SMOKES & DAGGERS

Inside the corridors of power...

THERE was a rare witty moment in Cabinet recently when ministers moved to discuss the need to appoint an ambassador to Angola. Invoking a line from Brian Cowen, Heather Humphreys said: ‘Why not give the job to Simon [Harris]? He’s the man with the experience.’ WHEN somebody turns up to work dressed in the same dress it can be awkward. When work is Leinster House, even more so. Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee decided to tackle the embarrassment head on. Fianna Fáil’s Clifford-Lee – wife of MoS political editor John Lee – tweeted a picture of herself with Senator Catherine Noone in the same dress: ‘That awkward moment when Senator Noone shows up to Leinster House in the same Joanne Hynes dress as you.’ SMOKES enjoyed an article by Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic magazine, published during the week. Goldberg has been attempting to make sense of the foreign policy of Donald Trump. He spoke to a senior White House official and suggested it was too early to discern a Trump Doctrine. ‘No,’ the official replied. ‘There’s definitely a Trump Doctrine. The Trump Doctrine is: “We’re America, Bitch.”’ THERE was a letter in the Irish Times yesterday, complaining that signs for Dún Laoghaire on the M50 suggest it is still a ferry port. Stena Line quit the port in 2015. ‘Many of the road signs on the M50 southbound carry an internationally recognised logo indicating that Dún Laoghaire is a ferry port. Is it not time to remove this sign as it is misleading for motorists going to the UK?’ asked JJ Murphy of Bray, Co Wicklow. A very good point, especially in light of Brexit. We wouldn’t want a jungle camp on Killiney Hill… MUCH excitement in Fine Gael over the possibility that Holles Street master Rhona O’Mahony might run for the party. The plan was ‘highly advanced’ and Rhona, left, was to run in Richard Bruton’s constituency. They were ready to dump poor Catherine Noone as they rushed to embrace the superstar… until they hit a speedbump: nobody had asked Rhona. Had they done so, they would have found out she has no desire to go into politics. So anyway, back to Catherine…