Society

Was 1916 a crime?

Residents of Pike Farm, Charleville, Co Cork, who have been picketing and protesting the home intended for use by persons recently discharged from mental hospitals, have not responded to what Village has written about their protest nor to two radio programmes about the siege in which I have been involved. However, a woman who describes herself as an occasional visitor to Pike Farm and a supporter of the protestors, Anne Marie O'Carroll, has written an email, taking issue with some of what I have written and broadcast.

Areas of particular concern are the ill-treatment and misconduct by gardaí, mistreatment of people in psychiatric institutions, the absence of rights in the Disability Bill, poor standards in detention centres, a fundamentally flawed immigration system, the shortage of funding for services for violence against women and gaps in legislation on arms trading.

John McCormack was resented by Athlone. Son of a Scottish "blow-in" and a mere workman at that. Hardly commemorated in his home town. In this, the 60th anniversary of his death there is little sense Athlone appreciates the extraordinary talent that rose among them.

John Magnier and JP McManus made a capital gain of €100m from their recent sale of their shares in Manchester United. In return for this spectacular enrichment they contributed nothing, nothing at all to the club. Their initial investment merely bought out previous shareholders. Their money did not go into the club kitty, they brought no expertise to the club, they brought nothing to the board of the club. This massive enrichment came about solely from speculation in the shares of the corporation.

The High Court awarded a 63-year-old Dublin man €2,922,000 for false arrest, assault and negligence by psychiatrist and for the manner in which the Eastern Health Board defended the case. By Vincent Browne

Liffey Meats in Cavan has been paying migrant workers lower rates than normal in the industry even though they have just signed a five million euro deal with a French supermarket chain. By Colin Murphy

There are relatively few people in jail in Ireland by comparison to Britain or the US. But our new-found wealth may see that change, respected criminologist Nils Christie warns. John Byrne reports

An Angolan family living in Waterford for four years, with two children in primary school, are facing deportation in the coming weeks. They spoke to Colin Murphy

Although Ireland's homicide rate in 2004 was the lowest for 10 years, homicides have become more brutal, attracting more media attention. Emma Browne reports