Niamh Walsh’s Manifesto
Leo showed what we can learn from superheroes
ON Tuesday night, for the very first time, I cried for my country as I, along with a million-and-a-half worried Irish men, women and children watched in disbelief as a composed but clearly emotional Leo Varadkar gave an inspiring speech that moved the country. But it also placed the population on a war footing as an enemy, more deadly than the world has seen for a century, reached our shores with the potential to cause catastrophe here.
As I watched the sombre but steady Leo deliver that historically defining and devastating speech, I couldn’t stop the tears that welled up for my country.
When Leo – serious, unsmiling but pointedly purposeful – emerged to take his place at the podium it was etched all over his face that what he came to tell us would be words unlike any we have ever heard before and hopefully we will never have to hear again.
As interim Taoiseach it fell on him to deliver the cold, hard devastating facts that a killer virus has infiltrated Ireland and is the deadliest enemy moving as it does, unseen, unnoticed until it is too late. Why I’m not normally a massive fan of Leo, enormous credit must be given to how they are handling this unprecedented situation.
While warning that we are in this generation’s Great War, Leo’s words and his quiet but firm delivery were both terrifying and comforting: a dichotomy of emotions bonded together to inspire us to likewise bond if we are not to be broken. His speech was despair and hope bundled up in one 11minute national call to action.
One of the more poignant but also humorous moments was his attempt at joviality when he said, ‘not all superheroes wear capes’.
Like others I eyerolled at this moment but I silently felt enormous gratitude for those on the frontline fighting to save us all.
What this virus has shown us is that we all have the capacity for personal heroism. Everyday heroes wear pyjamas and tracksuits – and they don’t need bulletproof lairs.
And just as Superman had superpowers and lasers that could kill the enemy, a simple bar of soap is just as deadly a destroyer of this villain. Other comicbook heroes have cloaks of invisibility as they move unseen doing their superhero duties.
Let us fight our foe by using our visibility to others as a weapon of war. Let no one in need go unseen.
Cast your eye to neighbours on both sides and look to see if they have food in their fridge and for the lonely, let them see they have a friend when they are most in need.
And as for gadgets, use them for good to help those not internet savvy to stock up with food or simply to lend an ear to the lonesome, letting them know you are just a call away.
It is only together as sidekicks supporting our superhero nurses and doctors that this villainous virus will be defeated.
Ex-pet owners truly in doghouse now
JUST two days after Christmas, animal charity Dogs Trust saw its phones ring off the hook with people wanting to dump their dogs. Since then an astounding 239 people offloaded their dogs at Dogs Trust, despite the fact that the animal rescue charity has been banging on for years that a ‘dog is not just for Christmas’.
It said that as the reality of dog ownership set in it recorded ‘an alarming’ number of calls. The most common reason given was that ‘the dog was exhibiting unwanted behaviour’. What absolute idiots! What sort of behaviour did they expect a playful puppy to exhibit?
Over the last few days for many thousands of people confined to our homes, dogs have become our colleagues, our constant companions, our morning cuddle, our much-needed nightly snuggle. Dogs also have an innate capacity to recognise when their ‘person’ is unhappy and are always on hand with a big slobby-doggie kiss as wide eyes try to reassure their person that ‘this too will pass.’. While we fret about the virus our playful pets are blissfully unaware and all they want is a bowl of food, a belly rub, a pat on the head and a hug before bed. So for those who callously abandoned their dogs who are now home alone with no furry friend to lock away your tears or join you on a walk, oh how you must wish you had a fourlegged friend for the days and weeks ahead.
Don’t mess with RTÉ’s McCullagh
I HAVE to admit for a while now I have developed a bit of a crush on RTÉ’s David McCullagh. He’s smart, smooth, a great interviewer and let’s face it, a bit of a laugh. And this week my devotion to David set my heart aflutter when he took to Twitter and called tech t**t Paddy Cosgrave a ‘spanner’.
Paddy, of Web Summit fame, threw his tech toys out of the pram and p **** d off to Portugal with the rest of the digital dummies when the government refused to bend to his demands a few years back.
Cosgrave this week decided it was a good time to take a pop back and lashed out at HSE heads and told them that his algorithms had already predicted the effects of the coronavirus and their human brains had malfunctioned.
For reasons unknown he then dragged David McCullagh into his spat which saw one user call Cosgrave a ‘party planner for geeks’. Unfazed, McCullagh simply gave him a tech trouncing when he replied: ‘What are you talking about, you absolute spanner?’
That’s my David: dishy, deadly and devastating.
Inf luencers need to take it down a notch
I AM known for being influenceraverse and of the mindset that, for the most part, they serve little societal purpose.
So at the start of the week I was enraged when I saw some online influencers blatantly post links to their accounts for people to simply give them money for promoting goods and services.
But my faith was later restored when Rosie Connolly took to Instagram to tell her fellow influencers ‘not to be too greedy’ and to promote small businesses free of charge. She also implored them not to accept free gifts and said if they liked a product enough, then they ought to pay for it.
It is time that influencers use their powers for good not greed and finally stop feathering their own freebie nests.