Agree.
But I think it’s worse than that. It’s not just cronyism, corruption and nepotism. There’s also venality and mendacity. There is the lying and stroke pulling. There is the nimbyism and me feinism. There is the fact that almost everyone is a vested interest. Every statum of the society is infected. It is deep rooted. This entire country is built on one massive pile of puke, and it will never change. Am I a pessimist? I don’t think so – I think I’m just a realist.
5 of the cabinet are from political families
10 are “educators” (school teachers, lecturers, etc)
Only three are excluded from either Family or Education - Smith, Ahern & Ryan
That’s why “we are where we are”.
Actually, that probably should just have been written as “Every statum of the populous is infected” as I think part of the problem here is that we haven’t really created a society, nor have a concept of what that means.
Been keeping an eye on Ireland’s banking industry lately? 
Not a fan of corporate governance no?
Not sure about Smith
“For 15 years he worked as special advisor to the Fianna Fáil politician and former Tánaiste, John Wilson”:Wikipedia
Put him in as a hybrid “nepotism-lite + cronyism-lite”
it turns out that ireland’s banking industry was public sector only no-one told us that at the time. You think that the daughter of the deputy editor writing a piece on fashion is in up there in the cronyism and corruption stakes as seanie f being on the board of the DDA or des ‘FAS’ geraghty and david begg as bank regultors? You cant see that political corruption and the carry on in the public sector in ireland is at a whole different level to what goes on in the indo group?
Sorry nespotm, what I meant was, do you think they don’t challenge the status quo because they feel they lack the moral authority to do so? I don’t think so. Looks like Evan Fanning is writing film articles, Dion Fanning is writing sport. Don’t know if anyone listens to Eoghan Harris, not sure what Anne Harris writes. Leaving Anguish atop this Christmas tree.
As pointed out previously, Gavin O’Reilly (and formerly Tony) is really where you should be looking.
They are part of the status quo. they reinforce it. Why are you making excuses for one of the most blatent and disgusting examples of nepotism and jobs for the girls and boys. Remember that creep Harris support for Ahern before the last election. What about journalists all over the country who struggle to get work while the sons of daughters of insiders walk into positions. The sons and daughters of insiders getting positions they dont deserve is a huge factor in getting us where we are today.
its all partof the same malise. The same nudge wink jobs I will scratch your back, Ill promote your daughter you promote my cousin, for the boys and girls culture. Its insidious its like a cancer infecting our political public service and private sector. When its shown in a newspaper its even more disguisting. Remember newspapers are supposed to have some kind of responsibility in a democracy to expose hypocracy insider dealings curruption etc.
Its the feckin Sindo. Its a tabloid, a rag, a red-top. Some gung ho, up and coming, principled writer wouldn’t get a job there in the first place. If they had any sense they wouldn’t want to write for the paper either. Making excuses for them? Please.
And yet, it’s the most quoted paper round here…
People clearly like a good rant.
are they even real people, I cant get my head around that they actually exist, walk the same streets as us,breathe the same air…
they dont have a backbone like most people, they have no self-respect, they have no moral or social fibre, they lie, corrupt, spin , spread popaganda , serve no social purpose, all to one end the pursuit of money . D4 having a converstion with other people in D4
like do they sit around at christmas and chat about the shit they right in a serious tone or do they just hang their heads in shame and remark how nice the cranberry sauce is this year…
its best to ignore them all right, but how can one when they are part of the reason why I have to buy some Christmas toys via SVP for a 4 year old kid down the road …
Barry Egan? Cronysim? How could I possibly think such a thought!
Dont really see your point. Get back to the substanntive issue. The nepotism and cronyism.
ah c’mon - It’s Tony O’Reilly’s favoured means of delivering a message to us mere mortals.
remember its influence during the Peace Process? And at countless elections? It’s influence is waning due to encroachment by the Sunday Times and continued cost cutting -
The office Christmas party must be such fun in many Irish workplaces. 
The curious thing about the Indo stable is that while they do publish a lot of opinionated BS, it also publishes a lot of the best critical stuff on the bursting of the bubble and our glorious leaders. Shane Ross is good. McW is on the side of the angels when he takes a break from promoting himself. As long as you don’t actually read the paper in full and you can filter out the Jody Corcoran articles, its a pretty good source.
The IT on the other hand is full of earnest, smart folk who miss the point much of the time. Apart from the latest Morgan Kelly article, I don’t think they have as much impact on the public consciousness. Dan O’Brien has been a disappointment and Carswell doesn’t really let fly (his book on the banks was better than his reporting). Fintan OT is still trying to get Labour elected and avoids attacking other journalists, And the IT still pumps out the property porn every week, prostituting its brand to dupe first time buyers. Garrett F is still allowed to peddle his conformist line. I have a nagging suspicion the myhome deal played a role in slowing down the IT really waking up to the depth of the crisis.
I kinda feel that the Indo is doing the greater public service lately in terms of changing public perceptions. Despite all the other garbage they print.