Disrespectful reception by the NI exectutive???

Il Trap

Was watching an RTE.ie/news video clip of the press conference of the inaugeral meeting of the North South Executive Council in Armagh during the week. Brian Cowen and Mary Couglan were present as representatives of the Government of Ireland, Robinson and McGuinness were present on behalf of NI. The procedings took place at the new NS EC HQ in Armagh City. Cowen and McGuinness made lengthy speeches on present and future partnership between the IRL and NI jurisdictions. Robinson paid lip-service to the procedings (IMO). However what pissed me off was the presentation of the press conference. The news conference took place against a cheap-looking, undersized backdrop with the NSEC logos etc and a plethora of extension leads and wires. The whole thing looked very unprofessional and lazily put together. I'm just wondering, had the British counterparts been visiting NI on a similar mission, would David Cameron have been subjected to similarly lacklustre preparations as our head of state (bo!!ox and all that he is) 'enjoyed' during the week. - Or am I being oversensitive and easily pissed off?



PS. Apologies for the poor spelling in the title...

Hank_Jones

So, you're saying the walls were falling down around him?

Topper Harley

Cutbacks. They might have been afraid that if it looked too expensive people would be complaining that the money could have been better spent.

And as for the cables, they should cover them for safety regardless of whether it was you, me or the queen. Anyone could trip over them and then comes a nice big payout. But practically they might have been moving the cables regularly and if they were covered, that could cause even more of a hazard.

Having said all that in their defence, it was probably just laziness.

starbelgrade

Il Trap wrote: »

Was watching an RTE.ie/news video clip of the press conference of the inaugeral meeting of the North South Executive Council in Armagh during the week.

Brian Cowen and Mary Couglan were present as representatives if the Government of Ireland, Robinson and McGuinness were present on behalf of NI.

The procedings took place at the new NS EC HQ in Armagh City. Cowen and McGuinness made lengthy speeches on present and future partnership between the IRL and NI jurisdictions. Robinson paid lip-service to the procedings (IMO).

However what pissed me off was the presentation of the press conference. The news conference took place against a cheap-looking, undersized backdrop with the NSEC logos etc and a plethora of extension leads and wires.

The whole thing looked very unprofessional and lazily put together.

I'm just wondering, had the British counterparts been visiting NI on a similar mission, would David Cameron have been subjected to similarly lacklustre preparations as our head of state (bo!!ox and all that he is) 'enjoyed' during the week. - Or am I being oversensitive and easily pissed off?

Phew.

Paragraphing is such hard work.

I hate manual labour.

Il Trap

Hank_Jones wrote: »

So, you're saying the walls were falling down around him?

Nope. What i'm saying is that it seems that whoever organised the event picked a corner of a ****ty conference room with a jungle of extension leads and a fire alarm box in which to hold a press conference on a major cross-border cooperation project between the two governments of Ireland. I just wonder if the NI executive were hosting David Cameron or the queen would either of them have addressed the country whilst trying to avoid tripping over a four-bar mains extension lead!

Il Trap

starbelgrade wrote: »

Phew.

Paragraphing is such hard work.

I hate manual labour.

Sincere apologies sir

starbelgrade

Il Trap wrote: »

Sincere apologies sir

Apology accepted, then filed neatly under "A".

chucken1

Il Trap wrote: »

Nope.

What i'm saying is that it seems that whoever organised the event picked a corner of a ****ty conference room with a jungle of extension leads and a fire alarm box in which to hold a press conference on a major cross-border cooperation project between the two governments of Ireland.

I just wonder if the NI executive were hosting David Cameron or the queen would either of them have addressed the country whilst trying to avoid tripping over a four-bar mains extension lead!

See how easy that is.!?!

Il Trap

chucken1 wrote: »

See how easy that is.!?!

Getting away from the point, but didn't realise how much of a bone of contention paragraph spacing was with the AH crowd.

Duly noted!

Koloman

No one gives a fiddlers about the North-South council or the British-Irish council for that matter. All are just glorified talking shops for politicians in these islands to look important.

Now if Peter Robinson wants to give us a few bob then I might change my mind!

starbelgrade

Koloman wrote: »

No one gives a fiddlers about the North-South council or the British-Irish council for that matter. All are just glorified talking shops for politicians in these islands to look important.

Now if Peter Robinson wants to give us a few bob then I might change my mind!

It's true.

Northern Ireland is just a mess.

Politically, it's like a game of pass the parcel. Only no-one wants to actually end up with the parcel.

As it could be booby trapped

Il Trap

Koloman wrote: »

No one gives a fiddlers about the North-South council or the British-Irish council for that matter. All are just glorified talking shops for politicians in these islands to look important.

Now if Peter Robinson wants to give us a few bob then I might change my mind!

I appreciate that and I do not disagree with you, but my point is that if a similar 'initiative' was to take place between the head of the British government and the NI EC then I reckon that such an event would have been afforded a far greater level gravitas - which, significantly, was not afforded to the Irish head of state.

Is there not a cause to feel slightly irked by this?

Koloman

Il Trap wrote: »

I appreciate that and I do not disagree with you, but my point is that if a similar 'initiative' was to take place between the head of the British government and the NI EC then I reckon that such an event would have been a afforded a far greater level gravitas - which, significantly, was not afforded to the Irish head of state.

"He who pays the piper calls the tune." When David Cameron goes to NI then all you get is the NI politicians tickling his balls to try to get the most money they can possibly get out of him. Of course they are going to get out their best china.

With us it's paper plates I'm afraid.

Dozen Wicked Words

Il Trap wrote: »

... was not afforded to the Irish head of state.

Is there not a cause to feel slightly irked by this?

is Irelands head of state not the president?

Koloman

dooferoaks wrote: »

is Irelands head of state not the president?

Yes. I know what the op means though. Don't be too forensic. It's nearly 5 am!

Mind44

But sure we all hate Coughlan and Cowen, why would we give a flying **** what way they're recepted, er, received?

stovelid

Living proof that despite taking up your entire life, the right amount of microanalysis can still unexpectedly yield results in the never-ending search for offence.

Good work.

Next week: the offensive, anti-Irish semiotics of Peter Robinson's tie-knot.

Dempo1

The only thing disrespectful about this reception was the Muppet's we had representing the south at such an event, Cowens position seemed to take up 90% of the press conference. It was embarrassing to watch made all the worse by the debacle of yesterday!

Nice to see out ministers being carted around in a mini bus though although i could not help notice Cowen and coughlin managed to use their mercs for the entire journey!

OS119

the reasons are political: everyone in NI knows that this is a 'fag end' government so nothing of any use or consequence is going to come out of this meeting, and to add to that the minsters concerned are the fag end of a fag end government that is so shockingly unpopular that no one in NI (regardless of their political persuasion) wants to be seen to be spending money cosying up to them.

DUP are never going to win votes by having the Irish government to tea in plush surroundings, and SF aren't going to win votes - north or south - by 'bigging-up' Fianna Fail.

for both parties the shabbier, more chaotic, more cheap the whole event the better - and when the new Irish government takes office they will both roll out the red carpet at Stormont and talk about 'historic opportunities' for their own political reasons.

m@cc@

OS119 wrote: »

the reasons are political: everyone in NI knows that this is a 'fag end' government so nothing of any use or consequence is going to come out of this meeting, and to add to that the minsters concerned are the fag end of a fag end government that is so shockingly unpopular that no one in NI (regardless of their political persuasion) wants to be seen to be spending money cosying up to them.

DUP are never going to win votes by having the Irish government to tea in plush surroundings, and SF aren't going to win votes - north or south - by 'bigging-up' Fianna Fail.

for both parties the shabbier, more chaotic, more cheap the whole event the better - and when the new Irish government takes office they will both roll out the red carpet at Stormont and talk about 'historic opportunities' for their own political reasons.

Thankyou.