Handlers fail to stop Cowen's close-up with a giant spud
Paidi O Se listens to Brian Cowen speak to the media at the launch last night as Mr Tayto lurks in the background. Photo: Steve Humphreys
There was a protective cordon thrown around Brian Cowen as he arrived at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin for the launch of Paidi O Se's football tournament. His media handlers were determined to protect their man to the bitter end. There was no way that the Taoiseach was going to be photographed standing next to a giant Mr Tayto.
Not on their watch. Not even if the crisp company was the main sponsor of the annual festival.
Mr Tayto tried everything to barge into the frame, and despite a couple of handy fellows from Brian's team attempting to keep him at bay there was no stopping the star-struck snack. And hopefully a close encounter might do our leader some good -- the Taoiseach could do with adding some crispness to his delivery of speeches. But not even this melee could dim Brian's good mood -- after all, his Government's earlier defence of the Defence Minister was safely in the bag.
And Mr Tayto shortly had another star to stalk. For a short while after the opening festivities got under way in the hotel bar, who should stroll into the lobby alone and handler-free but the Tanaiste's very own nemesis, Michael O'Leary. It wasn't mere coincidence as the war between the Ryanair chief and the Government over the 300 jobs at Dublin airport and over the leasing of Hangar 6 continues to rage, and Michael had come to give his side of the story.
However, the feisty airline boss was aghast when he was asked to pose for Mr Tayto. "Dreadful bloody things!" he declared as he ran away and pasted himself against a doorway where the big crisp couldn't get near him.
And he was still up in arms about the fact that Aer Lingus had possession of the hangar. "How did they win this mythical competition the Taoiseach was talking about today? Were they made to fill in a slogan, 'We love Fianna Fail because' in 10 words and get a hangar building?" he wondered. "Ryanair obviously wasn't very good at doing the 'We Love Biffo stuff'."
But despite the fact that a mere hotel lobby separated the two protagonists, there was no meeting -- even though Mr Tayto was perfectly prepared to act as peace-broker.
Wait a minute: the eagerness to broker agreement, the wide, fixed grin, and the yellow trousers?
Suddenly the identity of Mr Tayto was obvious. Bertie's got a new job.
The Comortas Peile takes place in Paidi O Se's west Kerry heartland from February 26-28.
- Lise Hand
Irish Independent
