{"id":487511,"date":"2026-05-16T09:46:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T09:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/487511\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T09:46:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T09:46:08","slug":"abba-the-star-of-the-show-at-fianna-fails-ardfheis-anyone-but-bertie-ahern-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/487511\/","title":{"rendered":"ABBA the star of the show at Fianna F\u00e1il\u2019s ardfheis \u2013 Anyone But Bertie Ahern \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well done to Miche\u00e1l Martin<\/a> and Fianna F\u00e1il for selflessly stepping into the sequinned breach on the night RT\u00c9 will not be airing the Eurovision Song Contest<\/a>. <\/p>\n

They will bring some much-needed glitter to the night.<\/p>\n

Plans for Saturday\u2019s keynote Eurovision address have been leaked and we can reveal that the party will deliver an ardfheis spectacle to voters pining for their annual Marty Whelan fix.<\/p>\n

Miche\u00e1l will wear an all-in-one sparkly zip-up disco suit when he takes to the stage at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, vindication for all those years working on his gut health and subsisting on egg whites, Kombucha and bananas in the D\u00e1il canteen.<\/p>\n

Jack Chambers is one of the backing dancers but this doesn\u2019t make him Miche\u00e1l\u2019s puppet on a string. <\/p>\n

An unofficial slogan for the extravaganza, which also celebrates the 100th anniversary of Fianna F\u00e1il, seeped from the upper echelons this week after an embarrassing incident for the party in the course of a botched byelection canvass in Dublin Central. <\/p>\n

Anyone But Bertie Ahern.<\/p>\n

Or ABBA.<\/p>\n

He won\u2019t be Walking the Streets in the Rain anytime soon if head office has its way, but good luck with that.<\/p>\n

As former leader, Bertie<\/a> should be there. Early on Friday evening, as proceedings kicked off, there was no sign yet. Well, not at the ardfheis. <\/p>\n

He popped up on social media, though, filmed coming out of his house to greet controversial candidate Malachy Steenson who was bustling down the drive to canvass him. <\/p>\n

Ah, Jaysus. <\/p>\n

Miche\u00e1l can\u2019t catch a break. He must be thinking: Why Me?<\/p>\n

The way things are going, he might be happy to meet his political Waterloo sooner rather than later. <\/p>\n

Hold Me Now, he will tell delegates. Don\u2019t be swayed by Sinn F\u00e9in with their \u201cAll Kinds of Everything\u201d approach to spending. <\/p>\n

Stick with the Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll Kids in Fianna F\u00e1il. What\u2019s Another Year with the Chance of a Lifetime European presidency about to start?<\/p>\n

\"TaoiseachTaoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin and the rock ‘n’ roll kids of Fianna F\u00e1il await the votes from the Eurovision Dublin Central jury. Photograph: Cillian Sherlock\/PA Wire <\/p>\n

The nation has serious choices to make. <\/p>\n

If I Could Choose, prudent Miche\u00e1l will croon to the faithful, he would chose to do something in terms of Ooh Aah … Just a Little Bit more money but in the long run this could mean nul points for the economy. People might think he is singing the Doomsday Blues, but we have to face reality. It\u2019s Making Your Mind Up time now for some.<\/p>\n

The people of Dublin and Galway will be voting in the byelections. Disregard the likes of Boom Bang a Bang celebrity criminal candidates like Gerry Hutch \u2013 he\u2019s gangsta rap, not honest Eurovision. <\/p>\n

Ding-a-Dong, this ardfheis is going to be a blast.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Bertie Ahern\u2019s shocking doorstep detonation was no accident. It was a precision exerciseOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Sadly, pop sensation CMAT<\/a> won\u2019t be performing at it. She\u2019s in the US. But she sent a message home for Bertie while onstage in Brooklyn on Thursday night. <\/p>\n

He\u2019ll be very impressed to get the few words all the way from New York \u2013 De Big Chapel.<\/p>\n

CMAT recently took aim at the former taoiseach and \u201call the Berties\u201d in a song about the aftermath of the financial crash back in 2008. This time, she zoned in on comments he made to a woman he was canvassing in Dublin Central. The woman was secretly recording him as he told her what he thought she wanted to hear about immigration. <\/p>\n

This changes the rules for old-school canvassers who say almost anything to get voters onside. <\/p>\n

CMAT saw the clip on the other side of the Atlantic.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s trying to blame Ireland\u2019s problems on immigration instead of himself. So allow me to be very clear when I say f**k that racist c**t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bertie. He\u2019s like the great uncle who turns up at Christmas (or on Eurovision night) and it\u2019s all Congratulations and Celebrations until it isn\u2019t …<\/p>\n

ABBA.<\/p>\n

Say nothing to Miche\u00e1l in his bell-bottomed catsuit. He might fall off his platforms. <\/p>\n

Citizen Shane<\/p>\n

Nothing like a good row to help shift a new book. <\/p>\n

And one was bubbling under nicely on Wednesday evening (more of that anon) when Pat Rabbitte, former minister for communications, launched the latest effort from another former minister for communications, Shane Ross, aka Winston Churchtown. <\/p>\n

As it turned out, it would have been better to launch Saints, Scholars and Scandals \u2013 his \u201ccolourful account of the scandal-drenched history of Ireland\u2019s national broadcaster\u201d \u2013 on Thursday, when RT\u00c9\u2019s latest \u201cscandal\u201d broke. <\/p>\n

A large crowd gathered in Hodges Figgis bookshop in Dawson Street for the launch. But, despite many invitations winging their way to Montrose, nobody turned up from RT\u00c9, although some had replied confirming attendance. <\/p>\n

Even director general Kevin Bakhurst, who loves to get out and about on these sort of occasions, didn\u2019t make it. But then, Kevin must have been up to his eyes in Mooney\u2019s Money back at base with the impending release of the salary details of RT\u00c9\u2019s leading, eh, light-entertainment wildlife kingpin to the unbridled joy of headline writers across the nation.<\/p>\n

\"Everyone'sEveryone’s going wild over Derek Mooney’s inclusion in RT\u00c9’s top 10 highest-paid presenters <\/p>\n

The sudden appearance by the lesser-seen Derek Mooney on a revised listing of the organisation\u2019s 10 highest-paid presenters sent RT\u00c9 twitchers wild. It was facilitated by the twitchy executives in Donnybrook suffering from Post-Tubridy Stress Disorder who now live in mortal fear of D\u00e1il committees making a holy show of them again.<\/p>\n

There hasn\u2019t been this much egg-citement around Derek Mooney since one of his blue tits laid an egg in Mary McAleese\u2019s nesting box at \u00c1ras an Uachtar\u00e1in in 2008.<\/p>\n

The wonderful thing about nature is its unpredictability. <\/p>\n

Who would have known yesterday that the D\u00e1il Public Accounts Committee (PAC) would decide to haul in the RT\u00c9 suits for another grilling \u2013 this time over the decision to send 41 staffers to Prague for Ireland\u2019s recent World Cup qualifier?<\/p>\n

Or that the lesser-spotted Mooney\u2019s \u201creclassification\u201d would see him back in the top earners\u2019 list (\u20ac202,000 last year) with an unseemly rush by the top brass to announce it. They\u2019ll be walking on eggshells heading into that PAC meeting, hoping nobody mentions Mooneygate or says Derek\u2019s salary is for the birds.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0RT\u00c9: Saints, Scholars and Scandals by Shane Ross – bringing a sharp eye to barter accounts and clandestine paymentsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

The drama came a little too early for Winston Churchtown\u2019s book launch. <\/p>\n

\u201cIs there anybody here from RT\u00c9?\u201d inquired Pat Rabbitte at the start of his speech.<\/p>\n

He said he was very surprised to be asked do the launch as he would have expected the current Minister for Communications, Patrick O\u2019Donovan, to perform the launch.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I know he\u2019s great pals with Shane.\u201d <\/p>\n

That went down well, because most of the audience was well aware that O\u2019Donovan \u2013 then junior minister for sport on Winston Churchtown\u2019s ministerial estate \u2013 and Ross were at constant loggerheads.<\/p>\n

There may have been some mild mention of Bertie Ahern\u2019s doorstep debacle during a byelection canvass in Dublin Central, but the former Taoiseach\u2019s embarrassing remarks about unwelcome African migrants from places like the Congo was the big topic of conversation on the night. <\/p>\n

But back to the actual row over the book. <\/p>\n

Writer, columnist and former senator Eoghan Harris has had a long and colourful political history. The tempestuous Corkman has also been party to one or two blazing rows in his time. But one section of the former minister\u2019s book has really infuriated him. It\u2019s the bit where the English public school-educated Winston writes that Harris, back in the 1980s, asked him to join the Workers\u2019 Party. <\/p>\n

\u201cShane Ross\u2019s book on RT\u00c9 is full of factual errors and fantasies about me,\u201d Eoghan tells us from deepest west Cork. \u201cBut the worst is his claim that I tried to recruit him \u2013 a former stockbroker \u2013 to the Workers\u2019 Party. Given that party existed to rid Ireland of financial parasites, had I recruited Ross I would have been expelled \u2013 at the very least.\u201d<\/p>\n

It sounds far-fetched, right enough. <\/p>\n

Finian McGrath \u2013 Shane\u2019s Independent Alliance colleague and pal, was at the launch. We asked him about the yarn.<\/p>\n

\u201cShane? In the Workers\u2019 Party? Good luck! That\u2019s a great one for a laugh.\u201d <\/p>\n

What does Winston Churchtown have to say about Harris\u2019s very strong rejection of his assertion that he once tried to recruit him?<\/p>\n

\u201cHe did, absolutely, emphatically,\u201d he said. \u201cHe had produced a speech he wanted me to read into the record of the Seanad and it was full of Workers\u2019 Party stuff. And his last remark, I remember it was a passing remark, was \u2018my great ambition is to get you to join the Workers Party\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the book, he writes of the Marxist \u201cmoving into conspiratorial mode\u201d to whisper his request to the stockbroker. <\/p>\n

What happened next?<\/p>\n

\u201cI went and had a large gin.\u201d <\/p>\n

That never happened, says Eoghan Harris.<\/p>\n

\u201cFantasyland on page 175.\u201d<\/p>\n

Big hitters<\/p>\n

From former Labour leaders launching books to the incumbent doing the same … Ivana Bacik did the honours for her colleague and former minister of state Liz McManus, whose fifth book was launched at in the Unitarian Church on St Stephen\u2019s Green last Sunday. <\/p>\n

We thought this might be a memoir about Liz\u2019s time in national politics, but only because we misread the title and thought it was called \u201cTiny Bruisers\u201d. <\/p>\n

Not so. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was delighted to see former TDs coming together to enjoy the afternoon,\u201d she tells us. \u201cAfter all, we share a common history: the century of Irish independence which I explore in fictional form in Tiny Bruises.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LizLiz McManus, who launched her book Tiny Bruises last Sunday. Photograph: Dara Mac D\u00f3naill\/The Irish Times<\/p>\n

More than 200 people attended the launch, including a cross-party selection of former parliamentary colleagues Proinsias De Rossa, Mary Flaherty, Conor Lenihan, Olivia Mitchell and Nora Owen.<\/p>\n

In a witty and pithy speech, Ivana praised the book while at the same time managing to name-drop the two Labour byelection candidates, Ruth O\u2019Dea (Dublin Central) and Helen Ogbu (Galway West). <\/p>\n

The foreword is written by former president Michael D Higgins and the book is published by Arlen House.<\/p>\n

Thrill Bill<\/p>\n

Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy certainly admires Richard Boyd Barrett\u2019s fiery oratorical skills. <\/p>\n

On a sleepy Thursday afternoon during a plodding debate on the Industrial Development Bill, there was a slight hiccup in the running order as the People Before Profit TD rose to speak. <\/p>\n

Verona told him it wasn\u2019t his turn.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re ahead of yourself. We have Deputy Clendennen now …\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just appeared,\u201d said RBB, in his defence. <\/p>\n

\u201cYes, and with your indulgence, we have a crowd of ladies from Wexford in the Public Gallery, the rural Wexford ladies. You are most welcome,\u201d said the Ceann, looking up at them. \u201cYou\u2019re in for a thrill when Deputy Boyd Barrett starts to speak but before that, we are going to have Deputy John Clendennen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Poor John. <\/p>\n

The Fine Gael TD for Offaly thanked the Chair for letting him speak in advance of Deputy Boyd Barrett.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope I\u2019ll be as entertaining,\u201d he said before welcoming members of Daingean Development Association who were in Leinster House for a tour and might be in the Public Gallery at some stage in the day. <\/p>\n

They do great work in the town, continued John. \u201cThey have a festival scheduled for the 14th of June and anyone who might want to attend …\u201d<\/p>\n

Verona gently interrupted. <\/p>\n

\u201cDo you mind me asking, for the benefit of the deputies following, will you be using all of your time?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Well done to Miche\u00e1l Martin and Fianna F\u00e1il for selflessly stepping into the sequinned breach on the night…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":98910,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[45226,15526,9,10,14867,212041,18,212787,10893,13,14,4771,6,19,17,11,12,15,16,5765,5,90612,127185,7,8],"class_list":{"0":"post-487511","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ireland","8":"tag-abba","9":"tag-bertie-ahern","10":"tag-breaking-news","11":"tag-breakingnews","12":"tag-cmat","13":"tag-derek-mooney","14":"tag-eire","15":"tag-eoghan-harris","16":"tag-eurovision","17":"tag-featured-news","18":"tag-featurednews","19":"tag-fianna-fail","20":"tag-headlines","21":"tag-ie","22":"tag-ireland","23":"tag-latest-news","24":"tag-latestnews","25":"tag-main-news","26":"tag-mainnews","27":"tag-micheal-martin","28":"tag-news","29":"tag-richard-boyd-barrett","30":"tag-shane-ross","31":"tag-top-stories","32":"tag-topstories"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487511","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=487511"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487511\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=487511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=487511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=487511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}