Why Bertie’s return to FF should not be welcomed
A STRANGE coincidence happened as I was listening to Eminem singing the The Real Slim Shady, which includes the words ‘guess who’s back?’
Believe it or not, within minutes it comes out on the news that Bertie Ahern is back in the Fianna Fáil ranks after a ten-year hiatus. Now that his term of absolution for mismanagement of the country is deemed complete by the party hierarchy, does that mean we should all forgive and forget the damage done to Irish society as a whole by rampant Fianna Fáil get-rich-quick policies, with Bertie driving the bus towards the much vaunted Bertie Bowl, which faded into oblivion after the false ‘Celtic Tiger economy’ propagated by Fianna Fáil collapsed?
I think readmission to the party is a clear attempt by Fianna Fáil to claim credit and overplay their part for the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.
Yes, Bertie played a part, but only a small one in relation to that played by others. From a Fianna Fáil perspective, Albert Reynolds as Taoiseach was the man who put his shoulder to the wheel, but that won’t matter in the attempt to rejuvenate a dead horse.
In the early days, people in the background such as Fr Alec Reid, Gerry Adams, John Hume and Martin McGuinness, were active in seeking a peaceful political way forward. There were progressive voices within unionism from the likes of David Ervine who sensed that peace was a better prize than a union flag over your door.
Regarding Bertie’s finances, everyone knew there was a whiff of hilarity in the air, but the Mahon Tribunal put it succinctly when it said he did not ‘truthfully account’ for money lodged in his account.
He wasn’t described as the Teflon Don for nothing. What he’s going to contribute to the fortunes of Fianna Fáil at this stage remains under a grey cloud of uncertainty.
JAMES WOODS, Gort an Choirce, Dún na nGall.
End fat shaming
IT’S dangerous to fat-shame children. When my granddaughter started school aged five, she was put on the scales and told to diet.
In her early teens, she was diagnosed with anorexia and went down to a size four.
Life has been very difficult as her eating issues affect the whole family. Aged 20, she has recently started to attend family celebrations in restaurants.
NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED.
Western atrocities
PERHAPS John Fair (Letters) is unaware that there have been several times when the holier-than-thou West has conducted illegal invasions of other countries and slaughtered millions of people in the name of Western values and pseudo-democracy’ – yet there were no calls for the US/UK/ France/Germany, etc, to have athletes banned from any Olympic Games. Surprised, anyone? ROBERT SULLIVAN,
Bantry, Co. Cork.