Niamh Walsh’s Manifesto
‘Hypocritical’ Cara is no model for the eco warriors
THERE’S an age-old saying that suggests when poverty comes in the door, love goes out the window. And a modern-day companion to this could very well be: ‘When money comes in the letterbox, principles go in the bin.’
With that in mind, model Cara Delevingne is the latest famous face to appear slightly woolly when it comes to her views and constant beratement of us all to ‘do better’ to combat climate change, as when Cara says ‘we all’ what she really means is ‘you all’. Catwalk strutter Cara recently launched her own fast-fashion line for brand Nasty Gal, for which, we can assume, she was paid an eye-watering fee.
The London supermodel’s eponymous new line of designs for fastfashion behemoth Nasty Gal has elicited a volcanic eruption of criticism, with claims of hypocrisy because of her self-ordained role as an eco-warrior.
As well as her social media ecofighting posts, Cara is also an ambassador for her uncle George Duffield’s clean-seas charity, Blue Marine Foundation, and in her own words on her website, My Eco Revolution, she has condemned the effects of fast-fashion on the environment, saying: ‘Fashion has a disastrous impact on the planet and it is the second-greatest polluter... stop supporting fast-fashion, only buy sustainable fashion, avoid micro-plastics in clothing.’
If fashion is the second-greatest polluter I can only surmise that the first must be the toxic amount of hot air blown about by the ‘do as I say, not as I do’ brigade who arrogantly proclaim a better environment while they flit about spending their millions earned from endorsements on private jets and flogging everything from salmon sticks to their souls.
Like most of the world I have made concerted efforts to cut my carbon footprint and have meandered my way around environment issues sans the sanctimonious sermons of Cara and the other ‘EcoWhen-We-Wannabe Warriors.’
Us women fall short of heavenly standard
THE Hail Marys of Catholic women have been, in part, answered, as the Catholic Church has been called on to consider pulling the almightiest U-turn of the millennium, and opening the Roman Catholic doors to women priests.
In Athlone this week the case for the ordination of women and what that might do for the Church in rural Ireland was part of a discussion at the AGM of the Association of Catholic Priests.
But the men-in-frocks are stopping short of full ordination, rather arguing just for the role of women to be enhanced by their appointment to the role of pastors and other key positions in parish ministries. This ‘concession’ comes, not as a result of the fight for gender equality but due to a fall in the numbers of men taking cloth.
So while working women are more welcome into the Church than ever, they just don’t reach the high heavenly standards to serve as God’s right-hand gals.
Prime Time f illeting worth every cent
WE’VE all said it: “Why do I pay my licence fee for this RTÉ tripe?’ Well, David McCullagh’s evisceration of Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan on Thursday’s Prime Time was bang for buck and the most value-for-money entertainment I’ve enjoyed for years.
Seasoned interviewer McCullagh had Flanagan squirming in his seat as he tackled him on the campaign of violence and intimidation that has gone on for over five years against the executives of the Quinn Group in Cavan.
The failure of the authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice demonstrates a serious failing of the force. But what is utterly contemptible is what appears to be the absence of any type of concerted investigation that has allowed this campaign to continue largely unchecked and resulted in the savage kidnap and vicious assault of Quinn executive Kevin Lunney.
Flanagan could only stutter out some mealy-mouthed soundbites as McCullagh listed off a litany of failings by the authorities.
Attesting to this, McCullagh pointed out the reprehensible fact that posters inciting violence were, until yesterday, still up in Cavan. Keen to try and salvage some part of his scalp from the interview, Flanagan tried to duck and dive when McCullagh asked him what was being done to protect those under very real threat. As Flanagan squirmed, the obvious question lingered: Where exactly is the investigation into who is organising this intimidation – and why do citizens on both sides of the border still live and work in fear of their lives? Those ten minutes were, for me, worth every single cent in licence-fee money.
Slim Adele is fab, just don’t say it...
SINGER Adele stepped out this week a whole three stone lighter and she looked absolutely smashing. But according to some, I can’t say she looked smashing because the implication is that the heavier Adele didn’t look great and I’m fat/skinny shaming her by thinking that Adele-light looks lovely.
And I just want to scream at them at the top of my lungs, to such levels that I might just be able to belt out one of her numbers.
It was also suggested that her weight loss was due to her marriage break-up and related stress... though since she admits she’s been working out at home to online fitness tutorials, it’s hardly a result of heartbreak. Fabulous Adele is clearly single and ready to mingle. But I’m probably not allowed say that either.
I’m sorry for your trouble, say gardaí
YOU couldn’t make it up... gardaí sending letters of apology to young offenders for failing to prosecute them and setting up a helpline in case the poor mites need support – for not being prosecuted.
Who, in the Department of Justice or Garda headquarters thought it a good use of scarce resources to apologise to young thugs? Instead of being hauled before the courts they will be supported, at taxpayers’ cost, by a soothing voice on a dedicated helpline in case they are scarred for life over evading justice. It’s a wonder they haven’t lobbed in claims for post-traumatic stress but there’s still time.
Gardaí put the failure to prosecute down to ‘organisational failing’. Well they got that part right. But the only people failed here were the victims – all 6,331 individual victims and 891 commercial victims who will never get justice.