Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Sheriff Varadkar is giving guns for Christmas

Where do we start? With the guns, perhaps? Or maybe with Santa and his elves and the dangers that hover over them? Or should we kick off with the totally expected news about the Cabinet deciding to reward the money-grabbing avarice of top bankers?

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Hoodwinked by another nod to Old Pals’ Act (1923)

In a speech at the recent Fine Gael ard fheis, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar praised Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s “decency”. And sure, who’d take issue with that? These gentlemen have presided over significant damage done to many of the people of this country, but that’s a political failing, not a personal flaw.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Nice work: Dáil heroes on Putin’s naughty list at last

You may have noticed that last week the Russian government banned no fewer than 52 Irish politicians for saying nice things about Ukraine, thereby “fuelling Russophobic hysteria”.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Leo Varadkar is ‘cleared’ — in his own head

Just over a month from now, the FF/FG party is scheduled to appoint Leo Varadkar to the position of taoiseach, for the second time. And Mr Varadkar seems thrilled by the prospect. In fact, there are six-year-olds out there who are less excited about the prospect of Santa Claus coming down the chimney than Mr Varadkar seems to be about returning to the Big Chair.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Fr Seán Sheehy is the voice of Ireland’s dead and unmourned past

At first, it seemed a bit mad. A bishop and a priest squaring up for a bout of ecclesiastical fisticuffs. A turbulent priest in Listowel, Co Kerry, took to the altar and spouted out of him about gays, contraception, abortion and transgender matters. He left us in no doubt that he alone has the courage to denounce this sinful carry-on.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Getting high on slagging addicts

It was a lovely moment — amusing and sad. It involved a drug user and arose in the lengthy and over-dramatic RTÉ Prime Time report on the decline of Dublin’s O’Connell Street. It was no big deal, but it was a decent, human moment in what might have been wholly depressing and negative.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Don’t tell the voters what to think

So, Micheál Martin misled the Dáil. There was a time when a politician misleading the Dáil would have been taken seriously. It’s not something that can be shrugged off. It’s not just about the credibility of a TD or a party — it’s about the credibility of parliament.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Abuse victims are expected to justify the wages of sin

It used to be there was you and me. And you said one thing and I said another. And an observer could work out who might be the good guy. These days, well, it’s a bit more complicated.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion When sharing the air with Travellers is a breath too far

As the week began, I was under the mistaken impression we had identified the least impressive individual in Irish political life: Fine Gael Councillor Maurice Dockrell.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Parachutes at the ready for royal popularity plunge

There’s something the Taoiseach should know about the new King across the water, Charles. This information just might save the Taoiseach’s life over the next year or two — whether that Taoiseach be Mr Martin, Mr Varadkar or Ms McDonald. But, first, Operation London Bridge.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Bigotry against Traveller minority can only be ended by efforts of settled community – politicians don’t have the courage

The online creeps were at it again last week — they never miss an opportunity to express their hatred for Travellers. And the Tallaght tragedy provided that.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion A 47pc pay rise for the man who puts up energy prices

Looks like we’re heading into a tough winter — and I’m not referring to the weather. The cold, the rain and the snow we can deal with, but runaway price rises, inflation and the greed of those who already have more than enough are going to do the damage.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Robert Troy is a mere minnow among the sharks

The media labelled Robert Troy’s activities a “property scandal”. In truth, the TD is small fry. I can’t see how Mr Troy benefited from what he did or didn’t do. However, recent events revealed two things about Mr Troy.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion The cynical rewriting of Blueshirt history

So, Fine Gael organised a barbecue in memory of Michael Collins, to mark the hundredth anniversary of his killing. And a lunch. And 19 showings of the Neil Jordan movie about Michael Collins. And — for a fiver — they’ll sell you a commemorative pin of Michael Collins to wear on your lapel.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion A Bertie Ahern comfort blanket cannot cover sins of the past

For a while now, the Bring Back Bertie Brigade (BBBB) has been on manoeuvres. Bring back Bertie Ahern, the argument goes, give him a meaningful official role in helping sort out the mess in the North. Well, sure, OK — we could do that, see how it works out.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion It’s silly season — Sabina letter was the perfect scoop

Are we all done, now? Anyone else care to vent about the President’s missus and the invasion of Ukraine? I suspect some of our Ukrainian guests are a little puzzled about what happened last week when Irish politicians got terribly angry about the strategic consequences of a letter written by the President’s wife.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Banking clowns are getting cultured

These days, you can get paid for standing in the street with a pen and a clipboard and asking people: “Do you trust bankers?”

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Blaming Putin for ‘Paddy Tax’ is just another racket

Any time we’re in the midst of a significant political shift — as we are now — we see only the aspects the politicians and the media get excited about. Later on, we see the bigger picture.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion No political vision, no telescopes required

Last week, for reasons I can’t fathom, Sinn Féin put down a motion of no-confidence in the Government. Everyone knew the three coalition parties had the numbers to vote total confidence in themselves. Why Sinn Féin gave them an easy win, I don’t know.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion They haven’t gone away, y’know

One of the drawbacks of writing about Irish politics is that you have to pay attention to political stories of little substance. Some of them can get quite hyped up, but then you look closer and they’re not all they’re cracked up to be.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Sophie Toscan du Plantier: A quarter century since her murder and we’re still fumbling around in the dark

Here we go again. Another twist in the du Plantier case. But let’s not rehash the awful murder; let’s go to the conflict at the heart of the case — between the Garda Síochána and the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Biting lumps out of hapless Tories and media celebs

It was great fun, watching Her Majesty’s over-confident, under-talented politicians take a hiding. And there was the bonus of watching Her Majesty’s loyal media celebrities making fools of themselves. The Mick Lynch story last week provided social media — here and across the water — with a new hero.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Invisible lines and silent presidents

There was a time when politicians went to extraordinary lengths to protect the image of the president. While working for Magill magazine in 1983, I wrote a lengthy, irreverent piece about President Paddy Hillery of Fianna Fáil. Thirty years later, the state papers from 1983 were opened and the Irish Times revealed how the Fianna Fáil leader of the time — a Mr Haughey — discussed my irreverent article with the leader of Fine Gael, a Mr FitzGerald.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Yes, our politicians are pretty bad, but just look at the neighbours next door

The neighbours have been very noisy lately. Truth is, the neighbours are going through a bad patch. Their reigning figurehead, Elizabeth Windsor, had a big party because she’s been queen for 70 years and her subjects have been bowing and scraping even more vigorously than usual. Recreational grovelling.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion High flyers, low pay, long queues

Remember the pandemic bonus announced in early January for workers on the Covid frontlines? Tens of thousands of people were due to get it, tax-free. Last week, RTÉ’s News at One reported that — five months later — only one in eight of those due between €600 and €1,000 each have so far seen any cash.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Need workers? Then dole out more cash

How come there are 150,000 people claiming unemployment assistance at the same time there are around 40,000 vacant jobs in pubs and restaurants?

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion When politicians need to show they (really, really) care

There are times when I think newspaper columns that deal with Irish politics should be written by theatre critics. What passes for political activity is often no more than contrived drama.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Is the Taoiseach fit for purpose?

There was a time, about 20 years ago, when Micheál Martin seemed to some of us like that rarest of things in Irish politics — a mainstream idealist with a few useful ideas. He gave the impression he was in politics for a reason beyond merely holding on to the seat.

---

Premium

‘New hospital for a tenner’ may come at too high a price

The Taoiseach is under a lot of pressure — the kind of pressure that leads to costly mistakes. It perhaps explains why he has been saying things that are not quite true. Micheál Martin is in a tight political corner. From all sides he’s being told he has to get the contract signed for the new National Maternity Hospital.

---

Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion Mr Watt has a lightbulb moment

Here are three things I know about Robert Watt, super civil servant, who heads up the Department of Health. First, his wages are in the neighbourhood of €298,000 a year — and that’s a very nice neighbourhood indeed.