B agus O

In every sense of the word today was a weather event.

Am following matters closely in Ireland over the bailout. The bailout that everyone knows is coming, except the Finance Minister and Biffo.  The BBC and the Financial Times were reporting talks as early as Sat night and still the Dail is maintaining a near Masonic silence and secrecy over whether or not they’ve taken place.

Particularly enjoyed the British papers headlines (everyone has the word Ireland emblazoned on front page)

My faves:

EU tells Ireland Take The Bailout. (Judging from my kitchen table it is not in the national characteristic to “do what you’re told” so good luck on that one.)

Ireland on the Brink.  (could apply to any average Thursday.)

Ireland isn’t working: Celtic Tiger becomes sick man of Europe.

While the Irish newspapers still lead with the more tranquil

Taoiseach insists Ireland not applying to Europe for bailout.

To which we can only respond, erm how come the rest of the world do not believe him….

Another curious thing is the papers need to catch up with what’s already taken place. They are running these pieces about young people potentially fleeing the country, but we know from the figures people have already left. I’ve never heard so many Irish accents in the area here as in the past six months and this is not a place historically the Irish gravitate to. There aren’t even good flight routes to get here!

To add to the current inventory of woes, it’s -3 overnight in Dublin.

***

Here in the Wessst Coast it’s blowing a gale, the greenhouse splitting at the seams as I type. I’ve already had to do aerial moves to rescue a flying sledge and a turbine fishing net. The clouds are extraordinary and the trees, well they’re doing a fair bit of bee-bop out there.  Over by the supermarket there was a head banging line of conifers