{"id":130077,"date":"2025-10-18T11:41:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T11:41:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/130077\/"},"modified":"2025-10-18T11:41:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T11:41:12","slug":"micheals-damage-limitation-might-be-too-little-too-late-after-all-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/130077\/","title":{"rendered":"Miche\u00e1l\u2019s damage limitation might be too little too late after all \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin<\/a> and his trusty sidekick Jack Chambers<\/a> are working hard to rebuild bridges in the parliamentary party after their disastrous decision to impose Jim Gavin<\/a> as Fianna F\u00e1il\u2019s<\/a> presidential candidate. <\/p>\n

After last week\u2019s emotional five-and-a-half-hour clear-the-air parliamentary party meeting, Miche\u00e1l and Jack have set about demonstrating that they have listened and there have been learnings. <\/p>\n

During that stormy meeting, James O\u2019Connor, the Cork TD who is a thorn in his leader\u2019s side, said he had never made any effort to make people feel involved.<\/p>\n

So Chambers of Commerce pitched up in the Members Bar at lunchtime on Tuesday, full of chat. Then on Wednesday, he arrived into the bar with Miche\u00e1l, who was in full schmooze mode. <\/p>\n

\u201cCircling the wagons, but with no great confidence\u201d is how one observer saw it. <\/p>\n

The Taoiseach has also taken a leaf from Leo Varadkar\u2019s book and is inviting groups of backbenchers to Government Buildings. Individually or in groups of up to four. <\/p>\n

\u201cTea and biccies,\u201d one disillusioned Soldier of Destiny sniffed. \u201cAnd tours of the building for people too. Like they were never asked inside before. It\u2019s a joke. Asking them how they feel and stuff like that. But no real discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n

It might be a wise move for Miche\u00e1l not to ask any of them how they feel today or for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

Because it\u2019ll take more than tea, biccies and a waltz around the marbled corridors of Merrion Street to get them back onside when they see the dire results for Fianna F\u00e1il and for Miche\u00e1l in this morning\u2019s opinion poll. <\/p>\n

Going to the country once meant something else<\/p>\n

Waxing lyrical about the good old days, when times were hard and families were massive but everyone was happy even if they hadn\u2019t a pot to piss in, is all the rage. <\/p>\n

No presidential candidate worth their salt would take to the campaign trail without a decent back story. <\/p>\n

Catherine Connolly<\/a> was one of 14 children. Heather Humphreys<\/a> grew up a Presbyterian on a small farm on the Monaghan border.<\/p>\n

Jim Gavin didn\u2019t really have one and look what happened to him. <\/p>\n

Although we see somebody trimmed around one of his posters and plonked it in a hedge in west Dublin.<\/p>\n

Now if only Jim had said he grew up in a deciduous hedge-house with no warm clothes so he joined the Air Corps at the age of 10 for the uniform, he might still be in the race.<\/p>\n

Take the unsuccessful hopefuls who didn\u2019t make it on to the ticket. <\/p>\n

Billy Kelleher<\/a> grew up on a farm in Cork and when he was nominated to the Seanad by Albert Reynolds, he was so poor he had to sell his kidney to the local butcher so he could purchase a donkey and cart to go up to Dublin.<\/p>\n

Gareth Sheridan<\/a> worked back-breaking weekends on a Heineken farm in rural Terenure.<\/p>\n

When Maria Steen<\/a> was born, life was so tough in the Badlands of Ballsbridge she slept in a Balenciaga bag until her bassinet arrived. <\/p>\n

As a child, Se\u00e1n Kelly<\/a> stitched footballs by candlelight in the family\u2019s humble both\u00e1n on a small holding in Knockataggle, surviving on soup made from boiling the aromatic socks of Kerry footballers. It was thick and nourishing and he became president of the GAA.<\/p>\n

And now Arts Minister Patrick O\u2019Donovan<\/a> is getting in on the act. Maybe Patrick is thinking of having a tilt at the Ar\u00e1s sometime in the future and wants to perfect his story early doors. <\/p>\n

On Wednesday morning, he was at the National Museum in Collins Barracks for the launch of its Changing Ireland exhibition. It is well worth a visit, showcasing a wide and wonderful array of objects selected to represent Ireland over the last 150 years. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s everything from Michael Collins\u2019s slippers to a steam press from the Magdalene laundries, from Mary Robinson\u2019s inauguration suit to Rory Gallagher\u2019s favourite guitar and all else in between. <\/p>\n

The Minister got carried away on a wave of nostalgia after viewing the hundreds of exhibits of display. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere was 13 of us in the house when we were growing up. We had one toilet. If you were a boy and you had to make number one, you were told to \u2018go to the country\u2019,\u201d he told bemused journalists at a media doorstep afterwards. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I remember the 1982 elections \u2013 there was three of them \u2013 and Haughey talking about \u2018going to the country\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cGarret FitzGerald<\/a> was a great icon of mine, even though my Mother, the Lord have mercy on her, had a great time for Charlie Haughey<\/a>. But I liked Garret FitzGerald, he had the curly hair. <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I always felt: if it\u2019s good enough for Charlie Haughey and Garret FitzGerald to take a piss outside, it\u2019s good enough for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Haughey and FitzGerald, Patrick has \u201cgone to the country\u201d on a number of occasions since becoming a TD for Limerick County in 2011, but only in the political sense of fighting a general election as far as we know. <\/p>\n

Although, politicians are often accused of taking the piss when they go to the country and make extravagant promises.<\/p>\n

The Minister (48) was asked if there any objects he would like to see in the exhibition? <\/p>\n

\u201cTwenty Gold Flake, 20 Carrolls and five bags of Taytos. That was my order when I went to the shop as child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Insomnia helped McCullagh put book to bed <\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a busy time for RT\u00c9\u2019s<\/a> Six One News anchor David McCullagh<\/a>, who will take over RT\u00c9 Radio\u2019s flagship midmorning current affairs slot next month when long-time presenter Claire Byrne<\/a> returns to her broadcasting roots in Newstalk. <\/p>\n

The journalist and historian has also just completed his latest book. It was launched on Wednesday evening by the former British Ambassador to Ireland, Paul Johnston. <\/p>\n

From Crown to Harp tells the fascinating story of how Ireland peacefully broke from Britain and became a republic 16 years after the Treaty was signed.<\/p>\n

This is David\u2019s sixth book \u2013 others include biographies of \u00c9amon de Valera and John A Costello. <\/p>\n

On the night, he said he thought it would be better not to ask a politician to perform the launch in case it was interpreted as a bias towards the presidential candidate they supported. <\/p>\n

\u201cThough, as it happens, I could have asked the Taoiseach.\u201d<\/p>\n

A timely bout of insomnia gave him the impetus he needed to finish the book. <\/p>\n

\u201cWaking up at five or six in the morning, I decided I might as well get up and work away. Once I was finished I thought that was the end of my early mornings. But, as it turns out, it was just practice for my new timetable.\u201d <\/p>\n

The idea for this book came from colleague Miriam O\u2019Callaghan<\/a>. When David was leaving the Prime Time presenting team, she gave him a gift of the official handbook of Saorst\u00e1t \u00c9ireann, published in 1932, and it got him thinking about how the Free State saw itself and its link with the Crown. <\/p>\n

David was joined by his wife, Anne-Marie, and daughter Rosie \u2013 on a flying visit from London \u2013 and he dedicated the book to his parents Robin and June, who never miss a launch. <\/p>\n

A large RT\u00c9 contingent turned up at Hodges Figgis bookshop in Dublin for the occasion including director general Kevin Bakhurst<\/a>, O\u2019Callaghan, Bryan Dobson, Sharon Tobin, Eileen Whelan, Brian O\u2019Donovan and Paul Cunningham.<\/p>\n

From Crown to Harp: How the Anglo-Irish Treaty was Undone 1920-1949 is published by Gill Books<\/p>\n

Man from Del Monte says yes to Eoin\u2019s new look<\/p>\n

Eoin Hayes<\/a>, Social Democrat TD for Dublin Bay South, is the gift that keeps on giving. <\/p>\n

After all that unpleasantness over his disposal of shares in a company with links to the Israel Defense Forces, which saw him banished from the bosom of the party and exiled to the independent benches with Danny Healy-Rae and other rural types, Eoin has finally been accepted back into the fold. <\/p>\n

Of course, there was that little hiccup over a student escapade years ago when he dressed up in blackface in tribute to his idol, Barack Obama, and occurred the wrath of the perpetually offended. <\/p>\n

All is calm now. <\/p>\n

But he still managed to raise some eyebrows in Leinster House this week at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. <\/p>\n

It was hard to concentrate on what he had to say because he was wearing a dickie bow. <\/p>\n

Nobody bothered to tell Eoin that Man from Del Monte jackets can only be worn during the summer season, in accordance with the Bernard Durkan rule. When the then TD for Kildare North arrived in the D\u00e1il chamber wearing his cream jacket, summer officially began.<\/p>\n

\"EoinEoin Hayes wears a dickie bow and cream jacket in the D\u00e1il on Wednesday <\/p>\n

Wednesday was a big day for Eoin, as the Soc Dems marked his full rehabilitation with his appointment as the party\u2019s spokesman on social protection. <\/p>\n

He dressed up for the occasion. Empathising with the disadvantaged by repurposing his Confirmation outfit.<\/p>\n

Ins and outs of the D\u00e1il <\/p>\n

On Thursday, Sinn F\u00e9in<\/a> chief whip P\u00e1draig Mac Lochlainn slammed the \u201cDo-Nothing Government\u201d for reducing D\u00e1il sitting hours next week in advance of Friday\u2019s presidential election vote. <\/p>\n

He issued an angry press release after that morning\u2019s meeting of the Business Committee when the new arrangements were agreed. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey have cynically cut the D\u00e1il time in half next week \u2013 making Thursday a non-sitting day and Wednesday a half day. This removes the usual time for votes on Wednesday evening to avoid votes that could embarrass them ahead of the presidential vote,\u201d the Donegal TD said.<\/p>\n

\u201cClearly, they are more interested in protecting themselves than doing their job. They are fooling no one. People will see this for what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Padraig should have been delighted with the Coalition for freeing up more time for campaigning. <\/p>\n

Only two weeks ago, at his party\u2019s regular team meeting, leader Mary Lou McDonald<\/a> told deputies and senators to keep out of Leinster House as much as they possibly could and hit the campaign trail. <\/p>\n

On the night of that big Fianna F\u00e1il parliamentary showdown, RT\u00c9\u2019s Miche\u00e1l Lehane took a break from live-tweeting leaks from the FF party rooms to pass on a nugget he received from Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s Oireachtas equivalent team meeting in another part of the building. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe Sinn F\u00e9in leader has asked the party\u2019s TDs to only attend the Oireachtas when necessary for the next few weeks and to instead step up campaigning for Catherine Connolly in their constituencies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sure, it\u2019s only the D\u00e1il. <\/p>\n

Mary Lou\u2019s troops must have been out and about doing her bidding on Tuesday afternoon during Questions to the Taoiseach. Miche\u00e1l Martin was somewhat miffed by the party\u2019s poor attendance at the session. <\/p>\n

The ructions over the deal he did with Michael Lowry to snaffle opposition speaking time for Government supporting TDs still rankles. The row delayed his election as Taoiseach by a day.<\/p>\n

As he worked his way through the questions, he came to the one asked by Sinn F\u00e9in\u2019s Rose Conway-Walsh about businesses reducing their carbon footprint. <\/p>\n

\u201cTo Deputy Conway-Walsh, I would say renewable energy is the key,\u201d Miche\u00e1l began, looking up from his notes to see no sign of the Mayo TD \u2013 or anyone else from the party. <\/p>\n

\u201cDeputy Conway-Walsh is gone. I\u2019m kind of alarmed \u2013 there were terrible protests about having Leaders\u2019 Questions once a week and so on, but the leaders of all the parties are not here at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere we go. Deputy Conway-Walsh has left after asking her question\u201d he huffed, before executing a rapid about-turn when he saw her slipping back in. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll be back, I think, to be fair.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was a bit embarrassed. <\/p>\n

Rose had just nipped out to powder her nose.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Deputy Conway-Walsh. I was just saying\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Too late for outsiders now the favourite is romping home<\/p>\n

With such a commanding lead in the opinion polls as the presidential election campaign enters the final straight, independent Catherine Connolly should be home and dry, barring a big disaster. <\/p>\n

Students of the turf in Leinster House this week were saying that defeat for Catherine would be a catastrophe on a par with Devon Loch losing the Grand National in 1956. Back then, the Queen Mother\u2019s horse was romping towards certain victory when Dick Francis\u2019s mount got spooked by something and fell. <\/p>\n

\u201cDevon Loch can\u2019t lose,\u201d the commentator on Path\u00e9 news had cried.<\/p>\n

Both sides will be flat out over the coming days. <\/p>\n

Connolly\u2019s connections have the finishing post in their sights now. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the thought of far-left candidate Catherine \u2013 who has silkily sidestepped legitimate questions about her political actions and views thus far \u2013 getting the keys to the \u00c1ras seems to have spurred a late mobilisation by Fianna F\u00e1il politicians. <\/p>\n

A successful fightback seems a tall order now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin and his trusty sidekick Jack Chambers are working hard to rebuild bridges in the parliamentary…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":130078,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[9,10,1921,24554,18,46418,13,14,4771,6,555,19,17,26736,19487,11,12,15,16,5765,55915,5,36103,59,1181,47,7,8],"class_list":{"0":"post-130077","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ireland","8":"tag-breaking-news","9":"tag-breakingnews","10":"tag-catherine-connolly","11":"tag-david-mccullagh","12":"tag-eire","13":"tag-eoin-hayes","14":"tag-featured-news","15":"tag-featurednews","16":"tag-fianna-fail","17":"tag-headlines","18":"tag-heather-humphreys","19":"tag-ie","20":"tag-ireland","21":"tag-jack-chambers","22":"tag-jim-gavin","23":"tag-latest-news","24":"tag-latestnews","25":"tag-main-news","26":"tag-mainnews","27":"tag-micheal-martin","28":"tag-miriam-lord","29":"tag-news","30":"tag-patrick-o-donovan","31":"tag-presidential-election","32":"tag-rte","33":"tag-sinn-fein","34":"tag-top-stories","35":"tag-topstories"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130077","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130077"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130077\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130078"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}