I have no problem with the Gathering which is just an idea copied from others. I have a huge problem with fmr Fine Gael General Secretary Jim Miley being given €168,000 to organise it despite the fact that 95% of the work will be done by volunteers. Wonder how much the other buckos at the top are getting.

And Noonan spouting rubbish like.
“Emigration is a lifestyle choice these days”
Not for politician’s, banker’s and senior civil servants kids, Noonan!
These people left their homes,their families and their country because they were betrayed by their leaders and protectors.
Judas!

I’m lucky as i’m still employed and have a low mortgage. However I no longer give to charity. This is the first year I havn’t got any home improvements done. And I certainly won’t be inviting over my relations when I don’t think I’ll be able to go on holidays for the foreseeable myself. Having visitors costs money and I’m sorry to say it’s self preservation now due to this government’s policies.

Much as I hate Ryanair and wouldnt fly with them unless they were the only airline to my destination, Michael O’Leary is an extremely successful businessman and knows what he is talking about unlike the bunch of overpaid exteachers in FfG/Lab who I wouldnt trust to run a Sim City never mind a country.

O Leary not my cup of tea but when he’s not trying to wangle something for himself and is asked a question he usually speaks the truth.

Regardless of weather people like or hate him,he has some business skills.
He says it as it is and takes no crap from the likes of varadkar or DAA.

Enda why don’t you go up to departures in Dublin Airport, to advertise your “Grabbing”?
There is probably still a few thousand native Irish people emigrating through there every day.
It might save us millions advertising your “Grabbing” in Australia, Canada and the U.S.
Bring Big Phil, Rabitte and Reilly with you.
You can take it on shifts.
I’m sure the emigrants will love to see your lovely mugs.

Micheal O Leary started his business in a porta cabin at the airport while the taxpayer was paying fortunes to DAA and Aer Lingus to build terminals at the airport. DAA are so corrupt it is staggering that nobody has gone to jail. A lot of the appointments to both companies are political and the unions have a huge vested interest as they sit on the boards and everybody gets pensions and salaries for their few days work. They also get free travel 1st class for themselves and their families. Nice trips to New York shopping while we are closing businesses here everyday. All at the taxpayers expense. I Leary and his staff contribute to the revenue of the country. I am not a fan of his as a person but he has given a lot of people the chance to travel when Aer Lingus simply wanted high fares and higher classes of people on their planes.

Fine Gael and Labour.
“Doing Their Very Best to Increase the Irish Diaspora”

I think if “The Grabbing” was bringing people from strangely named towns outside of Europe’s major cities O’Leary might be slightly more supportive

Tony Ryan (GPA) once asserted that the biggest threat to the industry was laser travel. Not surprisingly O’Leary thinks outside the box too. Shannon represents a competitors dream, better positioned than Kerry or Knock, long runways, fog free and aircraft maintenance on site. Oh yeah and refused to accept that Ryanair should land for free.

Just wondering if folks are more annoyed at the criticism of the “gathering” or the messenger. I’d have to agree with Gabriel Byrne on it being a scam. . .but I think this perception is natural given the main target market. Trying for years to get Cousin Wally over to bring us round (whoops, show him around) our best hotels and golf courses. Then he can buy (whoops again, express his gratitude) in buying us some cool Irish craftware.

On this topic I find myself in total agreement with O’Leary. It is nothing but a revenue scam. The Grabbing is dead right.

He is right the gathering is a sham . However Oleary is a money grabbing monster himself .

Well it takes one to know one, I suppose?

The pot calling the kettle black springs to mind.

Just wait for Enda and Co to come up with a brain wave idea like
to make it compulsory for every Irish Emigrant to come home once a year (to spend money) to maintain their citizenship,
this obligation will be waived if the Emigrant pays the anual Emigrant Charge of a €1000.

Those who had to leave Ireland, are now expected to fund those who didn’t have to leave. First we had the Scattering, then the Gathering. Con job.

Michael O Leary has done more for Anglo Irish relations than every politician put together.

We need the tourists to fleece them on drink prices (60%excise duties + VAT), restaurant prices (highest minimum wage in Europe), travel (travel tax & airport charges), fuel (more excise duties). Otherwise we wont have enough money for the most expensive politicians and public sector on planet earth. Michael O’ Leary should show some respect for these talented hard working patriots!

I’m actually sick of Mr O Leary and his big egotistical ideals. I don’t fully agree with ‘The Gathering’ but at the end if the day the government needs to boost the tourist trade in order to make a few quid. Do we not see these self promotional ads on tv to ‘visit Turkey’ and ‘visit Malaysia’. They’re promoting their own countries so why not us?

How about this for an ad for the “Grabbing”

“Remember us”
“The Sleeveens That Destroyed Your Country and Its Economy”
“Yes The Ones That You Trusted”
“The Ones Who Starved Your Children To Pay Corrupt Banker’s Gambling Debt’s”
“The Ones That Betrayed and Banished You and Your Families”
“Remember How Our Spoilt Cheeky Children Chuckled At Your Kids As They Left For a Faraway Land Because You Had No Money” “Ha Ha”

“Well We Know That You Are Going To Have To Come Home At Some Stage”
“For A Wedding, A Funeral, A Repossession, A Court Case, A Bench Warrant Or Even To Smuggle Some Cash In To Feed Your Impoverished Family Members”

“Well”
“We Want To Claim Responsibility For Your Visit Home”
(And We Need Another Revenue Source To Facilitate The Paying Of Our Own Astronomical Salaries And Pensions)
“So Here You Have It”
“The Grabbing 2013″
“Welcome Home Suckers”

Both are right, tourists will get ripped off when they get here, but O Leary will take his share before they get here

Ah Micker, always good for a laugh! Of all the people in this country to whinge about screwing money out of tourists! Has he checked all the fees and charges his company is gouging out of passengers?

screwing people? he should know a lot about that- big meany

Jeez, talk about the dog calling the cat hairy hole!!!!

Ryanair, the spotty teenager that knows everything & blames everyone else for their own greed.

I think the gathering is a waste of time.
O’Leary is saying this because he likes the sound if his own voice.
What amazes me though is that after all the years we still hear the same mantra.
He speaks his mind. He calls it as it is.
The truth is O’Leary is a complete liar.
He has lied to the courts on more than one occasion. He keeps banging on about how many jobs he creates but does he? When he hires cabin crew he charges €3k and turfs them out within 1 year. He only pays them for half the time they work. He is a crooked, very crooked man and its about time this country saw through it.

Michael O Leary is a good businessman and he should be on Dragons Den.

I wonder would he feel the same if he had transatlantic flights?

Not if but when O’Leary runs for election whether his party is SF, FF, or who ever he joins will be a feared party throughout Europe. And I’m thinking its going to be sooner rather than later.

F*** O’leary! He wants to “grab” every concession that he can get from airport authorities!

Trust Mr O Leary to come out with The Grabbing :-) I for one don’t really care what we call it as long as it brings people here with lots of cash to spend on great goods and fantastic services .

Typical Irish… Looking for the negatives. Can we not embrace what the Gathering is trying to represent and get behind it for the greater good?

I wonder why Ryanair flies people into Ireland if their Chief Executive holds such views? Ann I forgot that they don’t fly Atlantic routes into the country and these are the airlines likely to get a new deal on landing fees at our airports for 2013.
I think the Board of Ryanair should be concerned at the insults an employee directs at Government Ministers and particularly when it’s just gratuitous nastiness.

Jesus guys there is a lot of hate out there. If you don’t agree with MOL then just ignore him. There is nothing a loud mouth hates more than being ignored. Simple

He is a prat. Two faced p…k

Pot calling the kettle black

This miserable money grabbing bastard wants to call the kettle black?

He’s only telling it like it is, this country is so PC he will be attacked for it of course, PC being a good way of dooping folk in to believing what the state says is good for them.

I really despair at the level of comment here. Its a tourism promotion. Ireland has always promted itself for tourism purposes. This is no different whatsoever except that its aimed at a specific group of people who might have an interest in coming to Ireland. It’s called targetted marketing and every organisation does it if they can. If the Government was cutting back on tourism promotion no doubt the serial complainers would be on here moaning as well.

Tourism funds thousands of jobs here in Ireland. No doubt the moaners here would be happy if lots of those were lost. I know lots of community organisations around the country which are in the process of making plans to sit alongside this and offer extra ideas and concepts in order to promote tourism in their areas. Are we saying now that its wrong for us to promote the country for tourism purposes?

As for O’Leary its interesting to note that there hasn’t been a Ryanair story in the press for a couple of weeks so he just sounds off so that he can get his and his company’s name in the papers. And the way the media here lap it up is just manna from heaven to him. Worth thousands in free publicity. I wonder if he had transatlantic flights that might be boosted by this extra revenue whether he’d be so annoyed. Doubt it.

I wish this idiot would just go away. He insults the Irish people at every opportunity

O’Leary needs to step up or shut the f*@k up once and for all. Though chances are he’d join the ULA and continue spouting shite from the sidelines…

It’s a con… It’s an insult to the people who have had to emigrate because of the governments ruination of Ireland.
It should be called “the scattering” and then in typical Irish style we run down a company which has made air travel affordable for most.

The people of Ireland have a real opportunity to show Enda and co exactly what a Gathering should look like next year and there’ll be no tourists involved. Shove it down their self-righteous throats.

CLASSIC! O’Leary accusing the Irish govt. of money grabbing, priceless! The Gathering is a nonsense I agree but just the sight of O’Leary of all people having a moan about it is just hilarious given the antics of his own money grabbing airline.

I’m sure a section of our society got excited when they read the headline.

Wellll done Michael O’ Leary, thank you for stickinf up for those of us doing our utmost to preserve what little culture we have left in this country instead of shamelessly profiting from it.

Spoilt….!!