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WATCH: Eamonn Coghlan gets Senators exercised - literally - in the Seanad

Eamonn Coghlan asked members of the Seanad to try out some balance exercises during a debate on PE teaching yesterday.

THE SEANAD is often accused of being a sleepy, boring place – but yesterday senators were quite literally brought to their feet during a debate.

Proposing a motion which would seek a reform of PE teaching in schools, Eamonn Coghlan – a former world champion at 5,000m level – asked senators to stand up and try a simple balance exercise.

With other senators obliging – some more enthusiastically than others – Coghlan got the room to stand up and try to stand on one leg while their eyes were closed. Thankfully, every emerged unharmed from the unusual spectacle.

We can’t wait to see how this is recorded in the official transcript…

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 4:17 PM

    Good, I only hope the other remains are returned as well. Plenty of people are willing to leave their remains to science for study. It seems disrespectful to keep bones stolen from a monastery.

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    Mute Liam P Dunne
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 5:09 PM

    And the good people of Kells would also like their book back yesterday.

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    Mute Don Hogan
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 3:56 PM

    Cart before the horse decision that reeks of Woke. The skulls should not be returned until a suitable facility is available on the island for their preservation and study.

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 4:15 PM

    @Don Hogan: Sounds meaningless to research further – surely science has moved on?

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 4:25 PM

    @Don Hogan: How is this woke? The skulls were stolen and the community in Inishbofin are “thrilled” that they are being returned and it “is deeply, deeply personal for them and you only understand that when you’re on the island”

    It is NEVER too late to right wrongs nor say sorry! You’re being a bit wokey methinks!

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    Mute Don Hogan
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 4:39 PM

    @Paul Furey: The skulls were not stolen. They were removed from the island. Supply names of original owners.

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    Mute Don Hogan
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 4:40 PM

    @Fiona Fitzgerald: You know nothing about research into ancient settlers mainland Ireland and offshore islands.

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    Mute Don Hogan
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 4:45 PM

    @Paul Furey: Please read article carefully. The islanders do not have a suitable facility to house, preserve and study the skulls. The woke comment was directed at Trinty’s decision which however well intentioned is woken since there is as yet no place on the island for the skulls. Better that Trinity build suck a facility there before announcing their intention to return skulls.

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    Mute Don Hogan
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 4:45 PM

    @Paul Furey: Please read article carefully. The islanders do not have a suitable facility to house, preserve and study the skulls. The woke comment was directed at Trinity’s decision which however well intentioned is wokey since there is as yet no place on the island for the skulls. Better that Trinity build suck a facility there before announcing their intention to return skulls.

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    Mute Don Hogan
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 4:50 PM

    @Paul Furey: See definition of woke which fits Trinity’s actions to a tee.

    https://www.bingedaily.in/article/what-is-woke-culture

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    Mute A Well Known Comical Stereotype
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 9:00 PM

    @Don Hogan: Quit while you are losing.

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    Mute Thomas Kay
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 9:04 PM

    @Don Hogan: But they don’t want to study them? They would like to bury them, why’s that a problem/ Do they have a specific scientific reason they are worth studying? My understanding is they are regular skulls. If so, I think they should be returned.

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    Mute SPQH
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    Feb 23rd 2023, 8:57 AM

    @Don Hogan: why do they need a suitable facility. You’ve seen the drawing, they were considered sacred just as they were in the corner of the monestry ruin there. Just put them back where they were as per the drawings. End of. They don’t need protection from the elements. Some things just pass through time in their own way. They’d be still sitting there had they not been removed in the first place.

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    Mute Shane O Neill
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 6:33 PM

    No way they should have had to campaign for 10 years. Should have gone to the guards and had the responsible person in Trinity charged with possession of stolen property.

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    Mute SPQH
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    Feb 23rd 2023, 9:02 AM

    @Shane O Neill: Trinity admin is notoriously slow and not always that professional. I’ve dealt with them before and sometimes didn’t even receive acknowledgement of engagement even when I reached out to them for said acknowledgement. That said, I’ve worked in an admin dept for another third level institution in Ireland and they also were not that fast at moving things along either, might just be that sort of environment across the board.

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 8:52 PM

    This is a description of the event by one who was there: “down the enclosure which is practically a large graveyard, on our way we disturbed several cattle. We stumbled along & entered the church tumbling over the stones which are placed over the graves, in the corner we saw in the dim light the skulls in a recess in the wall. There must have been 40 or more, all broken, most useless but on (overhanding) them we found a dozen which were worth carrying away & only one however had the face bones.”
    https://ballymaclinton.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/what-happened-on-inishbofin-in-july-1890-three-days-that-changed-the-history-of-anthropology-in-ireland-and-britain/

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    Mute JC O'Connachain
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 5:21 PM

    Is that Inishbofin in Donegal? I imagine there’s a few Inishbofins

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