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MORE THAN A thousand Dubliners gathered on Grafton Street this afternoon to watch musicians during a fundraiser for a local homelessness charity.
Singer-songwriter Glen Hansard led the festivities by singing A Rainy Night in Soho in tribute to recently deceased Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan.
The members of the crowd, dressed up in festive garb and donning Santa hats, sang along as different buskers who normally perform in the area took the stage to sing covers of a range of other well known songs, including Zombie by The Cranberries.
Dublin Simon staged the 12th edition of its annual Christmas Eve Busk outside the iconic Gaiety Theatre near Grafton Street.
Busy last-minute shoppers took a break to watch and contribute to the donation drive, on one of the charity’s busiest fundraising days of the year.
Hansard said it was an honour and a blessing to be performing at the free outdoor gig.
“What this is all about is singing a few songs to raise some money for shelter for people, brothers and sisters.”
He added: “I’m so grateful to everybody who shows up every year and what they bring is just phenomenal.”
Children clambered onto parents’ shoulders, bins and trees to get a better view as Santa Claus himself encouraged onlookers to dig deep for those who may be sleeping rough on the cold winter night.
At one point, a member of the public joined Hansard on stage to fill in on the drum set for a performance of The Frames’ hit Star Star.
Singers included well-known names like Imelda May as well as some also Dublin Simon service users.
Members of the public were asked to donate on dubsimon.ie.
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I’m from Dublin Bay South. Its going to take more than appearing on a few talk shows or signing a few petitions before she gets my vote
If the GE was tomorrow who would you vote for? Genuine question.
Same woman was a panelist on TV3 the following night, bye bye Social Democrats you almost had my vote but I have had my suspicions about this lady’s agenda since that time.
Well that was easy. hmmm..
What is her agenda?
What’s wrong with having an agenda?
How can you put yourself up for election WITHOUT an agenda?
This government did and broke all of them…
I will vote social Democrats
Any concrete policies to present to the people yet?
free concrete for over 65s
They sink like a stone?
It sounds like she’s very honest so she should have no problem getting elected.
@Seamus Brady
Lol.
and therein lies the paradox in Irish politics Seamus.
In the Irish political scene,it is harder for an honest citizen to get elected to government, than a camel to make his way through the eye of a needle..
“Micheal D is a nice man but what has he contributed or done in office? I can’t think of anything, other than sign in Irish water legislation true to his Labour roots. Open to correction of course.”
Michael D is a brilliant intellectual in the style of Marx, Lenin, Trotsky etc.
He has seen the implementation of much of his socialist philosophy here in ireland.
The state now provides life long welfare for all public sector officials and employees in current and former state owned companies.
Their pensions are linked to current salaries, and every time a general increase in wages is won by the big unions all retired personnel receive an increase in their pensions.
This is a dream socialist world-but a reality in Ireland.
In addition many retirees can cash in their 15% shareholding in their former workplace companies(Aer Lingus, Telecom Eireann, Bord Na Mona, ESB, etc etc.)
Unhappily those pensioners outside the circle of socialist fraternity have seen their basic old age pension allowances-such as telephone, fuel,- reduced or eliminated in recent years.
They must also work until they are 68 in order to receive a contributory pension.
Many of today’s workers will never qualify for the basic old age pension because the new restrictions require that they must have continuity of employment and contribution stamps for a longer number of years than heretofore.
The miserable cuts in fuel allowances etc do apply to all ALL pensioners regardless of their total pension income so their is an element of socialism in this regard..
Michael is undoubtedly proud of the achievements of his beloved Labour Party in it’s securing of sufficient power in recent elections to ensure that Ireland continues to be a workers paradise for state and semi state employees.
His colleague Brendan Howlin has now negotiated a reversal of the bothersome austerity cuts imposed on state employees in recent years.
Michael makes lovely speeches and dreams of a socialist Utopia.
The fact that the crumbs which make up this Utopian cake are being picked up off the floor, where the rest of society are patiently waiting to eat; does not seem to bother him at all.
Maybe the socialist kingdom in which he lives (and dreams )is-as Jesus Christ himself pointed out- “not of this world”?
She has been on Vincent Browne a few times always thought she was more Sein Fein than any other party Thought she was part of SF plot against Gallagher in presidential debate
Sean Gallagher was a loss to the country in not making President. I think he was a genuine person who had his character deftly and spuriously as disbarred. Micheal D is a nice man but what has he contributed or done in office? I can’t think of anything, other than sign in Irish water legislation true to his Labour roots. Open to correction of course.
“Sean Gallagher was a loss to the country in not making President.”
You need to take a long, hard look at yourself in the mirror. The man was a complete spoofer!
I was wondering, where his supporters were or hiding and shame on you for considering a man like him could be President.
Michael D was the only viable candidate, I never considered anyone else. He’s as clean as a whistle and can make a speech and he seems like a genuinely nice person. He had no choice regarding IW. The president is a figure head, like the Queen he has no real power. Sean was a chancer looking for a cushie number.
“The man was a complete spoofer” and Micheal D isn’t ?. Even with the FF brand Sean Gallagher was sailing ahead before the whole front line debate and it was the popularity of labour rather then a personal vote that got Micheal D over the line. If the presidental election was tommorrow he’d be down in Norris territory
Michael D was clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the candidates for the job………..
The usual Irish fear towards a person of ambition and character. It was always much safer to elect Michael D, a man aligned with the current government and would use it as a retirement position.
Best thing to do would be to scrap the Presidency. Glorified ambassador is all it is and a complete waste of money. President is just a lap dog of the Government signing everything in to law. It is just another job and pension for the Political elite. Pure scam.
I thought the 2 Marys redefined the role of the president in a hugely positive way. Michael D Baggins is a bluster merchant and a thoroughbred champagne socialist.
David Norris would have been wonderful, Ireland wasn’t ready for a gay president
Yeah maybe Norris but sometimes he came off a bit nuts, but I still like him.
We dodged a bullet, or at least a bullet-shaped object, when he was knocked out of the race. Maybe the whole thing was a conspiracy against him, but it was the way he handled it did for him. Not president material.
Absolutely dodged a bullet, remember this is the chap that was going round charging GAA clubs for development plans and an executive member of Fianna Fail… Bullet missed for sure.
That Sean Gallagher was some chancer when he ran for president I wonder where he is now.
He’s an entrepreneur don’t you know!
Great news this. Fine Gael and their Labour buddies will be hard put to find anyone as honest and articulate as Glenna.
Fascinating how Social Democrats just announce candidates – no selection process, no selection conventions. Not very democratic or maybe the reality is that they don’t have any members?
That’s because they’re not very democratic. The Dail brought in legislation for water charges but the three TDs have decided not to pay them. Now if they get into government, what taxes and laws that they introduce should we choose to ignore?
Just what the National Parliament needs; an interior designer. Clearly well qualified to draft legislation for the people of Ireland
That debate was not on Prime Time. It was on The Frontline
Another of Vincent Browne’s recruits. Stephen Donnelly and Peter Matthews made it, some didn’t. Who knows with Glenna
Labour & Fine Gael have much to fear from the #SocDem party.
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