Dublin is to get a new directly-elected mayor within a year. The first directly elected city leader will be chosen by the capital’s citizens next summer. ‘2010 will see the direct election, by the people of the Dublin region, of a highly-visible and accountable Mayor who will have the authority and powers to deliver real… Continue reading De Mare
Tag: Bertie Ahern
300
Today is Brian Cowan’s 300th day as Taoiseach. It’s symptomatic of his reign that today, the door fell off a minister’s helicopter as it left a tourism conference. Brian Cowen’s reign just can’t seem to achieve takeoff. He was elected, as far as I can tell, because he was great crack altogether. He became the… Continue reading 300
Blueblood
Fresh from his latest encounter with the barristers from the Mahon tribunal, Bertie Ahern headed to Kerry to enjoy the horses at the Listowel Races. (As far as I know, no one asked him if he had any good tips, a shame given the remarkable success he revealed in betting on the gee-gees at an… Continue reading Blueblood
The End Of History
Lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas, goes the conventional wisdom. As with many things though, the conventional wisdom is mistaken. Lie down with dogs and, as the Progressive Democrats found to their cost, the dog will most likely eat you. It’s easy to point to the last election as the moment when… Continue reading The End Of History
The Golden Years
For a week now, I’ve been avoiding the R word. In case you missed it, the ESRI announced that the Celtic Tiger was no more, and we were in a recession. The Irish news media responded with something that looked suspiciously like nostalgia for the eighties, when we were a nation of emigrants instead of… Continue reading The Golden Years
Horse Feathers
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t forget if I lodged £13,000 in cash sterling to my personal bank account, including the result of a successful bet on the gee-gees. It’s the kind of thing that would stick in my mind. And it would particularly stick if I’d been in dire financial straits at… Continue reading Horse Feathers