SMOKES & DAGGERS
A mischievous mix of political asides with JOHN DRENNAN
SMOKES was impressed to see Sinn Féin enfant terrible Ruairí Ó Murchú in a debate on the Electoral Bill. Ó Murchú noted: ‘Despite all the issues we have with democracy, I have not seen anyone put in place a better system.’ This, as readers will realise, is very much in the same spirit as Winston Churchill’s view when he said: ‘No one pretends that democracy is perfect or allwise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.’ Is Sinn Féin coming around to a more nuanced view of British imperialism?
THE withdrawals of Frances Fitzgerald and Deirdre Clune from the next European elections have generated fear in one Fine Gael contact that ‘we will soon be out of candidates’. We pointed out Jerry Buttimer’s availability but that did little to improve their mood.
NEW Fine Gael party chairman Alan Dillon starts every summary of the weekly FG PP meeting – delivered to the media – with the declaration: ‘Evening all’. Among veteran wags it has inspired comparisons with ‘Dixon of Dock Green’, a twodecade-long crime BBC TV show, which dramatised the everyday travails of a British bobby dealing with petty crime and assaults in a declining area. Dixon started each episode with ‘Evening all’. One Fine Gael TD observed: ‘In fairness to Alan, the role of FG chairman is remarkably similar.’
DEPUTY Richard Boyd Barrett sought details of a ‘military photoshoot’ at Knockfierna hill in Limerick. ‘What measures do the Defence Forces have in place to inform the public that soldiers dressed in military equipment, carrying real or replica rifles and other firearms, are carrying out drills in areas open to the public?’ he asked Defence Minister Micheál Martin. Mr Martin reassured him the Army weren’t involved, but advised: ‘A local airsoft club regularly use the area at weekends.’ God be with the days when the Irish Citizens Army used hurleys to practise.