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Rattlebag Petition Delivered Kilkenny Labour Party Deputy Mayor, Seán Ó hArgáin this morning delivered the National petition he has organised against the decision to axe the Rattlebag programme to the head of RTÉ One Radio. Ms. Anna Leddy, the head of RTÉ Radio One accepted the petition in her office this morning at 9.30 am from Cllr. Ó hArgáin and Jack Wall T.D., Labour Party Spokesperson for the Arts, Sports and Tourism. Supporting the petition at RTÉ were artist Robert Ballagh, singer Liam Ó Maonlaí and Tania Banotti of Theatre Forum Ireland. Almost 2,000 people have already signed the petition at www.ohargain.com, and Cllr Ó hArgáin is asking listeners who support the campaign to add their names even after the petition has been delivered. The list of Irish actors, musicians, writers and arts administrators who have signed is impressive, and Cllr. Ó hArgáin says this is proof of the respect for the programme. Musicians who have signed include Paul Brady, Donal Lunny, Cormac Breathnach, Freddie White and Camille O’ Sullivan, while artist Hughie O’ Donoghue, writers Gina Moxley, Siobhán Parkinson, Abie Philbin Bowman are joined by actors Aidan Quinn, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Pauline McGlynn. Almost all of Ireland’s theatre groups are represented as well as dance groups Coiscéim and Daghda, while a former arts council member Tom Munnelly, and the Traditional Music officer of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Paul Flynn are also supporting the campaign.Cllr. Ó hArgáin said he asked Ms. Leddy to listen seriously to the concerns which were expressed in the petition and which are being repeated throughout the country by arts practitioners, but more importantly by the listeners. “Rattlebag has been a huge success since its previous incarnation as the Arts Show presented by Mike Murphy. A listenership of 175,000 is an indication of the loyalty of this listenership, which believes that arts programming should be varied, eclectic and accessible, as Rattlebag has been. We are led to believe that Myles Dungan was ready to move on aspresenter, and that would be regretted by many of these listeners, but the fact remains that Rattlebag should be retained as an afternoon programme. RTÉ’s defence that it can adequately provide an arts programme at 11.00 pm is not acceptable. Having made the arts open and available to all, they now want to return it to a late night slot where only the most committed will listen, defeating RTÉ’s much trumpeted slogan of ‘Supporting the Arts’.
Selected list of signatories Music
Actors Writers
Administrators Politicians
Seán elected Deputy Mayor of Kilkenny
Seán launches online petition to save RTÉ ‘Rattlebag’ programme Kilkenny Labour Party Councillor Seán Ó hArgáin has launched a National online petition calling on the Director General of RTÉ and the Head of RTÉ Radio One to rescind the decision to remove the arts programme ‘Rattlebag’ from the Radio One schedule. The petition can be found on Cllr. Ó hArgáin’s website, www.ohargain.com, and he has contacted arts organisations throughout the country to support the demand for the retention of the programme. “I believe this decision is one of the most short-sighted RTÉ have made in recent years. As a loyal listener to the programme since its inception, I am outraged that RTÉ can so flippantly remove a programme with a huge listenership, and one which has played a vital role in the promotion of the arts, and indeed has created vital criticism of and discussion of the arts in Ireland. I am not opposed to the change in the National broadcaster’s line-up, but it should not impact on major programme’s which are central to RTÉ’s role as a public broadcaster. I also welcome the concern of the Arts Council on this issue, and I note their intention to meet with RTÉ management in this regard.” Cllr. Ó hArgáin called on the public to
support the petition and to ensure the continuation of Rattlebag into
the future. Follow this link to sign the petition
At December's meeting of Kilkenny Borough Council, Seán's motion calling for an official but commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the 1916 rising to be held in the city was passed. It was opposed by some of the Fine Gael group on the council, who alleged that it would rekindle the Republican propaganda around the celebrations. Seán however defended the right of the people of the city to celebrate a central part of the achievement of our independence. Please join in the debate, or email Seán with your views. For Seán's views click here: 1916
Call Seán attends last year's annual Labour Party Connolly 1916 commemoration at Arbour Hill cemetery with Joe Costello TD, Roddy Connolly, grandson of James Connolly, Pat Rabbitte TD, Labour leader, Cllr. Michael Conaghan, then Labour Mayor of Dublin, and Liz McManus TD, Labour Deputy Leader -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seán supports Labour's Policy on Childcare Cllr. Seán Ó hArgáin has committed his full support as a parent, a public representative and as a professional teacher to Labour's new policy on Childcare, saying it will lead to a better deal for Kilkenny's children and their parents. If you would like to read Seán's views on this issue, click here. To read Labour's full policy document, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download by clicking here Download the Children First Policy Document in PDF format here -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seán to support campaign for free travel for returning emigrants The Labour Party in Kilkenny is organising a major postcard campaign in the run-up to St. Patrick’s Day to support the call for the extension of the Free Travel Scheme to Irish pensioners living abroad. In 2001 the government established the Task Force on Policy Regarding Emigrants. One of the key recommendations of the report was the introduction of measures to facilitate the return of emigrants to Ireland, but unfortunately little has been done to act on this. The Irish community in Britain has, in particular, has urged that the free travel service, available to pensioners in this country, be made available to Irish pensioners in Britain when they travel to this country. This would assist elderly people, many of whom are surviving on meagre incomes, to visit loved ones in this country. The overall cost to the Irish Exchequer would be modest but it would be an appropriate gesture of gratitude on behalf of this generation for all the economic assistance provided by emigrants during the difficult economic days of the 50s and 60s. To support the campaign the Labour Party is printing 30,000 postcards, which people are being asked to return and which will then be delivered to the Taoiseach. Newspapers serving the Irish community in Britain have agreed to help with the distribution of the cards and it is hoped that most of them will be returned over the St. Patrick’s Day period. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seán Pays Tribute to John Hume The retirement of John Hume as an active politician in Northern Ireland marks the ending of the most important contribution to Northern Ireland and Nationalist politics, said Seán Ó hArgáin, Labour party candidate for Kilkenny Borough Council. Mr. Ó hArgáin, who had met John Hume, in his role as Deputy President of the Union of Students in Ireland, said Hume had been the voice of reason and of peace, who he described as his political hero in Irish terms. “I believe we would never have had the peace we now have in Northern Ireland if John Hume had not pushed and cajoled and showed extraordinary leadership, at great personal cost to himself, his family and indeed his party, the SDLP, Those who now take peace for granted do so at their peril. It is time that Sinn Féin, in particular, who Hume brought in from the cold show that they really are a democratic party, and that the IRA does what the Irish people, North and South voted for, and announce total disarmament. Until they do, people should continue to treat them with deep concern.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
