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via dublin7peopleshistory: On this day in 1913 – The Dublin Lockout Begins.

The Dublin Lock-out (Irish: Frithdhúnadh Mór Baile-Átha-Cliath) was a major industrial dispute between approximately 20,000 workers and 300 employers which took place in Ireland’s capital city of Dublin. The dispute lasted from 26 August 1913 to 18 January 1914, and is often viewed as the most severe and significant industrial dispute in Irish history. Central to the dispute was the workers’ right to unionise. (Wikipedia)

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via David McWilliams: The EUR 44m May miracle

Articles by David McWilliams are always a good read for people interested in economics in general and/or in the Irish economy in particular. His latest post lets us in on the secrets of the EUR 44m May miracle (May is the period in which catholic kids in Ireland have their First Holy Communion) and what it means to the local economy (from the obligatory bouncy castle to mummy’s hairs).

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via David McWilliams: The tracker tail’s sorry ending

() Do you remember the ad in which a bloke on the top floor of a Dublin bus stands up and admits to all the passengers: “I don’t know what a tracker mortgage is”? He stands up, unsure of himself, and makes his public confession, half-petrified. You can see the relief on his face as he admits that he hasn’t a “rasher’s”. (…)

Yes, I do remember this ad.

It symbolizes much of what went wrong in Ireland during the run up to the property crash; widespread ignorance about personal finances, inadequate bank regulations and the tracker mortgage.

McWilliams narrates the story of the tracker and why it puts a huge brake on the recovery of the Irish economy for years to come.

Video: Dalkey Book Festival 2012

Guys, get your hands on a book, any book! It will change your life forever.

Related articles

• Novels That Will Be Considered the Most Important Literary Works of the Twentieth Century in the Year 2100 (According to Dalkey Archive) (biblioklept.org)
• A visit to The Exchange Bookshop, Dalkey, Dublin (kimbofo.typepad.com)

Damien Dempsey: “Colony”

This song sums up what colonization is and what it means to the colonized people. Let’s not forget that it happened all over the planet (and in our name). Masterpiece!