4 There is the almost constant abuse of power,


absence of truth and freedom of expression that flows from the mouth and keypad of the President of the United States, the shameful lies which brought about the Brexit shambles in the UK, and the daily revelations about sexual misbehaviour in the world of films, the arts and in Parliaments. Then there are the attacks on media workers


world wide, the crackdown in Turkey, the worrying situation in Spain and, closer to home, the challenges facing the Dáil and the continuing absence of local political government in the North of this island. There have, of course, been successes in Ireland


and perhaps the most welcome is the Competition Bill which now gives media freelance workers in the Republic the right to be represented by the NUJ. I was pleased to attend the Dáil with Leas Cathaoirleach Bernie Ní Fhlatharta to help in lobbying support for this Bill. And I was privileged to lead a team also involving


IEC colleague Ronan Brady, to address the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Dáil on the matter of the abuse of media workers in Turkey. Earlier in the same year, I led a deputation to the Turkish Embassy where we spent an hour outlining our concerns about media colleagues in that country. I have been to seminars held by the Policing


Authority, to the launch of its Annual Report, and to the launch of the Annual Report of the Press Council. I was with Irish Secretary Seamus Dooley at the launch in Áras an Uachtaráin of a Report on Ethical Standards in the Workplace. I represented the union at seminars held by ICTU and was part


of the delegation that attended its three-day-long Delegate Meeting in Belfast. On a more sombre note, I attended a number of


funerals of distinguished members, both North and South. There were, sadly, many such attendances, but two in particular were rather special for me. One was in London for Lionel Morrison, the first


black person to be union President and a truly inspirational figure who was both innovative, sensitive, yet tough and softly spoken. And the other was in the wilds of Donegal, on the edge of the Atlantic, for a unique celebration of the life of another former union President, Paul McGill, who at one time was chairman of the Belfast branch of the union. And so, as the membership of the Irish Executive


Council changes this weekend, I say thanks to all outgoing members for their help and dedication over the past two years, I say a special thanks to vice-chairperson Felicity McCall and to Leas Cathaoirleach Bernie Ní Fhlatharta and record my gratitude to Seamus, Ian, Evelyn and Helen for their hard work on behalf of members and their challenges of keeping me on the straight and narrow. I offer congratulations to the new IEC line-up and


encourage them to continue the drive for new recruits. I wish them well in the undoubted challenges that lie ahead.


Gerry Carson Cathaoirleach IEC Belfast and District Branch


NUJ salutes media veterans


Broadcaster and former editor Vincent Browne, recently retired RTÉ presenter Cathal Mac Coille, academic Brian Trench and Cork writer Mary Leland will be among those receiving Life Membership certificates from NUJ President Tim Dawson at a function in the Gresham Hotel, Dublin at 7.30pm this Friday, November 17. The recipients all have more than 40


years membership of the NUJ and represent a variety of strands of the Irish media. A notable feature of the biennial event will be the number of photographers honoured including Matt Kavanagh, Ray Cullen and Liam O’Connor.


Those who will be honoured are:


Raymond Cullen, Dublin; Michael Hilliard, Dublin; Hugh Oram, Dublin P≺ Matthew Kavanagh, Dublin Freelance; Liam O’Connor, Dublin; Kenneth Kelly, West of Ireland; Michael Glynn, West of Ireland; Brian Trench, Dublin Freelance; James Rhatigan, Irish South East; Mary Leland, Cork Freelance; Cathal MacCoille, Dublin Broadcasting; Finbarr Coughlan, Cork; Geraldine Collins, Dublin; Ann Cahill, Cork; Donal Buckley, Dublin; Vincent Browne, Dublin P≺ Patsy McArdle, Irish Eastern; Gene Yore, Irish Eastern.


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