One of Ireland’s most exclusive venues is reportedly set to host a secretive gathering of more than 200 powerful figures from the worlds of US politics, finance and technology.
Dialog, an invitation-only group cofounded 20 years ago by billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel and entrepreneur Auren Hoffman, is staging its annual retreat at the Powerscourt Hotel in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, August 12th-16th, according to leaked documents reported on by the tech website Wired.
It says a trove of internal records from the “secret society” was left exposed online and named 222 active members and guests due to attend the gathering.
Thiel was a cofounder of PayPal and Palantir, a defence contractor known for mass surveillance and its “strategic partnership” with the Israel Defense Forces in its assault on Gaza. Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes, a former employee, landed himself in bother before even taking his Dáil seat due to inconsistencies around declarations regarding his Palantir shareholding.
Wired reports that the agenda for the retreat features discussions on topics ranging from preparing for a third World War to “money (does?) buy happiness” to battlefield technologies to nuclear energy to cult-building to “How is your sex life?”
Among those reportedly set to attend are a senior Nato commander, Trump administration officials, US senators, a former Middle East intelligence chief and representatives of many of the US’s largest surveillance and data firms.
Bad news for anyone considering sneaking in: the Powerscourt website suggests the hotel is booked out between August 13th and 15th.
Asked about the matter, a spokeswoman for the hotel said: “As a matter of policy, we respect our clients’ confidentiality and do not comment on hotel guests or private events. Accordingly, we will not be providing further comment.”
Who wants to go ‘where everybody knows your name’?
Tired of urban living and the related costs and complications? Well, there was good news this week for those interested in finding a place where “life moves at a more natural pace”: Co Leitrim wants you.
The county council is running a campaign – Most Definitely Leitrim – to encourage city and town dwellers to relocate. The pitch sounds a little like the theme tune to the old US sitcom Cheers, but if you want to find a place “where people greet you by name, nature is always just a few steps away and community truly means something” – the local authority says Leitrim has it all.
Housing affordability is central to the Wild Rose County’s pitch, and CSO data published this week show Leitrim prices, at a median of €215,000, are near the bottom of the scale – well below Dublin (€500,000) and Kildare (€445,000) and neighbouring Sligo (€274,556) and Cavan (€260,000).
The council notes that Leitrim is served by two stops on the Dublin–Sligo train line (Carrick-on-Shannon and Dromod); fibre broadband and has digital hubs for remote workers.
The campaign has the support of former RTÉ broadcaster Bryan Dobson (who we are told “frequents Co Leitrim”) and businesswoman Norah Casey.
Other backers include lecturer and social media personality Martha Gilheaney, who last year spoke to The Irish Times about swapping a six-minute commute in Dublin for a lengthy drag from her new home near Ballinamore.
“With welcoming towns and villages, stunning lakes and greenways, creative spaces, and a genuine sense of belonging, the county offers an exceptional quality of life for individuals, families and anyone seeking a more balanced way of living,” the council says.
Paddy Cosgrave the ‘star attraction’ at Butt Hall Tennis Club
While Co Donegal boasts median property prices even lower than those in Co Leitrim, they’re unlikely to have influenced Web Summit co-founder Paddy Cosgrave’s decision to buy a Georgian pile in the county.
He and wife Faye Dinsmore, a Donegal native who runs a high-end knitwear business, purchased an old Donegal manor where American-Irish author Margaret Mitchell reputedly wrote part of Gone with the Wind during a stay in the 1920s, in late 2022.
The 43-year-old seems to have settled in to the locality, with Donegal Daily reporting that he was “the star attraction” at a fun day at Butt Hall Tennis Club in Ballybofey last weekend.
It was a brush with relative tennis royalty for the locals, with Cosgrave featuring in the upper echelons of the International Tennis Federation’s masters’ tour doubles rankings, having formed a winning partnership with Portuguese player Fred Gil.
Cosgrave last year posted on social media website X about the anxiety playing tennis brought on, particularly after returning to the court following a lengthy injury lay-off.
“Once I get on court, I can sometimes literally freeze, unable to move my feet normally, or my arms. It’s called ‘the yips’ in golf and tennis circles,” he said in a post noting that he and Gil had won a doubles tournament.
“It’s becoming more fun to play. Of course, there are still moments in any match that I can waiver. Anxiety or the yips strike. But you just have to keep going! Big thanks for Fred for carrying me up the rankings!”
Journeyman Cape Verde keeper becomes social media star
Resilience, discipline and growth are terms often bandied around in the sporting football. Growth has been a key word for Cape Verde goalkeeper Josimar Dias (aka Vozinha) since being named man of the match as the west African World Cup debutants secured a 0-0 draw with Spain on Monday.
The 40-year-old, who most recently played for Chaves in Portugal’s second division after stints in the Cape Verdean, Angolan, Moldovan, Slovakian and Cypriot leagues, has gone from journeyman to social media sensation. His Instagram following has ballooned from 45,000 to more than 12 million (and counting) since he pulled off seven saves in Atlanta while stifling a pre-tournament favourite.
Vozinha became tearful afterwards, paying tribute to the dedication of his late grandparents and saying it was a “dream come true”. He also noted that his mother was not there due to issues paying for a visa to enter the US, which shouldn’t be a problem in the future. After political pressure from a US congressman, the US State Department agreed to sort her out for a visa.
The feel-good story, and the Republic of Ireland’s failure to qualify for yet another major tournament, has prompted some here to don the green cape. The presence of Dublin-born Shamrock Rovers player Roberto “Pico” Lopes (34) in the team’s rearguard has also helped.
He has received much interest since Monday’s game, including a lengthy write-up on page three of The Guardian. He modestly shut down comparisons of his performance to the shift Paul McGrath put in when Ireland shocked Italy 1-0 in 1994.
“I don’t think it was that good,” Lopes said of his showing.
Next up for Cape Verde is Uruguay in Miami on Sunday night.
