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IT Sunday: Ireland cement status as the best rugby team in the world

Elsewhere Fintan O’Toole examines our fraught relationship with multinationals, as Musk’s Twitter takeover creates turmoil

South Africa's wing Kurt-Lee Arendse (L) is tackled by Ireland's wing Mack Hansen (R) during their friendly at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photograph: Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images

Sun Nov 6 2022 - 09:39

Welcome to this week’s IT Sunday, a selection of the best Irish Times journalism for our subscribers.

This weekend saw the Ireland rugby team secure another memorable win with a hard-fought victory over the Springboks as part of the November internationals. In his match report, Gerry Thornley notes that the intense contest put paid to the notion that the Irish squad cannot come out on top in such a physical game, writing: “Not only did Ireland stand up to the physical assault, they kept playing ambitious rugby and ... withstood a furious Springboks backlash ... The Irish players really had to put their bodies on the line, and the crowd roared them on in the process.”

Elsewhere this week, turbo-charged corporation tax receipts, alongside strong growth in income tax and VAT, put the Government on course for a record tax take this year. In his weekend column, Fintan O’Toole writes that an anxiety about US corporations haunts a dark corner of the official Irish imagination, noting how in his account of life on the Aran Islands at the end of the 19th century, John Millington Synge wrote that “nearly all the families have relations who have had to cross the Atlantic, and all eat of the flour and bacon that is brought from the United States, so they have a vague fear that ‘if anything happened to America’, their own island would cease to be habitable”. O’Toole writes: “How little changes. We still wonder whether, if anything happened to America, our own island would cease to be habitable.”

Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter dominated much of the headlines this week, and his purchase of the social media company sounds a death knell of sorts, argues Una Mullally. She writes: “It used to be that what happened on Twitter became the story, as hashtag culture moved conversations, accelerated social movements, and widened the landscape of social, political and cultural commentary. But now it’s Twitter’s direction under Musk that is the focus, and the implications of a large social media company becoming less transparent, less moderated, with its parameters set by the whims of a tech oligarch . . . There are ample opportunities to build something better, because the very things Musk is in favour of – and his impulse towards trolling, immaturity and America-centric worldview – are the exact elements that wrecked Twitter as a platform.”

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In his Tipping Point column this week, Denis Walsh writes that in our complicated relationship with cheating, golf makes no allowances. “Unlike in field sports, for example, where any number of atrocities are pardoned by fans and commentators in the name of winning, golf takes a puritanical view. . . Unintentional breaches of the rules are a daily hazard of club golf. Fiddling with your handicap, however, is an altogether different matter. Unlike most other sports, in which being competitive ceases to be a realistic option after a certain age, golf’s handicap system gives everyone a chance to compete, regardless of their birth cert or their talent. It is designed to be a giant equaliser.”

A new pensions plan has been billed as “the biggest ever structural reform” to Ireland’s state pension regime but, despite the scope of the changes announced back in September, it may yet take some time before the developments have a practical impact on workers across the State. In her column, Fiona Reddan outlines the changes, but advises that planning to work until you’re 70 to get a higher pension may not be the best idea.

In his Smart Money column, Cliff Taylor asked a simple question: where have all the workers gone? The Irish jobs market is currently in a strange place; economic growth is slowing due to the energy crisis, yet labour shortages are evident in a range of sectors. So how do we explain the fact that many sectors are screaming for workers in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis? Read Cliff’s analysis here.

Finn McRedmond questions why Kanye West was given allowances for his erratic behaviour and unpleasant comments for so long. “If there is a line there is little doubt that West has already crossed it. In fact, he’s crossed it several times over several years. We should be suspicious of the backs that are only turning now.”

Meawhile, a reader this week got in touch with our resident psychotherapist Trish Murphy, seeking advice through her Tell Me About It column. The reader has feelings for two women: a girlfriend and someone he was very close to. “Who should I date? The one I love the most but who is less intentional about her life or the one I love less but who is very intentional about her life?” You can read Trish’s response here.

Great value was at the heart of Food Month content this week, with our Frugal Feasts series providing delicious recipes that feed a family of four for less than €10 - Daniel Lambert’s salt and chilli chicken tray is an excellent alternative to a takeaway. If you’re looking to go out for food, however, our experts found the top 100 great-value places to eat in Ireland - with fabulous food at terrific prices. Meanwhile, Dubliner James McGill, who is a wheelchair user, chooses his favourite Irish restaurants that are fully wheelchair accessible. There is plenty more to come from Food Month this week, including a chance to dine with the Leinster rugby squad at Saba.

And finally in her advice column, Roe McDermott responds to a reader who has been left exhausted and confused by his internal conflict over his feelings towards a new friend. The reader says: “I’m a single male in my mid-30s and over the years ‘gut feelings’ have played a key role in my relationships and dating — each time leading me to end things ... However, I have just encountered a person who my conscious/thinking self would like to ask out on a date. But the more I demonstrate interest, the more my gut has been giving me the same feelings that has led me to end previous relationships.” Read what Roe has to say here.

As always, there is much more on irishtimes.com, including the latest rundowns of all the latest movies in our film reviews, tips for the best restaurants in our food section and all the latest in sport. There are plenty more articles exclusively available for Irish Times subscribers here.

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