An Irish Angler's World

Yesterday I went marching in Dublin with Mammy, Daddy, and two of my Grandparents so that Ireland can be a better place to live in when I grow up. My Mammy told me that I owed €15,000 on the day that I was born to a person that I have never met, which I find very hard to understand. She also told me that the forest where I go in my buggy might be sold to a business man from another country, who might lock the gate before cutting down all the trees. I didn’t like being told this so I waved a red card along with lots of other people at the politicians and EU finance Ministers, telling them to “stop messing with my future”.

I don’t know a lot as I’m only learning, however, when I grow up I would like to have a choice about my education and future career, I would like to know that someone will take care of Granny and Grandad properly if they happen to get sick, and that the countryside which I love to be taken too will not be spoiled by too many windmills, and that there will be fish in the sea again I’m half Grandad’s age.

Most important for me is that when I can speak properly my voice is heard by those fella’s who I waved my red card at today. The big crowd around me were waving red cards too, many of them were as old as Granny and Grandad, made me think, do those guys in the Castle ever listen?

Recent history clearly shows that neoliberal economic policies as now practised by Ireland’s incumbent administration fail repeatedly, witness Pinochet’s Chile and Argentina under the military junta. They spawn dictatorial governments who do not listen to the voters who elected them, a consolidation of wealth within a greedy minority, privatisation of state assets and services, drive down wages, and create rampant unemployment.

Austerity has failed Ireland; witness over 100,000 emigrating (a lifestyle choice?), 450,000 on the dole (over 25% of the working population and not 14% as the Government would say), the job market distorted (witness job bridge and internships, deliberately dumbing down valid career options and forcing down wages), distortion of the housing market (recent property tax valuations have both under and over valued properties, so much for the free market our present Government continually backs), sell off the true benefits accruing from Ireland’s natural capital base through privatisation of state assets, and dismiss out of hand the significant role of public services in the delivery of key provisions such as security, health, environment, education, and economic development (witness cuts in public jobs, cuts in public wages, and privitisation of public services), in short rendering the Irish people subjugated instead of free.

I know that both sets of my grandparents presently are turning in their graves, the free Ireland they wished for rapidly being turned into a corporate fiefdom.

If you want a country that is managed by real Government rather than corporate/political puppets mobilise on Saturday, April 13th next in Dublin, as the first stage in a process to create a free democratic Ireland led by people of vision, intelligence, integrity, and courage.

100,000 people marched for peace in Dublin prior to the last Gulf War. Mobilise your friends and neighbours and fill Dame street with 100,000 people on Saturday April 13th, so sending a clear message to our Government, the EU finance ministers present in Dublin Castle, and the world at large that Irish people will not be subjugated and treated like children any longer.

Born and raised by Irish emigrant parents in 1960′s London I experienced the brave new world of hope, individual potential and freedom, which enveloped large parts of the world post WWII. Sadly, Ireland today in a socio-economic context bears no resemblance to that so recent period of endless possibility.

Last week I received my valuation forms through the post, the first stage in a process which, if I proceed, will tie my family home to the Government forever, a property tax sold on the pretext of provision of local services, with refusal to pay spun through the media as being unpatriotic.

I want to make it clear that I will never pay this unjust tax, my home is sacrosanct and as stated in a previous post is not an earner, so to those who seek to foister this charge, in an obvious jack boot manner, do your worst.

Living in the country I pay for and pipe my own water, maintain my own septic tank, and pay for my bins and recycling. The road outside still has the pot holes created during the big snow of 2010.

I and my family have always paid our way and are not averse to service charges where service is provided.

Free market economics as advocated by Milton Friedman failed in various South American countries to include Chile and Argentina. It is as plain as day obvious that the Chicago School of Economics has got to Enda, Michael, Eamonn et al. The Irish people do not deserve the subjugation masquarading as democracy that we have to presently endure day in and day out.

To Josephine Feehily, Revenue Chairperson, and your minions, you may say that you are doing your job as per the Government in terms of collecting and or chasing up on this charge, but think again so did Hitlers cronies.

I am not a criminal and I am quite happy to pay my way and contribute to the state ongoing as I have shown in my life to date. However this soldier knows good law from bad, and at this stage, based on the guts of a decade of appalling self serving administrations, the time has come to draw a line in the sand.

Ashley Hayden will not sign up for this charge, EVER. I, my family, and the people of Ireland deserve better Governance, and SOONER OR LATER we will get it.

Yours sincerely,

Ashley Hayden

Well a process that started with Dixie, a working hunter, meeting very briefly with Howard and Alan Woods Grade A show jumping Connemara stallion Kingstown Cavalier of Tally Ho House Connemara’s, ended nearly 12 months later with a text book delivery at 02.20am on the morning of 16th April 2012. Nearly four weeks late and causing sleepless nights as her every move was watched through what became termed “Capail Cam”, an in house monitoring device, Dixie finally got into gear and did the business.

Mandy would like very much to thank Howard Woods for making himself available to attend the birth at short notice, and also for all the advice and encouragement proffered by Elsie, Alan, and Howard over the last number of years, however much as the little foal benefited, washing up liquid enemas will not become a regular feature up in Ballythomas.

It was interesting and exciting to witness such an event for the first time, and very reassuring to have such real knowledge and experience locally to tap into. Dixie did a trojan job and bonded immediately with her newborn colt whose name still has to be decided, but it is most definitely not going to be Angus, of the AC/DC variety and not the Aberdeen.

After about an hour the young colt gingerly found his feet and through the morning has been getting stronger by the hour as he suckles with his mum.

Well Jen, that’s one down and one to go. Nature is a wonderful thing.

Out in the air, Dixie’s new foal is presented to the world, thank’s Syl for the help in getting him outside, Dixie is very protective.