Illusions that the current left-right divide in Dáil Éireann might see the emergence of unity among the left-wing parties — as a prelude to a Great Shining Leftist Coalition on the Hill being established after the next election — ought to have been roundly destroyed by events of the past…

Over the last couple of years, whenever I found myself abroad in the kind of loose, versatile, mixed-use combination of bar/gig venue/event space/expansive outdoor smoking area that seems to bring out the best of cities and people when done well, I found myself thinking something familiar — This kind of…