2019March

Brazil Special Report: Families Still Seeking Bodies after Brumandinho Dam Disaster

by

Last January 25th a dam burst over the town of Brumandinho from a height of eighty-six metres. It unleashed a tsunami of approximately twelve million cubic metres of toxic red sludge over the valley below, eviscerating all in its path. The structure had been built as part of an iron-ore-mining operation in Minais Gerais, Brazil’s … Read more

From Psalm 119

by

Gimel/Retribue servo tuo O do well unto thy servant Vincible world, I see blown blossom hurled with the crumpled rooks before May’s impertinent, spooky breezes; newly-dressed branches rattled already before counter-prevalent and centrifuge gusts. Vincible earth, no stranger to kenosis, then; it’s what you do. I can’t arrive at saying it. I’m lip-deep in the … Read more

‘Focused on Phibsborough’ – An Interview with local election candidate Sean McCabe

by

After working for the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice at global conferences, Sean McCabe is now relishing the chance to represent the local concerns of his Phibsborough community. He intends to bring meaningful improvements to people’s lives, and help build community-owned initiative to tackle threats posed by climate change and inequality. Cassandra Voices interviews … Read more

The Path of Pollen and the Seed Facilitators Way

by

The path of pollen: the lovers’ tale between bee and flower. Once upon a time, bees were carnivorous – entering into flowers to gain access to smaller insects as a means for protein food supply. After frequent visits to the opening of the flower, curiosity began to mount in the bee. The flower was so … Read more

Manus in Seomra Spraoi

by

Seomra Spraoi was a hub of resistance. The space was located just off the quays close to Dublin’s city centre. It was used to organise campaigns against, Shell oil’s Mayo pipeline, the World Bank and the deportations of non-nationals, among many other worthwhile causes. It is hardly surprising Seomra Spraoi was closed down under ‘fire … Read more

Can the European Project be Kept on Track?

by

Czech border police snoop along the rail carriage as we pass the frontier from Germany. They seem to linger outside our compartment long enough to survey the light pigmentation of the young Dutch couple and this Hiberno-Norman specimen inside, passing by without seeking identification. White skin remains a passport – carte blanche – to unspoken … Read more

Is George Orwell’s England Now Home to Fintan O’Toole’s Swivel-Eyed Loons?

by

It was flattering to read Fintan O’Toole respond, however oblique, to my criticism of his generally hysterical book on Brexit. In an Irish Times article on February 19th he claims the English eccentricity I praised has morphed into sinister idiosyncrasies, personified by what he impolitely refers to as the ‘swivel-eyed-loon’ Brexiteers. The association of physical … Read more