar, Portlaoise, Cork, and Dublin, where an embarrassment of pipers (including Sorcha Potts, pictured) were piping with abandon.

If you made it safely through the day without hearing any uilleann pipes, then you can now relax.

Your peace is more or less assured until May 6 next year, which is World Accordion Day.