42 Comments

• BARNEYKX | Feb 27, 2012, 04:51 PM EST

  the irish tiger has been skinned and is now a rug in some government officials living room

• dan Breen | Feb 20, 2012, 01:36 PM EST

  I would not trust Clinton ! He and his gang are all smoke and mirrors! He looking to make a quick buck !

• upsceach | Feb 14, 2012, 01:49 AM EST

  That was the best laugh I've had in a while. some of the comments were mighty. Go raibh maith agaibh.

• gobdawpaddy | Feb 13, 2012, 08:29 PM EST

  Packing my case on Wednesday and returning to the US. Had a fun time in the Emerald Isle (always do). Pity the animosity of certain natives here. Hope we can add a few jobs to our Irish operation to give some tiny help to Ireland's recovery, wish we could do more. Delighted at president Clinton's active interest in Ireland. I hope it produces results.

• seanomelb | Feb 13, 2012, 05:05 PM EST

  Gobdaw you should be canonised, St.Gobshite of the urinals and bullsh!te

• sirpeter | Feb 13, 2012, 12:21 PM EST

  Why don't you pack your case.That's a better idea.

• gobdawpaddy | Feb 13, 2012, 08:59 AM EST

  I rest my case.

• PolinDeB | Feb 12, 2012, 09:19 PM EST

  We need a stable indigenous industry base.. not help that will disappear as the next Ireland moves in ;0 Still you got to love Clinton for being there ;0

• sirpeter | Feb 12, 2012, 07:53 PM EST

  Gobshite.You think you have decorum?Well you don't.Just because you don't use certain words in your comments doesn't mean it's not full of profanity.Your comments are vulgar and irreverent.So fu*k you.By the way don't watch TV~Read books~or listen to any modern day music.Loads of profanity there.

• sirpeter | Feb 12, 2012, 07:31 PM EST

  Well Done!!Kinvara7

• kinvara7 | Feb 11, 2012, 07:49 PM EST

  @Ciara: IC very rarely miss the potato stories. Then again, we all enjoy a good potato story! Oíche mhaith.

• ciaradexy | Feb 11, 2012, 06:21 PM EST

  Still no mention of a potato or an alcoholic in your posts Kinvara!

• kinvara7 | Feb 11, 2012, 05:43 PM EST

  Niall: Here is another good news story that Irish Central missed: Irish firm Ocean Energy closed a landmark deal this week to provide a multi-million euro device for the world’s largest offshore marine energy test site off the Cornwall coast. It expects to deploy a full-scale device off Cornwall by the end of 2012. Ocean Energy's device, called an OE Buoy, uses the oscillating water column principle. As waves enter a sub-sea chamber, they force air through a turbine on the surface, generating electricity. The technology has only one moving part, minimising maintenance costs. Each OE Buoy has the capacity to generate sustainable energy that will power up to 1,200 homes. The device was developed with the assistance of Irish government funding and expertise at the Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre in University College, Cork. Ocean Energy chief executive John McCarthy said the deal was a “major achievement for Irish technology”, and added that the rigorous testing to which the device was subjected had been key to winning the contract. “Ireland, with its resources and technical capabilities, has the potential to become the world leader in wave energy and Ocean Energy plans to play its part in making this a reality,” he said.

• ciaradexy | Feb 11, 2012, 03:50 PM EST

  Kinvara! Stop ruining things on here! They only want to know about lakes, donkeys, where they should retire and all the horrible immigrants who are ruining Irelands purity! Stop with the facts there would ye!

• kinvara7 | Feb 11, 2012, 02:54 PM EST

  I know that Irish Central printed the story of the Guard who received a pig's head in the post, but what about the story of the brave Garda officer who, after stopping a van, had a double barrel shotgun pointed at him. The officer managed to push the barrel of the gun away from his head as a shot was discharged. A struggle then took place as Garda Brassil attempted to disarm the man. A second gunshot was discharged through the roof of the van as the struggle continued before Garda Brassil (who was also struck in the face with the shotgun) gained control of the weapon. The shooter then produced a high-powered rifle and started firing again before turning the weapon on himself. A tragic story but also one of incredible bravery on the part of Garda Brassil.

• kinvara7 | Feb 11, 2012, 01:43 PM EST

  What about the story of Limerick natives Patrick (23) and John Collison (21) who moved into the top tier of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs yesterday after their company, Stripe, gained $17m in investment from one of the world's top venture capital firms and is now valued at $100m. Stripe aims to make it easier for small businesses to securely process credit card payments.

• kinvara7 | Feb 11, 2012, 01:43 PM EST

  Here are some other good news stories over the last couple of weeks: Shire, the Irish pharmaceutical company said Thursday that sales of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder treatment Adderall XR shot up 40 percent to $125 million, while sales of the ADHD drug Vyvanse rose 20 percent to $217 million. Sales of Elaprase, a treatment for the genetic disorder Hunter syndrome, rose 17 percent to $124 million. Waldner Ireland managing director Noel Hodgins, described Ireland as being "the pharmaceutical centre" of the world, as he opened a new interactive lab last month.

• kinvara7 | Feb 11, 2012, 01:41 PM EST

  Niall: Your reply to youngIrelander is empty and condescending. To begin with it is clear that you missed the point in his message. What ever about scandals etc., will you at least take responsibility for the poor writing and journalism on this website? Or is the church and state behind that as well? It strikes me as ridiculous that an otherwise intelligent man can miss such a simple point: There are good 'messages' and you should act as the messenger for them too. Do you disagree with my point? A couple of months ago Ireland made a very exciting discovery in the Atlantic. Sophisticated Irish technology was used, new species were found and a part of our planet was named by Irishmen using the Irish language. However, this was whispered on IC (There weren't even pictures) instead a ten line list of nonsense was pushed to the fore; it was some lazy nonsense about Irish luck. The Atlantic story dissapeared into the archive while the lazy top ten list lingered on the mainpage for days. Talk about ignoring a good news story!

• ciaradexy | Feb 11, 2012, 12:16 PM EST

  I can assure you that I do not speak in this manner however if my language gets a little more 'flowery' its usually during a debate with friends and is not around children or elderly people. Some of my friends do tend to swear a lot but again, its in certain company so it is not unwelcome. Irish 'ladies' as you put it are equal with irish men and so we dont expect to be treated any differently to men. We also dont expect people to act any differently around us regardless of their gender.

• gobdawpaddy | Feb 11, 2012, 12:04 PM EST

  Ciara, I am not an American who is disgusted by the Irish and I do like them (I employ 117 of them and they do a very good job), but in general their limited vocabulary and lack of decorum as I mentioned in my earlier contribution does annoy me. I had a American female colleague with me in a 5 star hotel in Cork on Thursday evening and a group of three males at the bar demonstrated no decorum, they don't seem to know any better. Of course if one was to request them to tone it down, you would be told to 'f*** off, you f****n BX, ya C*** ye' and be in danger of getting a slap. One would expect that patrons in a hotel bar of the standard of the one we were in would know how to behave, but I guess not. Irish 'ladies' don't seem to mind, indeed their language is often as bad as their male friends. Of course I recall your former taoiseach being caught on an open microphone about 2 years ago using profanity to his tainaiste, Mary Coughlan. I guess I will just have to grit my teeth and attempt to shut it out. And before you tell me that I don't have to visit, I do, and my many Irish employeees are very happy that I do. We spend a lot of money when visiting and via our Irish operation, doing our little bit to help a nation that many of us have great affection for, managing to make a few USD in the process.

• ciaradexy | Feb 11, 2012, 10:15 AM EST

  Well said Kinvara. I reckon Americans would learn more about Ireland and the Irish simply from seeing the most recent ad for Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport which was aired on tv and in the cinema rather than this website.

• kinvara7 | Feb 11, 2012, 09:48 AM EST

  Niall: You have chosen to call your website Irish Central -not Irish America Central or Diaspora Central, but IRISH Central. You did this to capture as much of a following as possible and to plug into the general interest that exists around the world for all things Irish. If this and other American publications choose to profit from selling 'the Irish thing' then you have a duty towards the many decent, hardworking people in Ireland who have done so much to make the Irish identity so valued in the first place. What right have you to sell the identity that they have shaped, and at the same time ignore their success stories, simply because it doesn't appeal to your target audience? Instead you jump from one negative story to the next (because that's what people want to read isn't it Niall; thats what brings in the punters), and without any since of irony you criticise the sense of 'doom and gloom' in Ireland!

• ciaradexy | Feb 11, 2012, 08:53 AM EST

  Gobdaw, thats just us and if you dont like the irish, then you really dont need to come to Ireland or mix with Irish people. You can stay in the US and live your life believing the thatched cottage nonsense thats peddled on this website or you can accept that Ireland is also in the 21st century. SirPete, Youngirelander and Kinvara are right. If the Irish disgust Americans so much then no one is holding gun to your head telling you to visit. Youre more than welcome to hang out with the Delta Crew all you want!

• gobdawpaddy | Feb 11, 2012, 06:17 AM EST

  Once again an example of posters who can't seem to understand that this site is the home of 'Irish America' magazine and the New York based 'Irish Voice'. My perceived purpose of this site is it is to provide news and a forum for discussion, on items that might be of interest to Irish America, or as one Irish based poster referred to us as 'YE arrogant Irish American fu*ks'. This is a lovely 'contribution' on an article involving many Irish Americans and president Clinton, endevouring to help Ireland out of its current economic malaise. I can't understand why posters with such obvious intellectual capacity and superb command of the english language, don't stick to 'The Beano' website. Something that has irritated me for some time came up once again last night (I am currently visiting Ireland on business). I am fascinated at the limited vocabulary of people in Ireland, even in print as I made reference to above. Last night I had dinner at a hotel in Co. Clare. There was a Delta flight crew of seven at the table next to me. They remained there for about three hours and there wasn't a single utterance of the 'f' bomb, the 'c' word and no-one was a 'bx'. It was in stark contrast to the scenario in a Cork hotel the previous night where the 3 patrons next to my party, couldn't express a sentence without utilizing 2 out 3 of them. I have learned after many visits to 'turn a blind eye', acknowledging to myself that 'they don't know any better'.

• sirpeter | Feb 10, 2012, 11:51 PM EST

  YoungIrelander.Good start.Nice piece.Kinvara7 is spot on.Neill is just giving we are only the messenger sh*t.It's a pity the messages are mostly sh*t.When you think about this small island.We have punched well about our weight.Lets be fair about it nobody in Ireland wants to be Irish American.I'm here in Ireland and happy.My roots are here for a thousand years.I love the trees and the mountains and lakes.The smell of the earth and the gentle rain.The passionate people and the superior wit.With all it's faults Ireland whispers you belong.

• sirpeter | Feb 10, 2012, 10:51 PM EST

  RedBranch.You say this isn't a serious website.But I do.I don't mind our failings been aired.But no family or nation can be at harmony unless you point out our good points as well.IC has failed in this.It's staff writers have little understanding of the complexities of EVERY Irish event be it historic or current.I feel I'm defending myself as an Irishman the whole time on this site against Irish Americans.Irish people on this site living in Ireland will tell YE what Ireland is about.So shut the fu*k up.I have never once read a comment by an Irish born insult the Irish people like ye do.Ye arrogant Irish American fu*ks.Never forget Irish people will just as soon sever an Irish American head that over stepped the mark as anyone else.We are not for sale.No matter who puts up the for sale sign.

• sirpeter | Feb 10, 2012, 10:00 PM EST

  Niall.While the thatched cottage postcard tourism image is what sells to your average sentimental Irish American.Tourism is an industry selling a product.That's all very well.But this site is not consistent in showing a modern sense who the Irish really are.Example:Ireland is the biggest exporter in computer technologies in the world.Ryanair is the seventh largest airline in the world.I can't be looking up what Irish people gave to the world.There is to much to list.But we didn't cause humankind much trouble but we gave a hell of a lot.Our leaders are poor and we can't seem to get rid of them. But as a Corkman and an Irishman we always had our priorities right in lots of ways.We didn't go to the moon or invent the wheel.But the Irish have saved civilization again with a little blue pill.We made millions happy.A man without a horn is not a man.This is a fact.A woman without a horn will be tempted to go elsewhere.We want to move on from the IRA.We want to move on from your drunken Irish related bulls*it.I'm not religious.But you are totally bias against the Catholic church.You publish the bad,but you dishonor the priests who have saved millions of children's life's.Even if a lot buggered them.Men bugger kids anyway in the priesthood or not.Neill as an Irishman the articles don't make me feel good because your staff writers don't have a real core deep understanding.Niall sometimes it's good to kill the messenger if the messenger has his own agenda.Everybody lies and everybody has there own agenda.YoungIrelander is perfectly right.Whose message is IC been the messenger for?

• sirpeter | Feb 10, 2012, 07:57 PM EST

  kinvara7. Nice one.

• ciaradexy | Feb 10, 2012, 06:22 PM EST

  Niall, theres more to Ireland than tourism and Americans feelings towards the place.

• seanomelb | Feb 10, 2012, 05:59 PM EST

  I commend youngIrelander on his entrepreeural skills(speaking as a retired business man).I fear your judgement is somewhat clouded and one hopes it will not "cloud" your entrepreneural skills.

• Niall O'Dowd | Feb 10, 2012, 05:45 PM EST

  Young Irelander we consistently publish very positive articles about Ireland, tourism related, Americans love for Ireland etc.We didn't make church scandals or corrupt politicians happen -- just because we report on their activities don't confuse the messenger with the message.I wish you the best in your career but maybe look at the mote in your own eye first

• ciaradexy | Feb 10, 2012, 05:38 PM EST

  Irish politicians should be at home investing in indigenous Irish businesses and industries instead of relying on American multinationals who will pack up and move out once they can set up in Eastern European countries for less money.

• seanomelb | Feb 10, 2012, 04:23 PM EST

  It's disappointing to read the naysayers below any help from anybody is good for the recovery and those helping should be commended.

• LoyalCitizen | Feb 10, 2012, 03:28 PM EST

  With friends like Bill Clinton we have to ask do we need enemies?..............If Billy boy likes the Irish tell him to get the pretentious American Corporations in Ireland to give back the funding they received from traitorous Irish Politicians.

• RedBranch | Feb 10, 2012, 01:21 PM EST

  Young Irelander, You don't think this is actually a 'serious' forum. Half of the regular posters appear to be better qualified to comment than the authors of the pieces and don't get me started on grammatical errors. This is a website catering to a particular audience with a particular background/perception. Many of the stories are fluff or sensationalist for the target audience. So take it at face value, don't expect too much and allow your baser Irish instincts to run wild....

• YoungIrelander | Feb 10, 2012, 12:41 PM EST

  hi, I would like to echo the postings below of an Irish Central member called kinvara7. In fact I feel so strongly in agreement with his sentiments that I have created an account just to make this posting. As a young Irish entrepreneur I am frustrated and even embarrassed by the self-defeating and fatalist approach adopted by some of the Irish media during the past 3-4 years. I would put Irish Central at the top if the list. I am an Irish entrepreneur who has spent the bulk of this time working hard to bring my company to fruition. My peers and I are in unanimous agreement that we are not only battling the difficult trading environment but also what we see as a destructive sector within the media, which is self-serving to an excessive degree and which is NOT on the side of Ireland and her recovery. The owners of Irish Central have a lot to answer for in portraying us, Ireland's people, as being under-educated (through the consistently poor writing skills in its journalism) and under-achieving (through its policy of promoting negativity in its articles). They must have wondered why young Irish people have not joined their website. So long as their ethos of negativity prevails we never will. This is a pity because as young Irish people we see the Irish family as constituting two equal parts - those of us who live abroad (regardless of birthplace) and those of us who reside on the island, with neither part being more Irish than the other. If only Irish Central owners felt as strongly as we do about the importance of the message, of it reflecting the positivity and industriousness of the Irish people, and if only they did not instead place profit before responsibility. No doubt Irish Central, like everything else, began as a dream by the owners. In the words of WB Yeats "In dreams begins responsibility". Please begin.

• gobdawpaddy | Feb 10, 2012, 10:51 AM EST

  Niall, I hope you are right. I have been in Ireland for the past 2 weeks and it is sad to see boarded up stores in every city and town that I visited. There are empty warehouses and factory floors in industrial estates. The stories of unemployed people are harrowing. Things are bad in the states, but gradually improving, a great jobs number last week and today's increases in the trade deficit indicate that the US is gradually creeping back. I hope Ireland can do the same and Bill Clinton's efforts on behalf of this country are welcomed. While I know there are many people in the states who don't agree, but here in Ireland the man is hailed as a hero. His endeavors to bring peace to Northern Ireland are very much appreciated as will be this current effort to give Ireland an economic boost. Thank you Bill.

• kinvara7 | Feb 10, 2012, 10:36 AM EST

  I haven’t the time to sit down and list out all the good stories which Irish Central missed over the last few months; perhaps I will come back to it another time. I’m very happy about the above event; Bill Clinton is a friend to Ireland and he is much admired here. I hope that real benefits flow from this event and I presume that they will. However, IC needs to recognize the ‘can do’ spirit present in Ireland and it should write about it. Negativity breeds negativity and if you are not giving attention to success stories then that only compounds the problem.

• kinvara7 | Feb 10, 2012, 10:22 AM EST

  What about Arklow Marine Services? It is a fifth-generation family business established in 1864. Their company has developed an innovative 20-metre aluminium catamaran, built specifically for servicing offshore wind farms and was launched just last month and secured a contract with UK-based Gardline Shipping. Here was a story about an Irish family business, creating jobs and developing a sophisticated product for export. Don’t you think stories like that deserve to be told? Yet Irish Central ignored it and followed its usual format.

• Murph46 | Feb 10, 2012, 10:13 AM EST

  Wow ! THE guy who STARTED the American housing crisis ,blessing Ireland with his ideas!Duck!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• kinvara7 | Feb 10, 2012, 10:12 AM EST

  Niall: Your website has been perpetuating ‘the doom and gloom’, it rarely takes a moment for breath. When you want to offer people something else it is something like: ‘Top ten Irish Curses’ or something. You have done a wonderful job of ignoring the good news stories from Ireland. Examples of such stories would be the two Cork companies that won awards recently from the European Space Agency. The first Cork company is SensL and the contract involves the deployment of SensL’s silicon photomultipliers for range-finding LIDAR cameras to determine the location of suitable terrain for lunar landings. (Apparently this was not worthy for Irish Central). The other company Radisens Diagnostics. The European Space Agency has contracted Radisens Diagnostics to add a thyroid test to their point-of-care device which is currently in development at their facility in Cork. ESA wants to use the device on board the International Space Station.

• torbreezy | Feb 10, 2012, 09:34 AM EST

  Mullac Abu ! ! !