• Of the 8,314 new private cars licensed in June 2010, 2,550 (30.7%) were petrol and 5,447 (65.5%) were diesel.
• The highest number of new private cars licensed in June 2010, classified by make, was Ford (1,205) followed by Toyota (984), Volkswagen (944) and Renault (898).

So the love affair with Ford continues! On that first point, it appears that we’re now a diesel-guzzling bunch like our European counterparts, who have known the merits of diesel driving for many a year. This came as a slight surprise to me; I thought we were still very much ‘petrol heads’ here in this part of the world. Those reliable, economical and ever-more sophisticated diesel options have clearly convinced the petrol masses to switch over. Plus, the lower running costs and generally longer vehicle life are always going to be key purchasing factors on choosing diesel. The VW Golf Tdi , Ford Focus Tdci and such like are out in force…

The question remains as to what is behind this huge uptake on new cars? First of all, we are simply comparing against a very low base, namely the worst year in new cars sales (2009) in recent memory. It’s hardly that as a population at the moment we have handy extra disposable cash for conspicious consumption just sitting around in a biscuit jar or under the mattress. This year, dealerships have been offering better prices & financing deals in light of the massive slow down in new car sales over the past 18 months. There’s ample suggestion in the recent national media coverage regarding this increase in new car sales that it’s the Government’s car scrappage scheme which is the main driver of this increase. The fact that sales have remained strong into June this year (typically car sales ’tail off’ after the first 3 or 4 months of the year), compared to the same time last year, would suggest that the car scrappage scheme has had some impact, but exactly how much of this growth in sales can be attributed to it?

While the scrappage scheme clearly has contributed (e.g. note various manufacturers trumpeteering of the deals available on foot of it, such as Ford’s ‘Save €3,000′ with Car Scrappage Scheme), I personally haven’t seen it recorded by the CSO, SIMI or anyone else that there is clear statistical evidence of this. It would be useful to know exactly what percentage of these new private car sales to date in 2010 can actually be attributed to the scrappage scheme. I’m going to go hunting for a clear answer on that. I’ll keep you all posted on how I get on. We just wouldn’t want to be giving the Government all the credit without the facts, now would we!!??

This type of hate mongering is nothing short of racism and shouldn’t be tolerated in a civilised society. Americans have been discriminated, repressed and ridiculed for years by the European fashion (or fascist) elite because of the clothes they wear, the food they eat or the way they pronounce French words.

What do these people care whether Americans prefer a big Mac to a Bolognese when on holidays in Rome. What’s it to them whether Americans wear “I’m with stupid” t-shirts and Bermuda shorts to a Paris Michelin star restaurant.

Why should they give a feck if Americans are always complimenting Irish on how well they speak English. What harm is it that Americans believe Dublin is in England or London was named after London Illinois.

These are simple mistakes any one could make. It’s time Americans stood up and said NO to this kind of Nonsense.

(Written by an American tourist who’s been dodging bullets in Ireland for the past seven years.)

Clearly Sharon has a fan club, but who is your fav?

The used car website, carzone.ie is probably one of the bigger websites in this space in Ireland. They currently have about 40,000 used cars listed.

The most popular makes of cars there are:

1. Ford (4,022 cars listed)
2. Volkswagen (3,532 cars listed)
3. Toyota (3,365 cars listed)
4. Nissan (2,844 cars listed)
5. Opel (2,549  cars listed)
6. BMW (2,395 cars listed)
7. Renault (2,120)

We love our Ford cars here in Ireland and in particular we love our Mondeos. One in five of the Fords listed on Carzone is a Mondeo, and there are 214 alone with a 08 reg. There really is great value to be had here. The most expensive 08 Mondeo on offer is priced at €29,950, while the cheapest is listed at €12,500.

When it comes to Volkswagens, the Golf is really the flag bearer. One third of the Volkswagens for sales on Carzone are Golfs and the 08′s range in price from €33,155 to €11,900. Passats are also very popular and these range in price for a 08 from €28,750 to €14,950.

Toyota and “reliability” go hand in hand and between the Corolla and Avensis the family car market has been sown up for years by the Japanese brand. You’ll pick up a 08 Corolla for anywhere between €19,500 and €11,950. An Avensis can be had for prices ranging from just €21,500 to €13,950.

At the smaller end of the market there is great value to be had in buying a Nissan Micra. Ranging from €13,600 to €7,250, that’s a differential of 50% from top to bottom of the range in the ultimate small car.

Opel’s top car for 2008 is the Astra. The slightly sportier models start at €26,000, but you’ll also pick up a decent model for €9,950. There are 261 Astras for sale currently which means that there is plenty of opportunity for negotiation.

Shifting up a gear to the BMW doesn’t meant that here is any less value to be had. You can buy a 3 Series for as much as €52,950 or as little as €17,000. In fact, that price difference means that BMW of all the cars is probably where the best value is to be found.

Last in our list is Renault and their most popular car is the Megane. You’ll get your hands on a 08 cabriolet for €21,950, but prices go as low as €9,349. The Laguna is also popular and these range from €28,500 to €10,450.

Considering all of these price ranges on the most popular second-hand cars in Ireland there is an average difference of 54% between the most expensive and the least expensive. And with so many on offer there should be plenty of haggle room.

Let’s see if Santa thinks he has been naughty or nice:

Christy Moore’s wonderful tribute to the late Liam Clancy on Friday’s Late Late Show:

Joe McElderry singing his tribute to Michael Jackson with She’s Out Of My Life on the X Factor:

And finally that slow jam remix of Tiger’s voicemail:

Photo courtesy of infomatique (cc)

Is it the weakest in society - those that are mostly served by public sector workers? Nurses, teachers, care workers, social workers, social welfare workers all care for and attend to those in greatest need.

Is it the unions? They are calling the strikes because the government won’t listen to their proposals for public sector pay proposals. By shutting down public services for the day they are sending a shot across the bow with this show of strength in advance of the upcoming budget.

Is it public sector workers? They are striking because of the fear of further pay cuts, the extent of which no one knows yet. Today they will lose 0.4% of their annual take home pay. A few more of these strikes and 2 or 3% government pay cut would be seem paltry.

Is it their colleageues in the private sector? Those that still have jobs probably got into work quicker this morning and were indeed a little relieved about that. Many others had to stay at home from work to look after children, elderly and sick relatives. They will do this using annual leave or if they have none left at this time of year will be taking unpaid leave.

Is it the economy? We’re spending billions on trying to undo the damage done to us by bankers who will never pay. Internationally our reputation is in tatters. Today will mean more people will have less money to spend to support the real economy and overall there will be less confidence that we can fix things ourselves quickly.

Is it the government? The government needs to save €4 billion in this budget we are told. Today will save them €100 million in wages, the largest part of their spend. That sounds like a good day’s work.

In an official match report entitled “Gallas Breaks Irish Hearts“, FIFA’s official match report dedicates a dozen paragraphs to recalling the terrible defeat for Ireland last night.

Not once do they mention that it was NOT William Gallas who broke Irish hearts, but the deliberate handball by Thierry Henry and the failure by FIFA match officials to act on it when it was reported to them.

Many believe that the match officials were instructed by FIFA to ensure that France made it through to the World Cup Finals – their presence in South Africa afterall will generate a hell of a lot more income for FIFA than Ireland’s. This belief is compounded by the earlier rigging of the play-off draws by FIFA.

Are we sore losers? Certainly not. We fought for our lives last night and the lads did us proud. But when the official match report doesn’t mention this, then we are entitled to be a little outraged:

Simply leave a comment below with your favourite quote from Eamon Dunphy, George Hook, Brent Pope (or whoever) from any of the upcoming (or past) sporting events to be in with a chance to win a €100 voucher for PaddyPower.com.

We’ll also allow you to submit comments from people on  Twitter for the prize. Use these hash tags to see what people are saying: Ireland v France – #irlfra, Ireland v Australia – #irlaus

The winner will be announced on Monday 30th November after the last rugby international. Entrants must be resident in Republic of Ireland. No cash alternatives.

Here are some of Dunphy’s best bits to whet your appetite:

Simply leave a comment below with your favourite quote to be in with a chance to win. If someone else has already left the same comment, feel free to cog their’s but tell us why you think it is nonsense.

Photo owned by karindalziel (cc)

Well, since it’s a No Nonsense wedding, the theme here is going to be affordability without sacrificing quality. (I was so pushing for a Doctor Who theme, I mean David Tennant is finishing up, he’d so be free for an appearance! But my fiancé was having none of it…. huh… girls)

I’ve been searching high and low for resources to help me in this endeavour and have found some interesting sites. The best by my estimation has to be The Frugal Bride. While it’s a Canadian site, it is packed full of hints tips and resources to help your wedding go smoothly and without expense. I was thoroughly impressed.

There are also a myriad of lists containing money saving tips for your big day, such as this one at about.com.

For our part we’re trying to keep it simple. We’re going to have a civil ceremony at a hotel, and then the reception in the same hotel. No moving people from a church to a reception, no decorating a church. None of the expenses that come with a church wedding. Of course, Civil weddings don’t suit everyone. We had decided on a civil ceremony long before we thought about saving money, it just happened to suit all our needs.

The wedding party will also be fairly small. Two of my closest friends on my side, her oldest friend and sister on her side. The Guest list….. Well… that’s a monster for another slay. But we’ve taken the first step and we’re on track so far. Will I crack under the pressure? Will my fiancé kill me? Am I going to finish every post with a series of questions?

The answers to none of these questions and more are on the way!

Yours,

The Prudent Groom

Next Time ….. The Venue