He's standing there at the top of the steps, waiting. Eyes squinting, staring off into the distance, fingers plucking at the hem of his jacket. The few dozen people in the garden have seen him, are turning, standing, looking, waiting.He stands there. He cannot simply step down into the garden. There are protocols.
Except for the way it has undermined confidence in Garret FitzGerald the Amendment will not make a big difference. It will just affect things in a small way. These are just. two examples of things which have already happened. There have been others and there will be more.
The humiliation of Garret FitzGerald has been one of the sweetest triumphs for Oliver J. Flanagan in his long Dail career. For over 14 years he has harboured feelings bordering on loathing of his current party leader and his recent triumph has more significance in purely personal terms than in political or even theological ones.
Gene Kerrigan was in Dublin South for a Fianna Fail contribution to The Great Debate.
The double-week bonus paid at Christmas to long-term social welfare recipients is to be withheld this year, according to an official source. Fergus O'Brien, junior Minister at the Department of Social Welfare, has also confirmed that the scrapping ofthe payments is being "contemplated".
Gene Kerrigan profiles the young Fianna Fail TD whose progress up the political ladder seems assured.
On the final day of the February 1982 general election campaign Garret FitzGerald went for a quick spin around Dublin's north side. The campaign was winding down and the schedule was light - a few hands to shake, a garda station to visit, some banter with reporters about the previous night's TV debate with Charlie Haughey. And an old folks' home. Garret did the rounds, shaking hands, exchanging quips, posing for photos. Three elderly women gathered him to themselves. They said he was great last night, beat Charlie hollow.
It took Albert to make them pay attention.Albert with the permanent tan, Albert with the smile, Albert who can with one wave of his arm make the grassroots stand rigid with excitement. Albert said he was honoured to be back on the team. Apart from Albert the speakers on Saturday night were just filling in until TV time. The buzz of conversation in the hall drowning their words, the We love Charlie signs being gripped tighter as the hour came nearer, the atmosphere thickening - it was like a bull pawing the ground, ready to charge.
Back in 1979, before he bacame Taoiseach, Charlie Haughey was talking to a reporter about the infamous fingerprint scandal arising out of the murder of the British ambassador in July 1976. Haughey remarked that the central point of the scandal had been entirely missed by the press.
He invited the reporter to guess the identity of the person whose fingermark was left on a helmet found at the scene of the explosion. When the reporter fell for the bait and enquired whose it was, Haughey replied: George Colley's.
A review of the relationship between Haughey and the media, and the allegations of press bias.
The question was: once they'd voted Charlie out, would they hang on to vote in the new leader? Do that and we could be here all night. No way, they'll do that tomorrow or the next day. Lord, I hope it's Dessie. He's a nasty little get, but at least he's got reasons for wanting to be Taoiseach. Not like the because-it's-there merchants. Dessie you could have some fun with.