For a man who is generally quite low-key, if you exclude the occasional Dail outburst, Brian Cowen has sure been generating plenty of excitement in recent weeks. Tonight was the penultimate act before the anticipated valedictory address when he winds up the 30th Dail in a few hours’ time, prior to the general election. (more…)
I’ve just finished a bit of punditing on one of the radio stations, in which I dispensed what knowledge I have (not very much) of what’s going on in Brian Cowen’s mind. (more…)
There was a stark contrast between Dublin Castle last Saturday and the same place in June 2008, when the No side won the first Lisbon referendum. This time the place was like a morgue. Last time, photographers literally almost came to blows trying to take pictures of Gerry Adams and his colleagues in Sinn Féin.
Give us an aul’ smile, Brian (Photo by Alan Betson)
It nearly slipped past. Today is the first anniversary of this blog. As it happens, a young graduate student has interviewed both of us separately on the experience.
Aargh, no, not another referendum campaign (Photograph by Matt Kavanagh) (more…)
Before they disappear under the receding wave of time, here are some impressions of the recent elections. In the course of the campaign, some people complained they were boring but the present writer didn’t find that to be the case.
In happier times . . . or maybe not: Gerry Adams (left) and Christy Burke
(Photograph by Matt Kavanagh)
Taoiseach Brian Cowen will be dropping at least five of the current crop of 20 ministers of state in the coming hours and the conversation may go something like this exchange between would-be boxing champion Terry Malloy and his big brother Charlie, who has other priorities.
I dreamt about a visit to the fortune-teller last night. It wasn’t my love-life she was interested in, or indeed any other aspect of my personal situation. No, this was a political seer, looking to the future of the country. (more…)
Mamma mia, here we go again, another Lisbon referendum, if the heavy hints being dropped by Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin are anything to go by. He said on RTE last night a decision on the issue would be made in advance of the next EU summit in Brussels on 11 and 12 December. (more…)
Politics can be a fickle business. After his innovative and decisive action in apparently preventing a partial collapse of the banking system, Brian Cowen’s popularity soared. If an opinion poll had been held at that point in time, his ratings would in all likelihood have been astronomical. (more…)
It’s shaping up to be a lively Dáil session when the TDs reassemble at Teach Laighean this morning and already there is a fairly decent story for the journos to get their teeth into. Fine Gael wanted an emergency debate on the economy, the Government said No, now FG are refusing to give pairings to FF ministers jetting off to the UN and sundry other destinations. (more…)
