SMOKES & DAGGERS
A mischievous mix of political asides
FORMER Taoiseach Enda Kenny, after a long period of silence, has become quite the social gadfly. Mr Kenny attended two public events this week, including a party celebration of former Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett. ‘He’s nearly as busy as Bertie these days. I Wonder why?’. Did somebody say ‘Áras’?
AN Irish Mail on Sunday article outlining a rural reckoning for Fine Gael, due to Green Party policies, occasioned high levels of analysis and disputation in the FG parliamentary party meeting. One attendee noted: ‘I thought we were going to a parliamentary party meeting, not a book club review. Leo’s acolytes nearly defenestrated poor John Paul Phelan for the thought crime of suggesting that the Greens aren’t popular in rural Ireland.’
FINE Gael backbenchers were intrigued by the speed with which the Government press release at 1.30 on Tuesday, welcoming the Adare bypass, was followed just 4 minutes later by a FF press release from minister Niall Collins welcoming the bypass. That’s some fast typing.
IN a somewhat optimistic claim during statements on the Forum on International Security, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said: ‘Our diplomats and military women and men need to both be at the top tables and getting their boots muddy, and I am very proud that they are more than eager to do so.’
Surely that will ruin the carpets in Iveagh House?
TÁNAISTE Martin was silenced this week in the Dáil when Mattie McGrath informed him: ‘The Irish navy couldn’t see off a stag party.’ Ouch!
SMOKES has been invited to a ‘Christmas media lunch’ by the European Parliament Liaison Office. Outside of a briefing by MEP’s Deirdre Clune, Billy Kelleher, Seán Kelly, Grace O’Sullivan, there will be a threecourse lunch by Michelin-starwinning chef Dylan McGrath. To protect our readers’ interests, we will be forced to attend.