That pic of kenny just captures the essence of the man .

In fairness it is a long time since he was in Fr Ted.

Susie- I’m sure the choice of photo was in no way deliberate. That would be to suggest the Journal promotes an anti- Government bias and I won’t have that said.

Of course Vincent; they’re at it with Reilly every other day also, and with the most trivial stories to get a reaction. Shameless journalistic standards by this website that would almost put the Sindo to shame.

@joe- I was going to mention the picture they were using for Reilly all week, alright. All it was short was two horns, a tail and a pitchfork. But I thought it churlish.

In fairness Reilly looks like the only thing stopping his blood pressuried head from exploding is his beard. He ain’t no Bieber, neither is Kenny for that matter. I think our best looking Taoiseach was John Brutin TBH, an adonis.

@pablo- I see a “Taoisigh na hEireann ” 2014 Calendar. You should patent the idea.

Vincent
We will have to agree to differ I am afraid . I find that this website can be more than biased . But I do enjoy reading your comments and engaging with people who can have alternative ideas to what is being peddalled as truth.

Kenny!
You Europuppet Stoogeen!
Stoogeen!
Village Idiot of Europe!!

Sorry to resort to these basic words.
But he deserves no better.

So Vincent, you seem a little obsessed with this topic but I’ll play. Do you have a “nice” picture of Inda or Reilly that you’re prefer to put into circulation?

The sooner most of the complaining classes realise they are undereducated arrogant fools the better.

There is so much bleating going on about what people think they are entitled to.

If you think you are a great frontline hero, but are bitching that you aren’t being sufficiently rewarded, then please buy a ticket to the UK or Europe and sell your skills there.

Too much nanny state bullshit going on in Ireland. It is time the protected fools take a reality check.

Back under your bridge you !

It would be very difficult to capture a good picture of Reilly , that would be like trying to take a good picture of a rubber glove full of porridge.

Bruton looked like Fr Tod Unctious.

@joe o’shea. You’d want to be some photographer to make Minister Reilly look healthy in a picture. I think the journal have fine rather well. On a broader note, when was the last time any publication printed a flattering photo of a politician. Except maybe the English Telegraph’s adoring pictures of David Cameron, but that’s unashamed bias of course.

@tony- have a look at the picture of Gerry Adams attached further up. Strangely statesmanlike, don’t you think?

@Vincent.
I think Gerry Adams is appearing a lot more statesmanlike for many of us. Just to get this in perspective, I grew up in Protestant North Down but I will still be voting Sinn Fein and Direct Democracy Ireland at the next election.
Whatever your hooped up poll results say, I won’t be the only one voting for Gerry.
And, for the record, I’m probably much more educated than you are!
: )

Apologies- it was someone else that suggested that anyone who doesn’t support this bunch of snorting fools we call a Government is under-educated………

@ Vincent I noticed that as well with Gerry Adams’s picture this morning. No need to pull out their worst stock photos for a statesman like Gerry Adams who has been tweeting about his teddy bear all week.

@Arbitrasure

The sooner most of the [politicians] realise they are undereducated arrogant fools the better.
There is so much bleating going on about what [these people] people think they are entitled to.
[School teachers who think they have a right to privilege quaffing Champers while the country is being sucked down the tubes]
The arrogance of these people who are supposed to be representing the working classes (who pay their massive salaries) is formidable.
They would rule us rather than represent us.
More fool them.

No, Anne. You won’t be the only one voting for Gerry. 16% agree with you. Which is a pretty poor figure given the circumstances- a Government committed to austerity and their primary opposition rightly blamed for the mess we’re in. Yet SF have failed to achieve critical mass. It would seem the Irish nation won’t get behind associates of murderers, thieves and bombers with pie in the sky economic policies. Who’d have thought, eh?

@joe- to be fair, I think in most of the stock photos taken of Gerry he’s wearing a balaclava. Options must have been pretty limited.

@Vincent

Divorced? Lonely? Bitter?

Sounds like it.

@David – SF are not wasting a good recession but are using it to advance their cause. Unfortunately the electorate doesn’t seem to be buying it and are instead turning back towards FF. This says more about the disillusionment with other parties than any great love of FF. However, the party one would have expected to gain most was SF and this has not been the case – I can’t see that changing either in spite of sturdy performers like Mary Lou McDonald and Pearse Doherty.

Might be 101 people at the next protest.

It was actually over the property tax

Ah sure thing . ’twas great and so much more to come too.

Was excellent to see an Irish politician muzzled and sent packing.

Con it was Cowan and his crowd sold our sovereignty

@bill – do u think FG would have followed Icelands example,??
we were fu###ed anyway – once we acceptedd Neo – liberal economics – and the freedom that gave for casino banking .

Con. I recommend the Mater Private. That amnesia you’re suffering is getting pretty all encompassing. You need to do something about it before you forget entirely about Brian Cowens Government, property bubbles, no bank regulation, a bank guarantee and ultimately a plea to the Troika to bail us out and…………..yes, you guessed it! Surrender our sovereignty. If symptoms persist you might experience headaches and forgetfulness leading to you ultimately deteriorating to the point whereby you vote for Fianna Fáil at the next election.

And end-it a co continue to do so.

Vincent..you consantly refer back to FF and their feeding the property bubble yet, and I’m open to correction on this, I don’t remember Enda and the boys jumping up and down screaming halt to it from the opposition benches. The truth of the matter is that our political representatives on both sides were in an utter stupor at the time with so much cash coming in. It is true to say FF should never be eftvanywhere near the reigns of power but sadly for you..FG have attained that mantle as well.

Vincent… Why not the Mater Public??

Vincent, please please check in and see a brain surgeon who hopefully can do some something about you extreme case of brainwashing. By the way the only difference between Cowan and Kenny is their father’s/grandfathers civil war politics. Both are traitors. Both shamefully put bondholders interests before those of their own people. Keep believing the lies and the spin Vincent, but after the next election your masters will sail off into the sunset with their massive undeserved pensions. Yourself and the other naive foot soldiers will on your own I’m afraid.

Tony, thank god somebody remember this. I thought I was alone. How many more Garda did fg want on our streets in the naughtiest? They were every bit as much to blame for this mess!!!!

Aurilton- a fair point but in this instance the Amnesia is pretty bad. Time to break out the VHI cover and go for the option with the shorter waiting list.

@Bill, I had loads of imaginary money when Cowen was in charge, holidays galore, new car every 6 months. Gos I miss Cowen.

@tony- a Government has at its disposal all the instruments of state at their disposal to monitor the country. An opposition does not. They’re not being briefed daily by an army of civil servants, they’re not at meetings with European colleagues advising them to apply the brakes, they’re not using tax payers money to hire a multitude of consultants to advise them. Opposition parties simply can’t be expected to have their finger on the pulse to the same degree as an incumbent Government. Secondly- and be honest about this: with giveaway budget after giveaway budget from Bertie and Brian, you think a Fine Gael party preaching restraint and caution would have prospered? Alan Dukes, I think would tell you that the Irish electorate doesn’t want to hear the truth.

True the opposition have no sway over the decisions of the current government but they do have a voice. I ask you to be honest .. Can you ever remember Enda Kenny condemning any of those give away budgets? If anything they were demanding more be given. If Kenny and his troop were not happy about what was happening in Government they should have gone on the Dail record condemning them. More times than not the leader of the opposition sat with his fingers to his chin while Bertie tore through him.

That for me is comment of this year, last year and any other year concerning that blueshirt supporter Vincent… A default response for all blue shirts.. Rolls of the tongue.. Private!!!!!!!! elitist subconscious answer… ” we are better than all of you” you b*****s make me want to do bad hings.

@con- the fact remains that “The Republican Party” had already surrendered our sovereignty before this Government came to power. The Troika were already. Oversight of our economic decisions had already neen agreed. The economy had already disintegrated to the point that we were wholly dependant on foreign powers to pay for our schools, hospitals & Gardai. Now, you are perfectly entitled to live on the planet of wishful thinking when assessing the performance of this Government and suggest that they should have burnt bondholders and thrown two fingers to Europe and that mysteriously there would have been no negative repercussions for Ireland. That’s your Democratic right. But if you’re going to comment on established facts and recent history, I must ask that you use facts rather than misrepresent things because they don’t fit your overall “Government is evil” narrative. In the meantime, do take a moment to note as we approach years end that Ireland will emerge from the bailout and bid farewell to the Troika and see sovereignty restored under this Government. You know. Just in passing.

Michael- As a member of FF I know misdirection is in your blood. Maybe in 20 or 30 years when FF get back into power you’ll recognise the additional responsibilities associated with governing?

Aaah Vincent if only one could afford private healthcare … We all TRUSTED Mr. Reilly and believed there would be no longer a two tiered health system, no longer excessive waiting lists in the public hospitals but ALAS we lament at our ignorance to TRUST and we desperately try to survive mentally and physically in this torn, destroyed, bleary, disheartened, once wonderful country.

Jeez Vincent you’ve a great memory, would it be too much to ask that you remind Mr Kenny of his party’s election promises. As they sure as hell seem to have forgotten them quick smart. If the previous poster needs a bed in the Mater Private, FG need a whole floor.

@ Tony

Enda Kenny severely opposed benchmarking during Bertie’s era. Also opposed decentralisation , the failure to hold byelections , evoting–I could go on but they were unable to do anything to stop the rot, and given the Ahern policy of throwing money at every problem, the electorate were persuaded to commit to their own destruction.

Tony- seriously. Fianna Fáil lowering taxes, increasing welfare, building roads, the country awash with money- and FG sitting opposite them saying we need to cut back? Electoral annihilation would have followed. Look what’s happening to FG support because theyre bringing in cuts now, when they’re absolutely essential. A Government and a Government alone are responsible for what transpires while they’re in Government. It’s the one counter balance to all those perks. Enda Kenny doesn’t get to look back at the mistakes of this Government and say: Micheal- that’s as much your fault for not being a decent opposition. A governments job is to lead. An oppositions job is to get elected.

@dave- that’s not fair. I think think I’m “better than all of you”. Just you in particular.

@aurilton- A nice aspiration, for sure. But I have to ask: You thought a health service that was creaking at the seams despite having money thrown at it when the country was awash with money was going to improve while the country was bankrupt?

@ronan- I remember them promising to restore Ireland’s reputation, to get us a better bailout deal, to get the Troika out of our country and restore sovereignty, to leave income tax alone and to reverse unemployment. Two years in, they’re doing ok. There’s no denying the country’s in a better place than it was two years ago. I didn’t expect miracles. Did you?

Steady on :-) I’ve lived here all my life and I don’t remember it ever being ‘wonderful’. Often the reverse in fact.

Vincent perhaps a visit to the Ophthalmology Dept in the Mater Private might be beneficial… Upon perusal of my previous comments I used the reference ‘one’ and ‘we’ but not I !!!!

And the current regime backing it and worse all the way !

Vincent, whatever drugs they are giving you seem to be working. Keep blaming “them”, but nobody forced Noonan to sell out our country for 40 pieces of silv.. sorry the “deal”. Exit the bailout? No we’re not. Not until 2055 thanks to Mr “failed Fine Gael leader” Noonan. Meanwhile Iceland are back in business, and serving it’s people – and not serving the Bilderbergers.

Oh so that’s what’s wrong wit sinn fein/ula. They have no “advisors” coz they are in opposition. Look at what European advisors be telling yous to do. Ah yeah keep screwing your fellow countrymen and women with austerity and keep giving all your money and resources away to our friends, cop onto yourselves yous have to see what’s going on.

Unlike yourself Vincent I am not a member of any political party. The red thumbs are an indication Vincent to both your popularity and the current governments popularity.

@vincent, yes indeed you maybe better than me ( in what I am not to sure ) but it’s not something that overly worries me, ya see Vince , may I call you Vince? What I have is my integrity , my honesty, my humility… What you and yours don’t have, are any traits of be a leader …. Oh don’t you worry Vincenzo, May I call you Vincenzo? The other crowd left over from the Civil war ain’t much better , this por little country of ours has been r*ped and pillaged to death by its own, we have no leaders, we have no one who cares.. All we have are ex and serving political representatives, with portfolios that would make Donald Trump blush.. Ya see, Irish politics has been a feeding trough for the greedy so called leaders for nearly a century, I am not a sentimentalist , a republican or a bard but for those few who died to make our little country somewhat great and respected there memories are tarnished.. Have a great weekend everyone.

Sold our sovereignity – Enda Kenny? I think you need to take a step or two further back!! It was sold down the tubes by Cowen and his cronies. Enda Kenny has been trying to mop up the mess and has at least managed to stablise an economy that three years ago was heading for basket case status.

Well said bob..

The people of Meath are very upset and missing their poster boy and FF ex-minister, Noel Dempsey.

Meath is steadfast..

If enda and his gang were not so smug and take a 50% pay cut … We would respect them more

Enda’s salary is down 41% from Bertie’s era.

It’s still too high for the puppet master of a bankrupt statelet.

Let me guess censored – put him on minimum wage?

Incidentally did you ever speak out about B-B-Bertie’s salary, or was he fully deserving of it because of the massive “charisma” the media always fawned over. Or indeed Brian Cowen, who probably deserved every penny because he was, as Harry McGee of the Irish Times wrote, a “master of his brief” and an “economics genius”.

his salarly is not that of a leader in my opinion

Enda’s salary is not 41% lower than Bertie’s. Do you believe everything Enda tells you?

I was there tonight and when I saw RTE reporting 60 were present I decided on a headcount. I counted 124 ppl present. Not bad for a protest we organized solely through word of mouth.

It was a peaceful protest but Fine Gael better realize that ppl are hurting. There are many that cannot afford the FamilyHomeTax but Fine Gael and Labour don’t care. They’re happy to charge them a deferral at 4% when the rate of inflation is just 1.2%. This is a nasty way to treat our poor. This government makes me sick.

Yes Joe, I did. While you lot are playing party politics the country is collapsing.

@ Reada – it’s now down to 185.350 from a high of 310,000 during Bertie’s time.

@censored – I’m sure you were. You weren’t one of the sheep that was were being bought and voting FF three times in a row, and that led to the complete mess that this country finds itself in today.

Eh sarcasm anyone?

He can drink buckfast at home like the rest of us.

Well said Marie!

every place they dare to show their faces? a protest may manifest itself? that will scare Enda

Aidan
Sooo Much to choose from , It was not elitest you know . I reckon it was pretty much every thing to do with the austerity measures the Gov have brought in and of course just because it was friday and something to do…. You obviously lead a very sheltered life and dont watch tv . Oh wait . its not on RTE they do not report anti government protests ….

He’s not stressed úna (sorry can’t do a capital fada), he’s thinking of the quite remarkable pension he will be picking up in a few short years (unless you/me can elect a government who will scrap these in favour of reality based pensions)

Still another couple of hours of pints to go yet Peter

5 huge Fiat vans with 60 people in each, then into the Keltic for a rake of pints

Kells. My iPad made up the name ‘Tom’….. Was actually a different bloke :)