Plans to transform the façade of the Olympia Theatre to add the branding of Three, its new sponsor, were universally panned on social media, with many criticising a change from theatrical red to contemporary grey.
But only two members of the public went so far as to object formally to the redesign of the façade of the former Victorian music hall before the deadline last week. One person who wrote to Dublin city council said the new front, which will include a bronze “arching signage canopy” on its upper floors with “3Olympia Theatre” signage, will be “bland and modern and not in keeping with the time in which the theatre was first developed”. The other said she was “saddened to witness the corporate ‘3’ being placed onto proposed new signage”. “I will only ever refer to [it] as ‘the Olympia Theatre’, but as I am only an individual patron, there is little I can do against the corporate rebranding, other than lodge my objection.”
Had more people done so, that viewpoint could have held more weight when the council adjudicates in the coming weeks.
Taoisigh’s treasures are too safe by far
What happens to gifts that are presented to the taoiseach or ceann comhairle on official trips but are too valuable for them to keep, such as a €7,700 Rolex watch given to Seán Ó Fearghaíl on a trip to the UAE in 2018? It turns out that more than €30,000 worth of bling is sitting in a safe in Government Buildings. The freebies under lock and key include a painting by hoofer Michael Flatley entitled An Ocras Mór, which was presented to then taoiseach Enda Kenny in 2013 and was valued at €5,000.
There is also a handmade piece of embroidery, Sunrise at Mount Huangshan, valued at €6,800, that was gifted to Kenny by Li Keqiang, the Chinese premier, in 2015. Beside it in storage is a first edition of Comment C’est by Samuel Beckett gifted to Micheál Martin in August by President Macron of France and valued at €3,850.
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The rules state that only gifts of under €650 can be accepted, but there’s hardly much point in having them stuck in a safe. Surely we could offload some items by regifting them to unsuspecting visiting dignitaries? After all, it’s an old Irish tradition.
RTE hopes Mass will add weight to offering
A tender by RTE for a company to provide Mass on its news channel until the end of 2022 raised eyebrows, particularly given the winding down of Covid-19 restrictions that stopped the faithful going in person. Some pointed out that Mass is available online, including on Radio Maria, while others noted that the news schedule is quite busy. Asked how many people tune in to Mass on its news channel, RTE said the average weekday audience was 30,000, many of whom were unable to access online content. A low-cost programme with mass appeal? No wonder they’re commissioning a sequel.
Pelosi’s chapter and verse is pure Bono
Nancy Pelosi reading a poem by Bono about Ukraine was so random that the fact-checkers at Snopes, an American website that debunks conspiracy theories, produced a report on whether it actually happened.
When news of the poem went viral on social media, Dan Evon of Snopes suspected the Speaker of the House of Representatives was referring to a poem by Taras Shevchenko, a 19th-century Ukrainian poet, which was recently shared by U2. Evon ran a fact check, concluding Bono really did write the poem. Presumably no one else would own up to it.
Prince of Wales enjoys a St Patrick’s Day tipple
Pelosi’s chapter and verse is pure Bono
Nancy Pelosi reading a poem by Bono about Ukraine was so random that the fact-checkers at Snopes, an American website that debunks conspiracy theories, produced a report on whether it actually happened.
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When news of the poem went viral on social media, Dan Evon of Snopes suspected the Speaker of the House of Representatives was referring to a poem by Taras Shevchenko, a 19th-century Ukrainian poet, which was recently shared by U2. Evon ran a fact check, concluding Bono really did write the poem. Presumably no one else would own up to it.
Gerard Crowley
