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Leah Farrell

Quiz: Michael D Higgins is 80 this weekend - how much do you know about him?

The politician, poet and sociologist turns 80 on Sunday. How much do you know about him?

BREITHLÁ SHONA DUIT, a Uachtaráin.

It’s Michael D Higgins’ birthday this Sunday. On tonight’s Late Late Show, RTÉ presenter Ryan Tubridy will interview the President, who has inspired cultural pride, reflection on British colonialism, and tea cosies during his time in Áras an Uachtaráin.

So how much do you know about the man himself?

What county is Michael D Higgins, and that accent of his, from?
Co Galway
Co Clare

Co Dublin
Co Donegal
What was Michael D a lecturer of at what was the precursor to NUI Galway?
Arts and Literature
History

Languages
Political Science and Sociology
What pure breed of dog is Michael D Higgins partial to?
Bernese Mountain Dogs
St Bernards

Collie Sheep Dogs
Ones that are almost bigger than him
What was the first political party Michael D Higgins joined as a student in 1966?
Fine Gael
Fianna Fáil

Labour
Sinn Féin
Higgins was appointed Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht in 1993. On Hallowe'en of what year did he set up the Irish language television station Teilifís na Gaeilge, which would later become TG4?
1993
1995

1996
1998
Michael D Higgins speaks English, Irish and what other language?
Spanish
Manx

Chinese
Esperanto
What does the 'D' in Michael D Higgins stand for?
Daithí
Daniel

Dominic
Diego
Michael D is the subject of a song "Michael D. Rocking in the Dáil" by which Irish act?
Aslan
Rubber Bandits

Sawdoctors
Clannad
Michael D previously served as president of which League of Ireland football club?
Bohemians
Limerick FC

St Patrick's Athletic
Galway United
Which of the following is NOT the name of a Michael D Higgins poem?
The death of the Red Cow
The Prophets are Weeping

The Ass
The Heights of Macchu Picchu
Answer all the questions to see your result!
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    Mute Liam O'Reilly
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    Aug 17th 2015, 12:37 PM

    I can tell you from personal experience that he’s lying.

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    Mute Lindsay Price
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    Aug 17th 2015, 12:47 PM

    Proof?

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    Mute Vincent F
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    Aug 17th 2015, 12:57 PM

    I had 2 friends whom worked with them at different times and said they were the worst place ever to work for. They had a button on their PCs that they had to hit if they wanted to use the loo and hit again on return, at the end of month their total loo time was reviewed. Said that there was large staff turnabout every month and some people didn’t even stick a full week at times.

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    Mute Katie Byrne
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    Aug 17th 2015, 12:58 PM

    Some people are just scared of hard work.

    31
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    Mute Shane Kinsella
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    Aug 17th 2015, 12:58 PM

    Lindsay the new resident troll. At least you’re consistent.

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    Mute Lindsay Price
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    Aug 17th 2015, 1:05 PM

    I just asked for proof. How is it trolling to learn more about something?

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    Mute Allister
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    Aug 17th 2015, 1:06 PM

    Get back to work… *whip sound effects*

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    Mute Cupid Stunt
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    Aug 17th 2015, 1:14 PM

    get a job there and relay us your experience after a month.

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    Mute Katie Byrne
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    Aug 17th 2015, 1:19 PM

    Amazon pays it’s employees well and no one forces them to work there.

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    Mute Integra-Ted
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    Aug 17th 2015, 2:32 PM

    “Lindsay Price” and “Katie Byrne” are one in the same trolls, this appears to be in place of there full time jobs.. if he/she/it has one!

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    Mute Paul Wallace
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    Aug 17th 2015, 2:33 PM

    Don’t feed her guys

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    Mute Rashers Tierney
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    Aug 17th 2015, 3:04 PM

    stinking troll

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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Aug 17th 2015, 3:16 PM

    @Vincent f
    Any call centre that takes incoming calls has an unavailable to take call button. Many out going have similar if using an auto dialler. You use it when you go to the toilet or deal with paper work then press it when you can take calls. They are reviewed to judge performance. It isn’t individual toilet break logging.
    You made it sound so sinister but you are getting the information 2nd hand. You can see somebody not pulling their weight very quickly but it isn’t hard work but repetitive and doesn’t suit everyone . Call centres have a high turnover but generally people that last 6 months can handle it and stay. Not

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    Mute Fulgencio Capulet
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    Aug 17th 2015, 3:31 PM

    Vincent, That loo button really hit the fan. I know someone who knows someone…
    At this very moment I work for Amazon and for the past about 40min I was away from my desk, no one knew where. (Went to top up my phone and have some late lunch)
    There are 2 guys that took their laptop with them and play 8 ball in the atrium, other 2 play ping-pong. Recreation areas are available and you can work from there. IE monitoring or babysitting processes that take long time to complete.
    My work day is exactly 8h and it includes lunchbreak and even commuting time later so I miss the traffic. (I start my work in the morning at home) You can work from anywhere and some people take advantage of this and work from other countries a few days a week while going in longer breaks.
    So, please… Don’t be jealous!

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    Mute Fulgencio Capulet
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    Aug 17th 2015, 10:13 PM

    I am saying exactly what I said. Did not say NYTimes is lying, but I am 100% they can’t know better than me, working there for over almost 2 years.
    However I believe there might be something going on in logistics part of Amazon. I’ve seen too a CH4? 1h insight in Amazon UK Logistics. I imagine there’s like pizza delivery. People have low education and some managers may have become too full of themselves. So I can’t say anything about that department. However I believe they prefer to leave than reach higher.
    On the other hand Amazon is huge! They have also the largest fleet of servers, bigger than Google. Those servers account for more than 10% of total traffic on the internet.
    I wish everyone had a manager like I do! Both of them actually (my manager’s manager too). I have been talking to managers my line more than half way up to Bezos and found them very open. (Amazon is a pretty flat company)
    I even know that Facilities manager asked the cleaners contracted company to have the eastern-european girl promoted as supervisor because she was doing all the work (and well) pushed around by the two Irish bags who did nothing but hide and smoke or block us from using the kitchen at lunchtime. Now kitchen is available and that girl is having a lunch break (late like I do (because I like it this way)) too which is good. I think this is an example that whenever is brought to attention, the Amazon environment is very fair.

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    Mute WJH
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    Aug 17th 2015, 12:33 PM

    We are not a soulless company he says as we look directly through his hollow eye sockets.

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    Mute family guy
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    Aug 17th 2015, 3:04 PM

    Worked in a very similar environment. In an office of 3 staff a dozen employees had passed through the doors in approximately 5 years. I lasted 3 months. Was told I was good to last that long. One lad only lasted one week. Workers on the ground had no respect for office staff as they knew they’d be gone in a few months. Boss gave enough work for 2 employees. Your set up to fail. Life is to short to work in a place you hate.

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    Mute Who's Yer Man
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    Aug 17th 2015, 4:43 PM

    Very easy to say that’s not the Amazon he recognises when everybody is falling over themselves to lick his arse.

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    Mute family guy
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    Aug 17th 2015, 5:40 PM

    Isn’t that the problem. It’s very hard to complain about what’s wrong and how things can be improved to your boss. They are usually surrounded in yes men and told what they want to hear. Unfortunately in my experience if you have a big ego and are willing to tramp on anyone who gets in your way you’ll go far. Sad but true in most cases.

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    Mute Fulgencio Capulet
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    Aug 17th 2015, 6:34 PM

    Except in Amazon there is no boss just managers. Everyone has one to one meetings every fortnight with their manager and a bit more rarely with the next manager in line where you can say your piece. If two is not enough you can talk to HR at any time. You can walk in any office at anytime. You give reviews to your manager towards higher managers 2 times a year. I never had any feeling of reluctance that I can’t say anything I want.
    However, I don’t know what is happening everywhere, but I doubt is any different since the what I described above here seems to be the general policy.
    I honestly am sorry that Amazon gets targeted by such articles.

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    Mute Mac Ready
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    Aug 17th 2015, 12:53 PM

    Same stuff goes on with other Multinationals here the one I worked for used to have a review process where co-workers had to review each other and find fault or areas of improvement for you. Basically if you didn’t like a co-worker you could hammer them! They also had the tendency to promote people into management positions who had zero people management skills and the stress and abuse these guys dished out was terrible.

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    Mute AN other
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    Aug 17th 2015, 12:40 PM

    I wonder would he be willing to go on the us TV show “undercover boss” and prove his point

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    Mute Mick McGuinness
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    Aug 17th 2015, 12:56 PM

    ‘Paid Volunteers’ what a load of crap. His thought’s are d

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    Mute Martin O'Rourke
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    Aug 17th 2015, 1:32 PM

    In my opinion any employer who refuses to engage collectively with their workers, through their trade unions has no right to offer an opinion upon the type of workplace it is.

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    Mute David Murray
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    Aug 17th 2015, 1:47 PM

    I’m sure he does think it’s a great place to work. I wonder how many multiples of his employees average salary he earns.

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    Mute Rashers Tierney
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    Aug 17th 2015, 1:20 PM

    Yes you are, Mister. Stop lieing and mend your ways you horrible git.

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    Mute windbag
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    Aug 17th 2015, 12:50 PM

    I love my Kindle fire……

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    Mute Lindsay Price
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    Aug 17th 2015, 12:41 PM

    Obviously not, it’s Amazon, not the Hunger Games.

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    Mute Ed Kelly
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    Aug 18th 2015, 8:51 AM

    Wow it’s amazing that people are just commenting on this now. Practices like those highlighted in the article have been in force throughout the companys history. For more information please read “The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the age of Amazon”, business book of the year 2013.

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    Mute Alen J
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    Aug 18th 2015, 2:00 AM

    It probably depends on the position and office. But on average, Amazon looks to me as a more demanding work environment. I have some colleagues there and it looks like they do work under bigger pressure and more hours then then the rest of us in other IT companies.

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