SMOKES & DAGGERS

A mischievous mix of political asides with JOHN DRENNAN

ONE of the quaint traditions of the Fianna Fáil party is a belief that its leader should be fluent in Irish. Intriguingly, we were told by a suspicious Dáil Gaeilgeoir this week that certain FF ministers have been assiduously attending Irish classes. Indeed, one expert said that Darragh O’Brien’s blas as Gaeilge especially has significantly improved of late.

IT HAS not gone unnoticed in Leinster House that pop star Harry Styles – very popular with the kids these days – plays a role called Jack Chambers in the movie Don’t Worry Darling. Smokes sees no resemblance between the young sports minister and Mr Styles, above. But the film title brings Micheál Martin to mind for some reason.

THE Department of Agriculture is doing its bit for climate change with the inspirational suggestion that cardigans are the answer. A motivational poster on ‘cardigan culture’ asks employees to ‘embrace the comfort. It’s like turning up the heat by three degrees’. It has received a chilly response.

AN OBSERVANT senator – they do exist – informed us the mink in Ireland’s mink farms are still hale and hearty months after legislation was passed arranging for their executions. Our source opined: ‘Those mink are in more danger of dying from old age than the Greens.’

RESPONDING to recent cost-of-living protests, Maurice Dockrell, FG councillor in Dublin’s Blackrock, dismissed them as: ‘The usual ragbag of rent-a-leftie suspects. Some have been at it since I was in college and before. All prick and no pence to cite Joyce.’ In fairness to Fine Gael, their snobbery is always so well read.