IS IT any wonder that there are so many cynics in the world?
For instance, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is not compulsory listening but it is hard to dodge the waffle and rubbish that comes out of his gob courtesy of propaganda machines, sometimes called PR Companies.
Leave it alone to our own blatherers, Varadkar, Martin and Ryan whose utterings would make great fodder for fledgling spuds.
When real journalists, the few that are left at a time when a majority have become Government propagandists, ask the pertinent questions and expose skullduggery, they are often branded whingers and old fogies, even by their so-called colleagues in the Fourth Estate.
The journos who have failed to ask the hard questions, dare we suggest because they courted advertising and leg-ups will most definitely have questions to ask post pandemic.
NOT A NOBLE BUSINESS
Prostitution is not exactly a noble business but sadly it would appear to be a popular tool in what we might call a media survival kit.
Anyway, with some legitimate hacks still asking the tough posers, we couldn’t help spotting that we had a knee-bending delegation from Kilkenny in New York for St Patrick’s Day festivities.
Jumping onto a Willie Wagtail, a flying machine that some might call an aereoplane (sic) must certainly be far more exciting that motoring to Kilkenny City from the county or vice versa for any promotional gig on behalf of our marbellous city and county.
Anyway, three wonderful souls, God bless and protect them, sacrificed any green holiday at home in honour of St Patrick to allegedly fight our cause in the Big Apple.
DYED IN FIANNA FÁIL WOOL
Up, up and away went the talented Colette Byrne of County Council fame and dyed in the Fianna Fáil wool county councilors Peter, aka Chap Cleere, a banker and Mick McCarthy, a retired Garda and one time hurling hero.
A press release from on high, or down low, or wherever it escaped from, tells anyone who might be interested that our trinity jetted to the city that, according to crooner Frank Sinatra, was, and perhaps is, so good that they (who?) named it twice.
We learn that our trio, titled reps of Kilkenny County Council, was in far-away fields, greener pastures maybe for ‘the St Patrick’s Day period’.
The trip that some might be tempted to call a junket or jolly, but officially was most certainly not, included a briefing by senior executives from Tourism Ireland.
PARDON THE INNOCENCE
And, wait for it, the release tells us that our honourable visitors were briefed on Tourism Ireland’s extensive promotion in the US for 2022.
Pardon the innocence, but are we to believe that two councillors and an official of our council travelled to the US to meet fellow Irishman and women who would brief them on ways to woo Yanks here?
The mind boggles.
Would a zoom chinwag or even a ‘phone call have sufficed?
And would surely have saved a fistful of dollars!
Anyway the release goes on to tell us that Ireland is open for business again following two devastating years of hardship for tourism.
Really hot news.
We cannot wait to welcome back our American visitors is the poignant message that concludes the waffle before some wonderfully unimaginative prose, including urging American travellers to press the Green Button and book their trip to Ireland this year.
CONSCIENTIOUS JOURNALISTS
Is it any wonder that conscientious journalists become grumpy?
In this case we certainly have reason to moan as, to be blunt, we were at least discriminated against.
We received our useless information in a mundane press release while our privileged ones got a free lift across the Atlantic followed by complimentary board and lodgings.
The world is a very unequal spot.
But, in fairness some of us did receive the offer of a seat on the reviewing stand at our local parade.
That invite must certainly have come from what we would term a Dacent Lad or Lassie.
