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GOOD MORNING. Here’s all the news to know as you start your day.
A new political poll has found Fine Gael is the most popular party in the country, with Fianna Fáil and Independents also securing more support than Sinn Féin.
Hezbollah has sent “dozens” of rockets to Israel in an “initial response” to the device explosions this week, targeting military production facilities and an air base.
Donald Trump has rejected a challenge from Kamala Harris to face her again on a debate stage, claiming it was ‘too late’ as three states have commenced early voting.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly “must take responsibility” for another delay in the construction of the New Children’s Hospital, Labour leader Ivana Bacik said.
Asked if he has confidence that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil would be up to the task of responding to the climate crisis without the Greens in the coalition, Minister for Climate Eamon Ryan has said: “No, not without the Greens.”
Russia’s foreign ministry said it would not attend a possible second Ukraine peace summit in November, despite Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy signalling that this time he would invite Moscow’s representatives.
Amid debate around Ireland’s inheritance tax, The Journal’s FactCheck team has looked into a claim that only about 3% of people pay tax on inheritance.
French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday named a new government led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier, marked by a shift to the right after its recent election.
The Journal’s resident northern lights aficionada Nicky Ryan has walked us through why it’s easier than ever to see the aurora borealis over Ireland and how to spot them.
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Yeah got to say he did not try out perform the kids – felt it was their show – well done Patrick
@Shane Cormican: he is a great man
It’s very refreshing to have a host of the Toy Show who doesn’t try to hog the spotlight from the kids at every opportunity. I’m really starting to warm to Patrick after his excellent hosting of the Toy Show over the last two years.
Great show. Well done to all involved. Nice time of year for the smallies and they enjoyed it !
Eh, how, eh, do, eh, you, eh, turn, eh, this, eh, thing, eh, on, eh
@Fintan Pox: ?????????
@Fintan Pox: This is what happens when you go over the 4 pack of Dutch Gold Mr. Pox, live and learn, hey!!
@Noel: he’s a Muppet long live Kermit
@Fintan Pox: Crawl back to bed.
Wholesome traditional Irish Catholic family entertainment, real Fianna Fail stuff
@Fintan Pox: I read the comments here but very rearly leave one. Finton have you really nothing better to do with your time than comment on every article ya sad werdo
@Fintan Pox: You are the reason there is a mute option.
@Fintan Pox: and I bet she has more of a personality than you. Big man
@Fintan Pox: will you get real the only thing RTE get right is the toyshow every year and SO CALLED FF have nothing to do with it
@Nikki Swift: very sad people out there and he’s one of them
He’s way better than tubrity. It was great to see no condescending of unfortunate sick children that tubridy used to do.
The kids loved it!!
@den: Less hurried than other years giving children a chance to say their piece. (A health number for services to help children upset by the Boots ad should have been given)
@thomas molloy: 100% Thomas, couldn’t agree with you more on this, my children even commented on this ad, like wtf are they at with this scutter.
Who cares?
@Fintan Pox: Merry Christmas ya filthy animal
@Fintan Pox: you apparently….commenting several times.
Only for Fianna Fail, you wouldn’t have Christmas
@Fintan Pox:
Ha ha . You’re some galoot :)
@Fintan Pox: dream on
Super show, well done to PK and team. You could pick holes in everything you see on TV and nothing is more scrutinised than the LLTC, it was fantastic and thanks to the Irish people for donating so much. Isn’t Revolut bloody brilliant
I genuinely cannot believe that Trevor Deely has been missing for 24 years. I was a young teenager the night of his disappearence… However I worked in the area years later and will never forget his face as the determination of his Family never ceased. I can’t imagine the pain they’ve been though. Please God they finally get some closure and justice x
@Donna Fallon: Agree entirely , his face has become so so familiar to everyone but no amount of publicity has achieved any result . Just a decent young man going home from the Christmas party , there is nothing to say really ,it’s usually females who are vulnerable and should never take off on their own and sometimes it’s just down to the wrong place and the wrong time .
The Home Alone theme didn’t make any sense. But the confidence of the kids was very impressive. Fair play to them.
@Paul Gorry: The themes on the Toy Show never make sense. The theme is always a 2 or 3 musical performance at the start of the show and that’s it. Last night apart from the musical bit at the start all they had was the ‘Home Alone’ lego set and a child called Kevin demonstrating a toy.
@Paul Gorry: maybe it was to subliminilly remind us they D4orbes is still ill?
I flung the telly out the window, when that Ad came on. Luckily I have a spare
Shame all those kids will be homeless alone in no time. The FFG machine rolls on
@Scimon Harris: yes I got penalised by the RTB by two tenants. The adjudicators judgement was fair. But I would prefer to give the money to homeless children and not self entitled useless sonesos who refuse to hold down a job and have this ultimate sense of entitlement
@Scimon Harris: Is the medication not working?
@Scimon Harris: Do you ever take a day off from political moaning?
It was great, really enjoyed it
Think the audience could have a option of donating at least one of the freebies they received tonight other than that the show was a success the kids where fabulous tonight well done to all
@Paula O Brien: how would you do that exactly? They didn’t even know each other or even knew what they’d get, sorry but what a ridiculous comment
@Paula O Brien: how would you do that ?
@jean coleman: Your comment was mean spirited!
@Paula O Brien: bet if you were on it you would have a different opinion
@Paula O Brien: Shur everyone one has that option – to donate any or all as they choose.
@Paula O Brien: Why not just donate everything, always, whatever it is until you’re just sat there in your underpants?
@jean coleman: to all who read my comment I wish rte would say you are all getting freebies so can you send a present to someone who has nothing maybe a 10 euro per person and to the rest of you that comment on my post doesn’t 10 euro sound good for presents for these kids
What do I say,I’m 86,out on an Island,always thought it was unadulterated commercialism and spoilt the joy of anticipating what Santa’s was going to bring to little children.My only who is now 57 got more joy out of turning the large cardboard box that Santa’s brought the gift into a Wendy house with her dad and I making the curtains, for her and her favourite Teddy, which she still has!!!!!!
Watching all my life ……What a disaster of a toy show I thought . The boots add was horrifying during a kids show . The usual parade of celebrities didn’t happen , singer got no airtime, the astronaut was a break from the norm, the athletes got involved ,to be fair Johnny sexton showed up but didnt get alot of time either . I thought seamus / becky lynch / young offenders/ liam neeson/ nathan carter and many more from the wealth of irish talent worldwide would show up to showcase or people and our land as people all over the world were watching . Seemed like rte was penny pinching to highest . Only great thing was the kids , a real focus on them an kielty is refreshing compared to the manic tubs or the drole Kenny.
@Fin Don: it was child grooming
@Joe Mc Dermott: I assume you and Fin will be protesting outside pantos this Xmas? Rumour has it there are men dressed up as women. Shocking stuff altogether.
@JB Software: nobody would protest outside a children’s event that they are there to have fun and pantos go back decades . You have your opinion and others have theirs . What a utterly ridiculous comment to make
@JB Software: HO NO THEY WON’T!!!!!
@JB Software: Good to see you’ve decent broadband in prison Enoch. Merry New Year.
For all of the people that are upset about the Boots add, just double check that you’ve never brought yourself or any of your children to a drag queen show while you’re on your holidays over in Spain, or the panto….
There is a massive difference between the drag queen and a ‘pedo tranny’ as some people affectionately refer to them.
They has been around as early as the 1800s so I don’t know why people have such a problem with them now, you’ve had a long time to have an issue.
One can only suggest you are taring them with the same brush.
And not to be disrespectful to some men who do transition to women, a drag queen is 1,000 times more flawless when it comes to their makeup and clothing.
@Fiona Wyse: are you a drag queen yourself ?
@Dixie: oh god no I’m far too ugly and stumpy legs for that game. I have a serious appreciation for a man who can walk in a pair of high heels because I can’t even stand up in them!
@Fiona Wyse: on the English stage, young men dressed as women since the 1500s as women were not allowed on stage. So it’s been an art form of entertainment for a long long time, though not exactly Drag. Women in England weren’t allowed on stage until the 1660s. It was thanks to French theatre that they finally changed and women could tread the boards.
@Fiona Wyse: A hell of a lot of men have had a very lucrative career out of impersonating women , no one paid much attention to Brendan Carroll until he became Mrs Brown .There wd b ructions if white people were appropriating other cultures and men dressed as women whether trans or otherwise are doing just that .Danny la Rue was or is the worst of them but I detest them all . It’s pure sexism
Is it me or can people not see what a useless presenter this guy is Usless show I turned off half way through
@Mary Breezer: it’s you I’m afraid
@Mary Breezer: only you mary. Second half was brilliant.
@Mary Breezer: ah now, that was the best toy show in years. Can’t complain about that. He made it about the kids and wasn’t in your face all night. Not sure what you were expecting.
While enjoyable I thought the interaction between PK and the kids was very much rehearsed.
@Johnny 5: to be fair I know what you mean but you can’t go on that cold, u need to have a sense of what the kids are like if nervous or if confident and running away with the show , it does need some form of rehearsal I’d say
It was one of the better shows in recent years except for the rhythmically challenged audience. There should be a simple test on entry, a piece of music played and entry will only be permitted if you can manage to clap along in time for 30 seconds, most last night were out of beat within 3 seconds, they actually ruined the whole song.
Well written, Carl. A good read.
Over 16.5K #LateLateToyShow posts on X/Twitter – I wouldn’t call that “dead”.
My children said boring. Off to watch the real home alone movie after the first 20 minutes or so.
Peebugle.
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