Healy-Rae hits back at comic Callan

‘IF HOLDING YOUR FATHER IN HIGH REGARD IS A CRIME GO AHEAD AND SHOOT ME NOW’

INDEPENDENT TD Michael Healy-Rae has hit back at comedian Oliver Callan over an article the comic penned for the Irish Times comparing the deputy and his family to the Trumps.

Last Friday The Irish Times carried an opinion piece by Oliver Callan headlined “Could Trumpism take off here? Yes, it already has.” in which Callan drew direct parallels between the Healy-Raes and their supporters and Donald Trump and his backers in the US.

While many comments in the article angered Deputy Healy Rae it was statements about his late father that drew his strongest condemnation.

“Leaving aside for a moment his comments about myself and my brother Danny, I take grave exception to his comments about our late father and his funeral to which thousands of people turned up to pay their last respects,” he said.

“Unfortunately my father is no longer around to stand up for his good record as a public representative for over 40 years. He proceeds to liken our reverence for our late father to Donald Trump’s ‘obsessive view’ of his late father Fred. Well if holding your father in high regard is a crime, sure go ahead and shoot me now Mr. Callan,” said Deputy Healy Rae.

“Mr Callan states that ‘you cannot condemn those who elect the Healy-Raes’. Well I am sure that the 30,369 people in Kerry who gave us their first preference votes in Election 2016 will breathe a sigh of relief and will be delighted to hear that they are not going to be ‘condemned’ for exercising their democratic vote,” said Deputy Healy Rae.