Bernard Moffatt's blog

I hear worrying rumours of conspiracies in the corridors of power I hope these are false - as Howard would put it ‘fake news’. However my source is a pundit not known for flights of febrility.

Our democracy may not have much going for it but one of the good things is that at the inception of the new Tynwald ‘the head honcho’ is chosen and should short of breaking any political crockery get to carry through his programme. Well that’s how its worked with the exception of an unfortunate turn of affairs some years ago.

This curious story about how the Isle of Man is tying itself in knots over Freedom of Information requests begs more questions than it answers:

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=42382&headline=Why%20have%20rep...

‘Shy Ronnie’ (aka Isle of Man resident HNWI John Whittaker) has had another setback with his wind turbine plans:

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=42363&headline=Wind%20turbine%2...

Jeez! Aren’t the Isle of Man and Ireland lucky we both have Chief Ministers who are ‘cool’ and in touch with the people.

Manx Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK often avers in his regular soirees with Paul Moulton at MTTV how in touch with the common man, ‘the hoi polloi’, that’s us, he is. Howard makes it sound as if you could drop into the Cabinet Office and have a coffee with him anytime - just try!

In line with my ‘slack saturday’ strategy I’m about to settle comfortably when I find a message in my inbox. It points me towards an article on something called the SAVE CAMLORK pages which highlights a recent paper by several well known luminaries.

The world has been turned on its head these days the Cops are ‘the conscience of the nation’ years ago it used to be the Church. The Church is kind of irrelevant now except for running food banks so ‘Les Flic’ step in like in this piece (link):

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=42362&headline=Businesses%20sho...

UPDATE: My effusive optoimisim over the new development reported here is dashed as Paul Moulton says its archive material. Like politicians even journos have a 'hol' at this time of year it seems, I wonder now if the latest site plans will go unrealised - oh woe!

In Dublin housing activists have escalated their protests over the housing crisis. Homelessness and affordable housing. The move comes as a dramatic increase in rents in all areas of the country especially the Dublin conurbation are revealed.

Despite being evicted following a court order from properties occupied for a week protesters have gone on to occupy the Offices of the Housing Minister. The Housing ministry is sited in the Custom House and imposing building that any visitors to Dublin using the IOM Ferry will be aware of.

An Sionnach Fionn website has a report on a new documentary by Channel Four on the murder of fourteen civilians including mother of eight children Joan Connolly in August 1971.

There is a trailer for the film to be screened shortly at this link:

https://ansionnachfionn.com/2018/08/08/the-ballymurphy-precedent-a-new-d...

Bernard Moffatt

With David Ashford and Alf Cannan MHKs busy dismantling the Manx health service I’ve been busy in my quest to find traditional charms and cures for all manner of maladies. I was fortunate to discover WW Gill’s book ‘Customs and Traditions, Cures and Charms, Fairies and Phantoms’.

Must try to track down a print edition - anyway the online version is at this link

http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~stephen/chiollaghbooksfirstseries/cb04.pdf