SMOKES & DAGGERS

A mischievous mix of (mostly) news

IN A world of Kim Kardashians, be a… Michael Healy-Rae? Smokes was amused to see the Kerry TD has not only taken to Instagram with fervour worthy of a Kardashian, but has now begun taking screengrabs of his Q&A sessions with constitutents. Normally the preserve of the rich, famous and beautiful, Instagram has been invaded by TDs and ministers. Asked if he preferred beef or salmon, the Healy-Rae response was typically diplomatic: ‘Beef, but big fan of salmon also.’ Two sides, one mouth...

SMOKES hears the Office of the Taoiseach has issued 250 invitations to attend a special event to mark the visit to Dublin of Pope Francis. Whatever about the Pope, we hope he has remembered to invite Mary McAleese, left, or there will be real trouble…

DENIS NAUGHTEN is enthusiastic about the Great Green Wall initiative where a 30,000-mile wall of trees is being planted in Africa. Commenting on the possibility that 140 million people could be forced to become migrants because of climate change by 2050, the independent minister warned we were seeing this ‘here in Ireland, where families who have lived for generations in their homes have been forced to move due to flooding’. Smokes knows all politics is local, but a few wet fields in Roscommon hardly measures up to the desertification of swathes of Africa…

MUCH speculation among the horsey set has followed a high-profile appearance by Lucinda Creighton, left, at the Dublin Horse Show panel discussion on Brexit and horse sports. Curiously, the role of chairman of Horse Sport Ireland needs to be filled. Tongues are wagging that the last of the lost Fine Gael sheep is now about to be brought back by that everforgiving shepherd Leo…