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Diarmuid O'Flynn (centre) Facebook

'Greece should drop the euro - and so should Ireland'

Ballyhea Says No began marching against the Irish bailout in 2011.

EVERY SUNDAY SINCE 6 March 2011, a group of people have marched in Cork in protest against Ireland’s bailout.

Crowds gather in the village of Ballyhea and the town of Charleville on alternate weekends. They have done so for over four years – or 228 weeks.

That’s a lot of marching.

The demonstrators are members of Ballyhea Says No – which has vowed to not stop its protest until “debt justice” has been achieved.

Recently the group made its fourth trip to the European Parliament (EP), after being invited by the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) parliamentary group via Irish MEP Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan.

Sinn Féin and Greece’s Syriza are also members of GUE/NGL.

Diarmuid O’Flynn is one of the Ballyhea Says No’s organisers. He’s also a parliamentary assistant to Flanagan and former hurling writer with the Irish Examiner.

O’Flynn told TheJournal.ie the group’s trip was “overshadowed” by the ongoing situation in Greece, as well as EP discussions on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), but he was still “very pleased with how things went”.

He said the purpose of the group’s visit was to dispel some “half-truths” about Ireland.

“Far from Ireland being poster boys for austerity, the people have suffered grievously.”

Protest week 227 - Ballyhea bondholder bailout protest | Facebook The Ballyhea Says No delegation at the European Parliament. Facebook Facebook

O’Flynn said he accepts the bailout and bank guarantee were implemented to save “save the eurozone and possibly even the EU itself”.

However, he said it doesn’t make sense that the European Central Bank (ECB) is buying €60 billion-worth of bonds each month until September 2016 as part of its quantitative easing programme while Ireland has to destroy tens of billions of euro worth of bonds.

Ballyhea Says No is in the process of establishing a task force which will focus on ending the sale of the promissory note bonds, with the aim being either their total destruction or holding them in the Central Bank until they all “die a natural death”.

O’Flynn said it was a “hugely progressive step” that Fine Gael’s four MEPs also attended their presentation.

“We didn’t get blown out of the water. They didn’t tell us we were wasting our time. We’re going to have another meeting with them, probably in Ballyhea.”

This is not a party political issue, this is a national issue. It’s not just about this generation, it’s about future generations - the next two or three generations of Irish people.

The group has asked MEPs to support its goal of stopping the sale of the promissory note bonds.

Greece

O’Flynn has been keeping a close eye on the ongoing economic tumult in Greece. The country submitted an austere new bailout plan to its eurozone creditors on Thursday night. This is currently being studied by eurozone ministers before a summit of all 28 European Union leaders tomorrow.

Ultimately, O’Flynn thinks Greece and Ireland would be better off if they both left the eurozone.

“The EMU (Economic and Monetary Union) was not going to work … it was a stupid idea. These economies are just too disparate, too different … Any economist would tell you it wouldn’t work.”

Even if Greece do continue in the eurozone they’re going to continue to have problems, all smaller economies will. My heart goes out to the Greek people. I think they would be better off out of the euro. I think we would better off out of it as well.

Read: Here’s what is Greece is willing to do for more money

Column: We won’t stop marching until the ECB returns Ireland’s money

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    Mute The CFC Standard
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 2:09 PM

    This country baffles me sometimes… constantly people moaning about a lack of transport and then something really positive like post 1am Luas gets proposed and people are like “nah I’ll walk home thanks” and other comments drowned in negativity. Blame the government all you want folks, a lot of our lack of progress is due to this “no thanks, not in my backyard” generation ruining it for the rest of us.

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    Mute Fephie Stitz
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 2:14 PM

    @The CFC Standard: red line at 8pm on a Friday is pretty rough, imagine 1am? They need to provide proper security to run it at this time.

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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 2:26 PM

    @The CFC Standard: agreed – there’s also the reality that far too many of our wonderful people behaviour Friday and Saturday nights needs to be called out – it’s little wonder drivers would choose to work 7am until 7pm rather than tolerate the drunken abusive and often outright dangerous behaviour of so many people during the wee hours – so many comments complain about the lack of drivers on the road after midnight and wouldn’t take that risk for love or money and love to point the blame at everyone else in society – seems to be so much hypocrisy in ireland these days

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    Mute Ashling Fenton
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 6:34 PM

    @Fephie Stitz: I totally agree. I wouldn’t feel safe. It’s like that during the day too.

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    Mute Ciarán
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 2:31 PM

    Good news but there should be security on every Luas, especially late nights.

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    Mute Andy #FBPE
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 1:52 PM

    That sounds lovely & safe

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    Mute John Doyle
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 1:54 PM

    Not a hope. Ill walk home thanks

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    Mute Alan Wright
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 2:00 PM

    @John Doyle: So, if you lived in say; Saggart, you’d walk the 30km (4hrs) from the city centre home at 1am. Wow, the hyperbole is strong with you.

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    Mute Darren Callaghan
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 2:19 PM

    @Alan Wright: off ye pop I’ll jump on the luas with the 4 big stt security lads on board

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    Mute Alan Wright
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 2:36 PM

    @Darren Callaghan: What? I’m advocating for people to take the luas, it was the other guy that wants to walk.

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    Mute Paul Shepherd
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 8:45 PM

    @John Doyle: you could hitch a ride in an ambulance after you’ve been mugged by a couple of scrotes out on bail?!

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    Mute Darren Callaghan
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 2:17 PM

    Brilliant news hopefully it will be 24 hrs when the demand is there

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    Mute Jason Walsh
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 2:02 PM

    They’ll do both and then drop back to the gteen line only due to antisocial issues.

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    Mute Simon
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 2:37 PM

    They could investigate why only 29% of drivers are working at busy periods. Used to be where they would only work at those times. Sounds like there are enough taxis but they don’t like working when someone is going to get sick or abuse them or fight them or flee. Come on Eamonn

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    Mute Ciaran
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 3:01 PM

    @Simon: or maybe taxis are become less of a cash business and drivers aren’t thinking it’s worth it anymore. Accepting card and using apps like freenow, the taxi driver pays a % of the fare to use that service. Cash is king. And the king is dead.

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    Mute Hugh McCann
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 3:44 PM

    @Ciaran: well said

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    Mute Alan Richard Scott Jr.
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 4:46 PM

    @Ciaran: in a post-covid society cash is becoming rare or it will be. Everything is becoming digital and for the better

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    Mute Tom Mc Donnell
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 3:00 PM

    Could we not allow non taxi licenced Uber drivers to operate Thursday to Sunday 10pm to 3am only? They could be Garda vetted and registered with the national transport authority.

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    Mute R.P. McMurphy
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 5:36 PM

    Can’t believe Ryan advocating using public transport when he’s single handedly turned the city into a velodrome ……on yet bike Ryan…..Luas drivers already start earlier and finish later than every other public transport provider in the country now you just want them finishing later whilst your green mates work from home and cycle into the city on a Saturday for some bobble tea and some vegan ice cream…..increasing the trams to later operations will only increase anti social activity. The only way it works is if we have Transport Policing …..but you’d rather focus on cycle lanes

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    Mute Stuart Birney
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 6:19 PM

    Folks, don’t forget to pack your stab vest and crash helmet in your backpack for these after hours Luas journeys home after those extra late nights out in our fair city. Good luck!!

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    Mute Simon Hall
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 8:05 PM

    Can we get rid of closing time constraints, and add more night links and 24 hr luas (restricted time table depending on demand) like any sensible European country

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    Mute Jonathan O'Riordan
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 6:28 PM

    If you are getting I get to have luas at 1-1.30am, then you also need then at 4-5am for those of us who start work early

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    Mute Wiill S Rimer
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 8:41 PM

    Great. I don’t live in Dublin, but this seems like an eminently sensible plan.

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    Mute Nick
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    Jun 22nd 2022, 11:23 PM

    12% hike in taxi fares, ffs… Nobody else in the state getting half that percentage of a rise…. Incredible

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    Mute Dave Moran
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    Jun 23rd 2022, 2:32 PM

    Brilliant news … provided the line doesn’t run right outside your bedroom window ,,.?

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