SMOKES & DAGGERS

A mischievous mix of (mostly) news

THE Cabinet had an away-day during the week, meeting in Castletown House in Kildare. And Leo Varadkar asked his ministers to travel there together by bus to send a message about climate change. Finian McGrath, though, went there in his car. But on reaching the grounds, he parked a discreet distance away, took his bike and helmet from the boot and cycled past ministers as they disembarked from their bus, giving the impression he had pedalled all the way from Clontarf. Finian, pictured, said that some, including Leo, were convinced, but others ‘were looking at me very dubiously’. Another minister said: ‘It was a little suspicious: it’s a long cycle from Clontarf to Celbridge and there was Finian free-wheeling in without a bead of sweat. He isn’t that healthy.’

SENATOR Máire Devine of Sinn Féin decided to wear a Dublin Jersey in Thursday’s session – kind of like when on the last day of school, the kids are allowed to leave the uniform behind. Today FM’s politico Gavan Reilly explained to his online followers it was ‘technically banned in the Dáil due to AIG sponsor logo’.

WE WERE disheartened to read in the Connacht Tribune that Galway United were fined €100 by the Galway FA ‘to cover excessive damage and wear on Eamonn Deacy Park pitch due to fans incursion after the match v Limerick on 7th of July’. In fact, that ‘incursion’ was young children looking for autographs, the Tribune reported. Smokes understands that a local bar, Crowes, has covered the fine.

DANNY O’DONOGHUE, pictured, singer with The Script and serious political thinker, has a radical new song. Freedom Child makes clear that the band is implacably opposed to war and all manner of bad stuff. The lyrics include the following exhortation: ‘Put a flower in the top of a gun / Put confetti in an atomic bomb / It’s time for change / We’ve seen enough / Instead of war we’re declaring love.’ Is this really the best you can manage, Danny?