Although I bear them no ill will, I am not, never have been and never will be a fan of the British Royal family. It’s for this reason I have zero interest in (what I call) the publicity-seeking junkie formerly known as Prince Harry, and his I’ll-never-inherit-a-Kingdom-so-I’ll-monetise-my-position-as-a-mediocre-fame-hungry-saddo-by-going-on-a-score-settling-bitter-as-hell-crusade!
Neither did I watch last month’s ‘Harry and Meghan’ six-part docuseries containing a ‘never before seen’ look into the ‘personal and private’ lives of himself, aka ‘the Spare’ (see book of same name), and his missus, aka ‘the Minx’ – a title allegedly bestowed upon her by step-mama-in-law Camilla!
Nonetheless, sensation sells, and somebody is interested, because I’ve been stopped by readers asking my opinion on the pair who, in 2020, ‘stepped away’ from the spotlight, and ‘stepped back’ from royal duties in a bid to begin ‘a new chapter’ in their lives.
My own life is peppered with enough drama, therefore I didn’t feel the need to watch a series about a pair of filthy-rich, pampered whingers desperate for attention. That said, this publication wouldn’t be able to boast the biggest readership of any Roscommon newspaper (reaching 80,000 people every week), if it wasn’t giving loyal readers what they wanted, now would it? Therefore, as you’ve asked for my take on this ‘Megxit’ saga, I’m going to give it to you.
In a nutshell, (having casually dipped in and out of the docuseries), it’s my belief it has all the hallmarks of a low budget version of ‘young, dumb and living off mum’ – but without the hair extensions and the fake tan.
The addition of what I believe to be ‘self-taped video diaries from as far back as 2020’ suggests to me that stepping back was possibly never part of the overall plan, rather it was the opposite, as in, dare I assume, a carefully crafted quest for vengeance!
Personally, I’m sick of this mildly-attractive pair’s please-pity-poor-me act! At the same time, I adore the fact they’re humane enough to adopt a senior Beagle dog called Mia from a shelter where she’d been taken by the Beagle Freedom Project (in California) having been saved from one of those horrendously cruel animal-testing hellholes.
I haven’t viewed episode six of the series, but I’m told that, on foot of what I call the pair’s saccharine-sweet sit-down with Oprah, (something I did watch), a text from Beyoncé ‘reaching out’ to Meghan – a woman she’s apparently only casually acquainted with –
was revealed.
I’m paraphrasing, but here’s the gist. Beyoncé wanted Meghan ‘to feel safe and protected’; she ‘admires and respects’ Meghan’s ‘bravery and vulnerability’ believing she ‘was selected to break generational curses that need to be healed’.
Aaaw sentimentalism at its best, or ‘pass the sick bag’ territory at its worst; you decide. However, I have to tell you something folks; like Meghan, I don’t trust easily, meaning while I have many acquaintances, I can count my trusted, inner circle of friends on one hand.
Also like Meghan, I believe this inner circle to be made up of a group of wonderful, dependable, loyal and reliable people.
Unlike Meghan however, my ‘trusted’ pals would have to be kidnapped, sack thrown over their heads, bundled into a car boot and taken to a KGB black-ops torture facility, get strung up, and have electrodes attached to their unmentionables, before they’d say something that deep and meaningful about me!
You get my point; the melodramatic-casual-acquaintance-Beyoncé-message-mush seems all very calculated and convenient; pulled out of the hat to lend the self-promotional, self-aggrandising, attention-seeking pair’s bombshell-revelations a dash of credibility!
I think the time has come for the dirty-laundry-airing-grudge-holding Sussexes to stop milking the hype, and instead, to place a focus on counting their millions and move on.
Minster Donnelly
needs to step
up to the mark
As cases of flu and other respiratory conditions are rising across the country, it’s reported that the supply of cough syrups, and other over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are falling, with pharmacies left ‘scrambling’ to source alternatives.
In addition, according to something called the Medicine Shortage Index, there’s also a scarcity of some widely used, what I’d call ‘household name’ antibiotics like Amoxicillin and Penicillin – leading me to ask, how are those suffering from respiratory infections going to cope and recover?
Coupled with this worrying revelation is the very serious issue of our overcrowded emergency departments; a trend and a crisis that’s worsening across all hospitals…oh except for Roscommon University Hospital, because apparently we’re not deemed worthy of having an emergency department to become overcrowded.
Given the severity of this threat-to-life situation, I want to know why our health minister’s response to this disaster is not to have implemented a plan to deal with it, but instead to deliver what I’d call a litany of lame, wishy-washy statements acknowledging it!
I’m sure the minister feels overwhelmed by the fact that a record 931 patients were left without hospital beds last week. I’m also sure he’s equally concerned that many of them were vulnerable senior citizens. Nonetheless, blaming this national crisis on what he calls a “perfect storm” caused by Covid, RSV and the flu is not just a cop-out, it’s also, in my opinion, a cock-up, therefore, I find his words to be more insulting than consoling.
As far as I know, (correct me if I’m wrong), Ireland recorded its first case of Covid-19 in February 2020; Stephen Donnelly has been Minister for Health since June 2020, therefore he knows the score. He knows that the autumn/winter season is a very challenging and critical time for both the HSE and citizens alike, meaning he’s not really facing anything new. To that end, my advice for the Minister is this…if you’re not growing or progressing in your position sir, now may be a good time to review your options and stand aside.
Attack on politicians is
repugnant and disquieting
On foot of the recent and, may I say nauseating, ‘poo-gate’ attack on Fianna Fáil junior minister Anne Rabbitte and Fine Gael’s Ciarán Cannon which occurred in neighbouring County Galway, TDs and senators have been issued with ‘detailed security advice for their own protection’.
Receiving this advice is both understandable and vital, especially given the fatal attacks on British politicians Jo Cox and Sir David Amess in recent years.
What I don’t think is vital however, is that ‘State funding is being sought to finance (these) urgent security measures for TDs and senators’. Why are we, the already hard-pressed taxpayers, being once again turned upside down and shaken by the ankles to fund someone else’s personal home and workplace security measures?
All citizens of this country, whether public or private, have an equal right to feel safe and to be safe. Anyone who believes that right is being violated should of course discuss their concerns with the local crime prevention officer and not just take the necessary measures, but be financially and personally responsible for them.
The fact that anyone would be so repugnant and so calculated as to collect excrement, pack it, transport it to a gathering and fling it at a fellow human being, publicly elected or not, is very disquieting.
I’m glad the incident is being taken seriously by investigating Gardaí. I’m also glad both victims are recovering from their horrific ordeal. That said, I don’t understand why you, me, and every other poor sod struggling to make ends meet – and who can’t afford to install panic buttons or James Bond-style ‘man-trap double doors’ in our own homes – will be forced to foot the bill.
