Latest News
German Economy
Date: November 26, 2013
In a perverse kind of way I have some sympathy for our German friends these days. Not much mind you, but many ordinary German people and some of their politicians are quite taken aback at the recent turn of events. Up to now,...[more]
European Budget
Date: October 29, 2013
Most people never think about the European Budget, yet they are glued to every detail of our own National Budget. The country is at a standstill for 48 hours while we wait, listen to and then digest the details. The question...[more]
National Ploughing Championships
Date: October 24, 2013
Last week I attended an event where there were more than 200 journalists present, including the BBC and Sky News. One of the rumours circulating was that the American Embassy was aware of a significant increase in the use of...[more]
Sligo Champion Article - Wind Turbines
Date: August 29, 2013
One of the toughest decisions a politician is faced with is when you have to weigh up competing interests, in particular the rights of the individual vis-a-vis other interests, be they social, environmental or economic. Now and...[more]
Sligo Champion Article - Carers
Date: June 13, 2013
There are 12,032 people living in Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal who by their daily activities save the Irish state €200 million per year - or, given that we have all got used to talking in billions - that amounts to €1 billion over...[more]
Credit Unions
Date: October 8, 2012
If I told you there is a movement in Ireland that has over 3 million members, which saw 40, 000 new members join last year, I know some of you might wonder: what organisation is this? Well, wonder no more.The organisation I refer...[more]
Sligo Champion Article Greece Can't Pay
Date: July 30, 2012
In my last article I spoke of the possibility of a gamechanger. This was in the context of Ireland’s bank debt being taken over by the European Stability Mechanism (E.S.M.) and also in the context of the then upcoming...[more]
Greece and the Eurozone
Date: June 22, 2012
Marian's Sligo Champion article So for now we have avoided a GREXIT and averted a SPANIC. In plain English that means Greece is still a member of the Eurozone (GREXIT being the new buzzword for "Greek Exit" of the...[more]
Fiscal Treaty Outcome?
Date: June 1, 2012
Sligo Champion Article One of the slightly strange things about writing an article for the Sligo Champion is that you write it roughly one week before you - the reader - will read it. This means it can be a bit tricky when I'm...[more]
Fiscal Treaty Article
Date: May 11, 2012
Sligo Champion Article Did you ever have a feeling that all you wanted to do was put your head in your hands and say stop, just STOP. I have wanted to do just that many times during recent weeks. When I have heard claims...[more]
