Laethanta Draoichta i bPáirc an Chrócaigh

Is fada óna rabhas ag blogáil anseo i nGaoluinn, ach le Seachtain na Gaeilge agus sin uile ag druidim linn, tá sé in am dom. An chúis go bhfuilim ag scriobh an tseachtain seo ná an dá lá iontacha a chaitheas i gcomhlúadar cháirde agus clann i bPáirc an Chrócaigh le déanai. Bhios mar cheann de bhaill Chumann Lúthcleas Gael a chuir i gcoinne an dá riail seafóideacha a bhi inár dTreoir Oifigiúil (Leabhar rialacha an chumainn). Thosaios an troid i gCiarrai mar bhall de chlub an Choireáin, i gcoinne Riail 21 a chuir cosc ar bhaill na bpóilini sa tuaisceart nó sa Bhreatain a bheith mar bhaill an chumainn.

Is ait gur riailigh Seán Kelly, Cathaoirleach Bhord Chiarrai CLG ár rún as ord. Chun a bheith féareáilte leis, gan Kelly, mar Uachtarán CLG go dti anuraidh, gach seans nach mbeinn i bPáirc an Chrócaigh in aon chor le cúpla seachtaine anuas ag tacú le foireann rugbai na hÉireann gan é.

Cé go raibh an chluiche i gcoinne na Fraince an-stairiúil, is úafásach an toradh a bhi air, agus thóg an dá nóimead deireanach sin ó dhraiocht an lae. Cá fios anois conas a n-eireódh linn le Stringer agus an Drisceoladh!! Ar aon nós nach mbeadh sé deas dioltas a fháil i Stade de France i gcraobh an domhain!

Support the Make Room Campaign

I'm delighted that the Labour Party has formally backed the Make Room campaign, launched recently by some of our major voluntary organisations dealing with the homeless. The organisations include Simon, one of the first charity organisations I became aware of. It also includes Focus Ireland, the other voluntary body doing work with young homeless people in particular , and set up by that indomitable Kerrywoman, Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy. Stan, as she's known, spent a lot of time in Kilkenny where the late Bishop Birch was pioneering the Catholic church's social development structure.

The other two groups are the Saint Vincent de Paul charity, who have a presence in every parish in the country, and finally the Threshold group who have done so much to advance the rights of tenants. Please take the time to sign up and pledge your support to the campaign now, and try to make homelessness a thing of the past by 2010.

From my own experience, the problem of sub-standard private rented accomodation is becoming worse, and the failure of both our own local authorities and central Government to register and inspect this type of accomodation is a local and national disgrace. Of course, building social and affordable housing is the real answer to homelessness, particularly for young people, who are increasingly being forced to live at home with their parents until well into their twenties.