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Jellyfish: Smugairle Róin PA Wire/PA Images

The Irish For... Seal snot The literal translations of sea creatures are brilliant

The Irish term for a jellyfish translates literally as seal snot. If this floats your boat you might also enjoy mathair shúigh – suckmother – for squid.

This the latest dispatch from our columnist Darach Ó Séaghdha, author of the award-winning and bestselling Motherfoclóir. Every Sunday morning, Darach will be regaling (re-Gaeling?) us with insights on what the Irish language says about Ireland, our society, our past and our present. Enjoy.

AFTER DECADES OF genuine and hard-won progress, relations between Ireland and Britain are in a bad place.

Not an all-time low, of course, but there’s not much comfort in that when you consider how bad the Famine was.

Then again, the British have a very different understanding of the Famine than we do. This often expresses itself in the question ‘if the potato crop was so bad, why didn’t the Irish just go fishing? They were on an island, weren’t they?’

In such instances, Karl Rove’s famous quip that ‘when you’re explaining, you’re losing’ applies.

Suffice it to say that the Irish were fishing, and were fluently acquainted with the mysterious creatures who swam in the briny waters surrounding their unhappy but resolute island. In fact, there is a cornucopia of Irish words for sea creatures to prove it.

Smugairle Róin: The Irish term for a jellyfish translates literally as seal snot. If this floats your boat you might also enjoy gráinneog thrá (beach hedgehog) for sea urchin and mathair shúigh (suckmother) for squid.

Gliomach: This is the Irish word for a lobster.

The seanfhocal ‘is fánach an áit a bhfaighfeá gliomach’ literally translates as ‘an odd place to find a lobster’.  The meaning is ‘it’s a small world’ or ‘fancy seeing you here’.

Gliomóg: Not a million miles from the word above, this means a small lobster. It is also delightfully close to liomóg, which means a pinch – something a gliomóg might give you.

Stadhan: This doesn’t have a direct equivalent word in English; it means a flock of birds hovering over a shoal of fish.

A shoal of fish could be referred to as a rath, just like the Gaelic fortressed dwellings that still give their names to Irish towns like Rathangan and Rathmines.

Friotáil: A stadhan might assemble above a friotáil – that’s another word without a direct match in English. It means the motion on the water’s surface caused by a shoal of fish underneath.

Liamhan: The English word shark sounds just like the Irish word searc, meaning romantic love, a darling or beloved.

Liamhán is the Irish for a shark; this shy, peaceful fish has been slandered by many Hollywood movies – the seanfhocal ‘chomh sámh le liamhán gréine’ means ‘as relaxed as a basking shark’.

Scudal: Father Dinneen described the scudal as ‘a useless fish… thought to be the ugliest fish in existence’.

If you think such personal remarks about animals are unbecoming of a lexicographer, I’m sorry to report that this isn’t an isolated incident. Bishop O’Brien’s entry for gamal describes a camel as ‘the most stupid of all beasts’.

Cíoch Farraige: The Irish for a sea anemone literally means rock boob. In Ireland this creature was named by fisherman rather than scientists. The Greek word anemone itself literally means daughter of the wind.

Bairís: As with anemone, phosphorescence is such a long and clumsy word in English, but the Irish term again, used by fishermen haunted by the slowing in the ocean at night, is short and snappy. 

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16 Comments
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    Mute Irish Sceptic
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:06 AM

    Between station closures, reduction in garda numbers, a lack of patrol cars and the drop in garda morale associated with the way the government have used the force as a political football its a miracle the force is even still functioning. This government has singlehandedly damaged the garda organisation more than any other event or group since its foundation.

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:06 AM

    Omitting whistleblowers?
    An Garda Síochána is the same organisation from which Callinan was forced to resign.
    Political appointees and corruption in the senior ranks is where the rot lies.

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Feb 10th 2015, 9:15 AM

    Seems to me our new Commissioner is going to be just the compliant same as the last one.What a shame we didnt appoint one from outside the force.

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    Mute Dave O Reilly
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:31 AM

    How long will many of the new recruits stay with an Garda Siochana with the starting pay at just €23,100?

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    Mute Harold
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:35 AM

    The great thing about starting pay is it increases with experience … what a great incentive to improve skills and work hard

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:02 AM

    ‘Bout the same number as those who stay in Nursing. On much less.

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    Mute The Throwaway
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:15 AM

    You actually made me laugh out loud Harold, well done.
    Unfortunately experience and hard work mean nothing in the job (unlike nepotism, political pull and brown nosing). The Garda pay scale is a set increment, salaried, and with additional extras (various allowances) depending on hours/weekends/specialised roles.
    But the Garda that does nothing, will get the same pay and year increments as the Garda that single handily dismantles Al Queada on Monday, and stops all burglaries by the following Wednesday!
    And increments aren’t exactly massive either.

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    Mute Aislinn Matthews
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:32 AM

    Not when you’re risking your life.

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    Mute Euro is Dead
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:55 AM

    Or secondary teaching after 6 years in college

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    Mute Tony_Kilduff
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    Feb 10th 2015, 10:15 AM

    @ Dave,
    Not a bad wage for someone that probably has only the leaving cert.

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    Mute John Clarke
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    Feb 10th 2015, 10:34 AM

    It’s a terrible wage for a highly trained and skilled professional who is required to often risk their life in the course of their work.

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    Mute Tony_Kilduff
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    Feb 10th 2015, 10:45 AM

    Highly trained and skilled professionals after 8 months in Templemore ! Lol !
    Plus there are many more dangerous jobs out there, how many farm workers died last year ?
    College graduates are starting on 25k a year, a garda on 23k should count themselves lucky.

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    Mute John Clarke
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    Feb 10th 2015, 12:54 PM

    Well, you display your ignorance clearly there. All you need do is a quick search on Google and you’ll realise it’s a longer training regime than just 8 months in Templemore and upon completion successful students receive a BA in Policing Studies, which is a NQF recognised qualification. The Garda College is twinned with other colleges around the country and offers a range of higher education options.

    So I repeat. Highly skilled professionals emerge from the complete training programme.

    http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=369

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    Mute Tony_Kilduff
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    Feb 10th 2015, 1:09 PM

    Wooton! A BA in policing studies ! LOL…I keep picturing all the fat culchies in my local station every time you say highly trained professionals ! Believe me there’s not many who see them that way.

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    Mute Charles Mcdonald
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    Feb 10th 2015, 1:24 PM

    Fair enough Tony. Tell you what you with your leaving cert apply to join. When you sitting waiting for an interview *if you get that far* and the guy beside you has degree/phd or coming from management of bank or was teacher who would also have a BA.

    Let’s see who they pick. Let’s not forget 30000 applications for 400 places they can afford to be very picky. So yet very qualified people doing a very dangerous job to keep you and I safe and well.

    I don’t know about you but each Xmas I keep my dad’s traditional thank you going and give a little gift to my local station. Least they deserve

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    Mute Dave O Reilly
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    Feb 10th 2015, 6:00 PM

    I’m sure they all have the Leaving cert Tony,,,at minimum. 25,000 applied for 300 places and the average age of the recruits is 26 . My point is that many of these new recruits may not be able to afford to live on that wage, especially those posted from rural areas to urban stations who have to pay rent and run a car as public transport may not be an option due to working unsocial hours. Many have left better paid jobs to pursue the career they always aspired to. Plus they will be on 10% lower wages than their existing colleagues,,,that in itself is wrong!

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    Mute Charles Mcdonald
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:25 PM

    No reply Tony? ?

    Yeah fair enough.

    #gettingowned

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    Mute Tony_Kilduff
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:37 PM

    What do you want me to say ? They are not professional at all. They have been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons for years.
    In my own experience any time you call them, the first thing they do us give you half a dozen reasons they can’t help you. Every second one of them is overweight. I could go on. Highly skilled and qualified ? Don’t make me laugh. Overweight and overpaid more like !

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    Mute Juninho
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    Feb 10th 2015, 6:54 AM

    Factor in time wasted enforcing Irish Water on top and you have a severely weakened police force.

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    Mute mrgillhouley
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    Feb 10th 2015, 6:56 AM

    you mean policing the thugs out causing havoc on decent people

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    Mute Juninho
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:03 AM

    It’s hard to tell which side are the thugs in some cases.

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    Mute Boganity
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:06 AM

    It’s easy…the thugs are the skangers

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    Mute Martin Byrne
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:18 AM

    Oh for jayyyysus’ sake STOP twisting everything into being about Irish Water! The Gardaí are doing their job and who would envy them?

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    Mute trickytrixster
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:27 AM

    Water

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    Mute Gerry Ward
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:36 AM

    R they really good man you keep telling u r self that rotting to the core especially at senior level

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    Mute howzatme
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:04 AM

    I have no time for what happened in jobs town but to say the Garrad are doing their job is a farce some of them were some Of them like the power of throwing old ladies across the road
    That’s not doing their job that’s them thinking they are back in Laois herding cattle

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    Mute The Throwaway
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:18 AM

    Maybe if the water protesters could follow simple instructions there wouldn’t be the need to escalate the level of force used. I’ve said it before; you’ll be told once to stop, and you’ll be told what will happen if you don’t. If you want to keep on carrying on like before then fine, but don’t go bîtćhîng like a cry baby after the fact.
    Follow the directions give. And there would be no force used.

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    Mute Setrakian
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:02 AM

    I never see any Gardai where I live unless they are passing through by car on their way to protect Dennis O Briens water futures. It is a national disgrace & an expensive one. Then yesterday it took 6 of them to arrest Paul Murphy! Gardai overkill on everything but crime in Ireland it seems.

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    Mute Live Long
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:26 AM

    They never did much to prevent crime, they only ever react to it after a victim has been made.

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    Mute Harold
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:30 AM

    They should really go out and arrest people before they commit the crime. I’m sure they could deduce who is a potential criminal from the shifty look or the type of trainers they wear

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    Mute Paul Harte
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:40 AM

    Why would you want to be come a Garda?

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    Mute Tommy Whelan
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    Feb 10th 2015, 9:31 AM

    What you have is a inexperience police force with experience Garda leaving all the time .

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    Mute Tommy Whelan
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    Feb 10th 2015, 10:03 AM

    Why would you want to become a Garda . A good wage . A civil service pension . Promotion . Stability and security in your life . The question should be why would anyone want to leave the Garda.

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    Mute Tony Mcgrath
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    Feb 10th 2015, 10:13 AM

    Loads of garda 6 to arrest paul murphy yesterday morning

    40
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    Mute Vincent O Mahony
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:07 AM

    To beat up water protesters.

    “you will respect my authoritaaay!!”

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    Mute Tom O'Brien
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:58 AM

    I did a basic calculation on what the government has spent so far on Irish water- if this expenditure was solely provided to the Gardai we would have 1,350 Gardai on a salary of 30,000 for the next ten years, plus 1,000 new vehicles priced at 50k per vehicle. If it were spent on hospitals all would be well, if we spent it on education we would have a nation of Irish speaking scholars. In my calculation I also set aside €18 to change the bulb in the Spire.

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    Mute Liam kelly
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:03 AM

    50K a garda car?!?!? Bwahahahaaa.. Them’s expensive hyundais! Especially since the govt doesn’t pay VRT for them.. 12K more like. But feel free to pull figures outta your ass!

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    Mute Tom O'Brien
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:21 AM

    @Liam- it’s 8am. Chill out.

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    Mute Charles Mcdonald
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    Feb 10th 2015, 1:53 PM

    Also guards are not full time on IW just a few hours here and there when eirigi protest in a new area.

    you come from the SF school of economics :)

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    Mute Atticus the Accuser
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:54 AM

    Detective friend of mine recently left fed up with vermin with 90 odd previous convictions getting off.Not to mention the bureaucracy.

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    Mute Setrakian
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:08 AM

    Gilhouley – fell out of your pram again this morning!
    People have a democratic right to protest & you don’t like that – typical of you and your anti democratic thugs trolling forums all day it seems. You must be one of those layabouts your Mammy warned you about!

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    Mute Martin Byrne
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:20 AM

    People disagree. That’s democracy.

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    Mute Harold
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:34 AM

    People do have a right to protest, but people also have a right to feel safe when going about their business, whether it is working on the street, driving in their car…

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    Mute Vincent O Mahony
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:06 AM

    That headline really caught my attention.. until I worked out that means the turnover rate (voluntary + involuntary) is about 3% annually and found that lots of industries have a higher turnover rate – even double digits. So what.

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    Mute Stephen Byrne
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:34 AM

    Not sure why you got so many red thumbs for a bit of maths there but good point in any case.

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    Mute Markonline
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:46 AM

    I just see the unsustainable massive increase in staff numbers during the boom. The government appears to be attempting to correct that. This story is the same every year/decade, for some people there will never be enough Gardai until everybody has one as a personal bodyguard

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    Mute Alien8
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:53 AM

    It would be nice to see the overall gardai numbers in the background of that graph. I want aware there was such a home in numbers leading up to 2009. The early retirements in 2009 would also affect the numbers leaving (which is now average for the force size?), but did it compensate for the high increases in the preceding years.

    Only looking at the overall force size will this become clear.

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    Mute Sandbag
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:31 AM

    Turnover would imply that there was a constant churn of staff; the reality is that for six years the numbers leaving far outstripped those joining, and for four of those six years there was no one joining at all. That’s not turnover, that’s loss.

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    Mute Harold
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:32 AM

    That would be putting the whole thing in context, which might have the effect of reducing the sensationalism, which we can’t have now

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    Mute Sandbag
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:37 AM

    The overall force size is around 12,500. That includes all those on career break and out sick, so the number of gardaí available for duty is under 12,500. Bear in mind that two commissioners have stated that 13,000 was the minimum force strength needed to effectively police the country.

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    Mute Charles Mcdonald
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    Feb 10th 2015, 1:17 PM

    But how many as you say are on career breaks how many are on long term sick how many on any given day are on leave and how many work in administrative areas. Then devide by 5 and there you will have true figure how many police are working right now.

    We may need frank on this one he is good with numbers

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    Mute Ciaran De Bhal
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:04 AM

    30 – 17 = 13
    30 – 13 = 17
    13 is the age at which most 30 year olds die if they die 17 years too early.
    17 is the age at which most 30 year olds die if they die 13 years prematurely.

    Frank. Help us. We’re all doomed. FRRRRRAAAAAAANNNNNNKKKKKKK

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    Mute Frank
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:23 AM

    You are doomed after 17th February 2015 when all this kicks in.

    1+7+2+2+0+1+5 = 18 ( 6+6+6)

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    Mute Julian King
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:52 AM

    Frank posted 22 minutes ago.
    If you reverse the first 2 and stick em together you get a love-heart…
    Also 2+2=4 and in 4 days it’s Valentine’s Day!
    Exciting times Frank ;)

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    Mute Frank
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    Feb 10th 2015, 9:00 AM

    Julian King_ You don’t touch a master number.

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    Mute Mark Malone
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    Feb 10th 2015, 10:15 AM

    I can’t believe anything you say again Frank – All the proof we need is in your name:

    F = 6
    R = 18
    A = 1
    N = 14
    K = 10
    6+18+1+14+10 = 49

    49 Frank i.e. 7+7+7+7+7+7+7…..

    Unbelievable, there it was in front of our eyes the whole time.

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    Mute Harold
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:38 AM

    Frank, were we not condemned on 18th Feb 2014? 1+8+2+2+0+1+4=18 (6+6+6)

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    Mute Frank
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    Feb 10th 2015, 4:25 PM

    Three things have me thinking about 17 February 2015

    The Date Distance between Barack Obama’s Birthday and 17th February 2015 is 197 days
    Reduce the date 1+9+7 = 17

    The Date Distance between Pope Francis inauguration and February 17 2015 is 706 days Reduced 7+0+6 = 7+6 = 13

    The Date Distance between MH17 and 17th February 2015 = 7 Months to the day.

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    Mute Eugene Walsh
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    Feb 10th 2015, 6:57 AM

    Eating twinkies and suckin down substandard coffee never got anyone to full term retirement!

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    Mute Sternn
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:53 AM

    It doesn’t help that Joan The Wicked Witch Of West Dublin is using them as her own personal monkey army.

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    Mute Katy
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:31 AM

    She is an elected representative. She represents me. If don’t like the government you can vote them out. If you are in the minority, tough, this is a democracy. Show some respect for those elected by the majority. Protest is good, violence is not.

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    Mute Sternn
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    Feb 10th 2015, 10:23 AM

    Ummm..what violence? Please show me one protest where there was any property damage. Or where a car was torched. Or where a single person ended up in A&E. So far not even the car involved in Jobstown had a scratch on it yet the pro-government shills continue to call the protests ‘violent’.

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    Mute Mark Hannon
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:00 AM
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    Mute Harold
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:35 AM

    @Sternn, so it’s ok to frighten people, just not physically hurt them?

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    Mute Ciaran De Bhal
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    Feb 10th 2015, 8:27 AM

    But what about 9+9=18 ?
    Will I be okay then?

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    Mute Frank
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    Feb 10th 2015, 9:09 AM

    You don’t touch that one either.

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    Mute Frank
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    Feb 10th 2015, 6:56 AM

    365 x 5 = 1825+1 = 1826 Reduce = 1+8+2+6 = 17

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    Mute Frank
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    Feb 10th 2015, 7:23 AM

    Reduce the figures on the graph = 77

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    Mute Jack Bowden
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    Feb 10th 2015, 10:32 AM

    I think there’s too many Gardai in this largely peaceful country.
    Garda wages are expensive. The less Gardaí we employ the better wages we can afford to offer them.

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    Mute Mark Hannon
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:07 AM

    There’s not many would say there are too many Gardaí in this country, even in suburbs of Dublin or the likes of Kilkenny city! But those areas are blessed when you consider many rural areas where there’s pretty much no policing due to cutbacks and pensioners are being cable-tied in their homes as traveling gangs of criminals help themselves to what little the poor unfortunate has left in the world! You obviously live a charmed live indeed!

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    Mute Sandbag
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:41 AM

    Less than 13,000 police for a population of over 4 million is too many??

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    Mute Jack Bowden
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:54 AM

    13,000 sounds like a huge figure to me. Modern technology like cctv and camera phones should make policing easier and criminality harder resulting is less police being needed.
    There’s a private company now doing speed checking in camera vans. That should free up thousands of working hours.

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    Mute Charles Mcdonald
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    Feb 10th 2015, 11:34 PM

    13000 minus sgts who supervise so let’s say 1500. Minus officers too so 500.

    So let’s say that’s 13-2 that’s 11. Try to keep up sport.

    So now minus those who are in offices and admin plus on sick and maternity leave. That’s 1000.

    So now at an absolute push we are down to 10 and I’m serious rounding UP here.

    So not minus 2000 on leave at any one time 8000 now.

    So 5 units that means 8 decided by 5.

    That’s 1600 guards NATIONWIDE at any one time. Most in city.

    There are stories of some large towns unable to even put out a garda car not enough manpower.

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    Mute Rod McAlpine
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    Feb 10th 2015, 3:04 PM

    Here’s an idea. I had thought that exit interviews would be good. However a friend suggested that we should emphasise the positive and ask those still in the force why they are still there….

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    Mute Dsl
    Favourite Dsl
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    Feb 10th 2015, 2:07 PM

    Job openings !!

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