Time to find another nanny
Friday, October 12, 2018 at 12:05 
Delighted to report that the Golden Nanny Awards are returning.
The success of last year’s event in Dublin surprised even me. I thought it was a good idea but you need a bit of luck and what sealed the success of the evening was the presence of Senator Catherine Noone (above).
Unexpectedly, the deputy leader of the Seanad accepted our invitation to collect, in person, her award for being Ireland’s Nanny-in-Chief.
It was a close run thing, though. I didn’t know for sure that she could make it until she appeared after our 60 or so guests had sat down for dinner.
Truth is, she rather stole the show and our challenge this year is to find someone who can fill her charismatic boots.
There is no shortage of potential nominees (Ireland currently ranks third in the Nanny State Index) but finding someone who is prepared to enter into the spirit of the occasion is a different matter.
The 2018 awards will take place in Dublin on Tuesday November 20. Nominees will be announced on November 1.
Watch this space.
Reader Comments (4)
Switzerland knows the "rusty paragraph" award since 2009. It is given, after an internet-vote has taken place to vote in a multiple choice manner, to the person who either created or was going to create the most histrionic, hilarious or bloody stupid law in the previous year. Until today, never ever has anybody dared to refuse appearing to the event and/or refuse accepting the award.
So the chances are good, the same will happen whith what you are doing in Ireland. Authorities apparently love to bathe in the lime-light, even with their trousers down on stage.
The Rusty Paragraph of Switzerland (in German)
Carolus Magnus
There are plenty on 'nannies' out there; it would be preferable to eliminate the interfering neo-puritan lifestyle control regime and stop the persecution of smokers and other the nannies loath.
They'll wear the award like a badge of honour while giving full backing to those who would bully smokers out of jobs, homes and healthcare. This is no fun when you are at the end of the 21st century smokerphobic hate campaign.
I admit Senator Noone is sweet, even though I doubt she would ever change her views of smokers as pathetic addicts who need to be treated as second class citizens because every one else is more worthy of being treated as a human being, but I fear this award will give our enemies confidence to bully, coerce, cajole and exclude smokers further.
I could only support it if you had a category of bully of the year too. The treatment of smokers is too serious to be taken lightly. Politicians must be made to accept there is a line that cannot be crossed and those that do must be called out and shown up for what they are.
I fully agree with Pat.