John O'Donoghue Bitter to the very bitter end

Centaur

Poor John O'Donoghue. He lost in seat in the very hall that he had helped to build. In other words, in between his jet setting he managed to divert some funds to a local project to help shore up his seat. In his bitter parting words he encapsulated everything that is wrong with parish pump politics.

delta_bravo

and would you care to divulge these parting words?

CoalBucket

Just watching the final count on RTE one and they played John O'Donoghues speech to the polling centre. As he looked down on his electorate he delivered one final statement that reflected that they had let him down !!!

"I hope that the irony will not be lost upon you, that I stand here on my evening of defeat, in a hall, this magnificant sports complex, which I helped the build"

Maybe his nights in five star hotels may not be over but at least we won't be paying for them.

He was Ceann Comhairle during the Gogarty / Stagg spat in the Dail and If I may borrow a phrase from the former Green Deputy.

Fcuk You O'Donoghue, Fcuk You.

Browney7

"i hope the irony is not lost that i am defeated here in a magnificent sporting facility which i helped to build"......Go away John.

i57dwun4yb1pt8

a vile parasite now consigned to the scrapheap, good bye leech

Rabble Rabble

The people have decided, the bastards.

namloc1980

CoalBucket wrote: »

Just watching the final count on RTE one and they played John O'Donoghues speech to the polling centre. As he looked down on his electorate he delivered one final statement that reflected that they had let him down !!!




Maybe his nights in five star hotels may not be over but at least we won't be paying for them.

He was Ceann Comhairle during the Gogarty / Stagg spat in the Dail and If I may borrow a phrase from the former Green Deputy.

Fcuk You O'Donoghue, Fcuk You.

Unforunately we will, as he will walk away with a huge TD/Minister's pension.

hatrickpatrick

You will withdraw you will withdraw you will withdraw that statement!
You will withdraw that statement!
You will withdraw that statement! *rings bell*
You will withdraw that statement!

Well then if you will not withdraw that statement, you will leave the house.
You will leave the house, and you will withdraw that statement!
Please! I will remind the deputy... I will remind the deputy... I will remind the deputy... I will remind the deputy...

K-9

Good God of Almighty.

GUBU springs to mind!

K-9

That's vile, only word I can think to describe that without getting banned!

freyners

a vile statement from a person who deserves his punishment, if you can call his pension entitlements a punishment

DELTATIP

Delighted pity all fianna failer s didnt get the bullet -native of a busted nation :mad:

RGDATA!

i hope the irony is not lost on him that he was defeated in the very country that he helped run into the ground

gcgirl

The now ex minister is a bitter one, Dick can be added to that too

RubyRoss

Irony isn't his strong point: the same venue has struggled to stay afloat.

Worse, this 'state of the art' project won a design award even though the swimming pool isn't deep enough to hold a competition making it hard to justify the expansive viewing area.

It's a great example of waste.

Killer Pigeon

K-9 wrote: »

That's vile, only word I can think to describe that without getting banned!

"You big bastard,
You big hairy arse,
You big fecker
F*** you,
F*** your f***ing wife,
I'll stick this Parliamentary Gavel up your hole,
You bastard,
You fecker,
You bollocks,
Get your bollocks out of this Dáil!"

Dreadful stuff Minister, dreadful stuff.

liogairmhordain

CoalBucket wrote: »

He was Ceann Comhairle during the Gogarty / Stagg spat in the Dail and If I may borrow a phrase from the former Green Deputy.

O'Donoghue had resigned by that stage. If memory serves, Michael Kennedy was filling in at the time of Gogarty's outburst.

Amazotheamazing

He's right though, he might symbolise everything that is wrong with irish politics but Kerry did pretty well out of having him in power. His leaving office is only a victory for Ireland if we replace the system that allowed him benefit his own area ahead of others.

meglome

CoalBucket wrote: »

Just watching the final count on RTE one and they played John O'Donoghues speech to the polling centre. As he looked down on his electorate he delivered one final statement that reflected that they had let him down !!!

That's how little we've been holding our politicians to account up until now. He wasn't sorry over the expenses and he's never shown any indication he did anything wrong. No better than that we owe him. What a great day that the likes of him are gone.

TheBun

WE have lost John O'Donoghue and gained Michael Healy Rea.
Jesus Progress Irish Style

Raskolnikov

Browney7 wrote: »

"i hope the irony is not lost that i am defeated here in a magnificent sporting facility which i helped to build"......Go away John.

Helped build with our own money.

Killer Pigeon

TheBun wrote: »

WE have lost John O'Donoghue and gained Michael Healy Rea.
Jesus Progress Irish Style

You also lost Jackie Healy-Rea and gained Michael Healy-Rea. In light of the fact the Healy-Rea name is continuing in South Kerry with the son taking the father's seat, I would neither view it as a lost nor a gain.

.same.

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

He's right though, he might symbolise everything that is wrong with irish politics but Kerry did pretty well out of having him in power. His leaving office is only a victory for Ireland if we replace the system that allowed him benefit his own area ahead of others.

That sports facility was only built about 2/3 years ago and it is the only public swimming pool in all of south kerry which is a very large are with big population.Its been a long time coming.

dsmythy

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

You also lost Jackie Healy-Rea and gained Michael Healy-Rea. In light of the fact the Healy-Rea name is continuing in South Kerry with the son taking the father's seat, I would neither view it as a lost nor a gain.

With Independents looking like being outside of government this time around Michael won't be able to get anything built and be in general useless.

K-9

Feck you Ex deputy Donoghue, Feck you!

There is one consolation. Kerry thought Healy Rae was preferable to you, Mr. Donoghue.

Sums up what people think of you when they prefer a Healy Rae!

mowhawk

During his whinge when he resigned one step ahead of being booted out he said that 'only the people of Kerry would decide his fate'. And now they have, sweet, sweet, sweet.

Amazotheamazing

.same. wrote: »

That sports facility was only built about 2/3 years ago and it is the only public swimming pool in all of south kerry which is a very large are with big population.Its been a long time coming.

Everywhere in country has needs tbh, Kerry got plenty of theirs satisfied by O'Donoghue and Healy-Rae. Fairs fair, they milked the system and it was great for Kerry. Let's change the system.

mowhawk

Just found the following in my files:

Ah well, that's okay then...
Irish Independent
By Ian O'Doherty

Wednesday October 07 2009

When you consider that a disgraced weasel like Bertie Ahern is actually considering running for President, it becomes clear that there is something seriously wrong with our national psyche.

And the current scandal with the Gombeen O'Donoghue is another example of what a rotten little kip Ireland has become.

He may have billed the taxpayer for an astonishing amount of money for an astonishing variety of reasons -- sleeping pills for a long flight? Seriously? -- and he may have all the swagger of some big, thick farmer who has the largest plot of land in the parish, but he's not all bad, no siree Bob.

Because according to the gap-toothed rural simpletons who voted for him, O'Donoghue is a grand man altogether.

Indeed, as one of them says: "There isn't a word of good about the good things he did for Kerry. He did us a power of good. All the GAA clubs and some rowing clubs would have been greatly helped by him."

There you go then -- he may be an arrogant shyster without any apparent sense of honour (a decent man would have resigned on a point of principle) but at least he made sure some bogtrotters got a new clubhouse for their GAA club.

And supposedly this should have glossed over the fact that he was living a lifestyle that Louis the IVI would have been jealous of at the taxpayers expense.

.same.

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Everywhere in country has needs tbh, Kerry got plenty of theirs satisfied by O'Donoghue and Healy-Rae. Fairs fair, they milked the system and it was great for Kerry. Let's change the system.

So its fine that about 100000 people living in south kerry don't have public swimming pool until 2008, just so long as you're not effected.
Can you tell me what extra benefits people living in this area have been givin??
How have we milked the system?

Amazotheamazing

.same. wrote: »

So its fine that about 100000 people living in south kerry don't have public swimming pool until 2008, just so long as you're not effected.
Can you tell me what extra benefits people living in this area have been givin??
How have we milked the system?

Ease up on the "hard done by" act and stop putting words in my mouth.

I have no massive issue with Kerry getting improved roads, piers, sports facilities or whatever, as long as they are needed and not at an excessive cost to elsewhere in Ireland. I do think it's wrong that so many vanity projects all over Ireland got precedence over a CF unit or a new Children's hospital, or cancer care west of the Shannon, or road links to the North-west etc, or schools and hospitals in general.

The previous Government existed on clientialism on a massive scale where vanity projects became the order of the day at the expense of many much needed infrastructure. For example the Kingdom pointed out his largesse in 2007 http://www.the-kingdom.ie/news/cweymhsnkf/

It's one example, the rowing club in Kilorgan is another. I'm sure you know of a few yourself if you look around your own area.

I'm not saying these weren't deserving projects on some level, but ahead of a CF unit or a Children's Hospital?

My point is we need to put Ireland first as a whole and not our own immediate area.

.same.

mowhawk wrote: »

Just found the following in my files:

Ah well, that's okay then...
Irish Independent
By Ian O'Doherty

Wednesday October 07 2009

When you consider that a disgraced weasel like Bertie Ahern is actually considering running for President, it becomes clear that there is something seriously wrong with our national psyche.

And the current scandal with the Gombeen O'Donoghue is another example of what a rotten little kip Ireland has become.

He may have billed the taxpayer for an astonishing amount of money for an astonishing variety of reasons -- sleeping pills for a long flight? Seriously? -- and he may have all the swagger of some big, thick farmer who has the largest plot of land in the parish, but he's not all bad, no siree Bob.

Because according to the gap-toothed rural simpletons who voted for him, O'Donoghue is a grand man altogether.

Indeed, as one of them says: "There isn't a word of good about the good things he did for Kerry. He did us a power of good. All the GAA clubs and some rowing clubs would have been greatly helped by him."

There you go then -- he may be an arrogant shyster without any apparent sense of honour (a decent man would have resigned on a point of principle) but at least he made sure some bogtrotters got a new clubhouse for their GAA club.

And supposedly this should have glossed over the fact that he was living a lifestyle that Louis the IVI would have been jealous of at the taxpayers expense.

sniff,sniff.... really:rolleyes: its been effecting the poor mans head.

Its easy for this guy to write ****e like this without ever going to these areas and finding out how needed these facilities are. I mean are there any circumstances in which this twat, would actually think, this place has been neglected and needs money or does he think every drop has to be spent in the cities.

farna_boy

I have to admire the naivety of people in this thread. You act like what he was found to be doing was unheard of in Irish politics until he was elected but the reality is much more depressing.

I don't like using the word scapegoat, but if any of you are deluded into thinking that this was unusual for any TD , I really do feel sorry for you. That isn't to say that I feel sorry for him or believe he should have been re-elected, but if the next government was actually serious about his disgraceful behaviour, we will see a reform or the expenses of TDs soon. But I doubt it.

The only reason is didn't get re-elected is that he didn't do enough for the local community. If he had, like Willie O'Dea, or indeed any other candidate for any other party, he would be sitting in the next Dail.

Amazotheamazing

farna_boy wrote: »

I have to admire the naivety of people in this thread. You act like what he was found to be doing was unheard of in Irish politics until he was elected but the reality is much more depressing.

I don't like using the word scapegoat, but if any of you are deluded into thinking that this was unusual for any TD , I really do feel sorry for you. That isn't to say that I feel sorry for him or believe he should have been re-elected, but if the next government was actually serious about his disgraceful behaviour, we will see a reform or the expenses of TDs soon. But I doubt it.

The only reason is didn't get re-elected is that he didn't do enough for the local community. If he had, like Willie O'Dea, or indeed any other candidate for any other party, he would be sitting in the next Dail.

Exactly, in five years time we'll be able to have the same sort of discussion about any number of TD's from across the parties. It's the system that needs to be altered.

dartsfan

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Everywhere in country has needs tbh, Kerry got plenty of theirs satisfied by O'Donoghue and Healy-Rae. Fairs fair, they milked the system and it was great for Kerry. Let's change the system.

How can the "system" be changed? I've read this now a few places but not sure what alternatives people are offering.
On a common sense point of view, I don't think government ministers should be allowed give preference to their own constituency for such funding and projects. It's a clear conflict of interest that was flagrantly abused over the last 10 years (at the very least).

Poor Craythur

mowhawk wrote: »

Just found the following in my files:

Ah well, that's okay then...
Irish Independent
By Ian O'Doherty

Wednesday October 07 2009

When you consider that a disgraced weasel like Bertie Ahern is actually considering running for President, it becomes clear that there is something seriously wrong with our national psyche.

And the current scandal with the Gombeen O'Donoghue is another example of what a rotten little kip Ireland has become.

He may have billed the taxpayer for an astonishing amount of money for an astonishing variety of reasons -- sleeping pills for a long flight? Seriously? -- and he may have all the swagger of some big, thick farmer who has the largest plot of land in the parish, but he's not all bad, no siree Bob.

Because according to the gap-toothed rural simpletons who voted for him, O'Donoghue is a grand man altogether.

Indeed, as one of them says: "There isn't a word of good about the good things he did for Kerry. He did us a power of good. All the GAA clubs and some rowing clubs would have been greatly helped by him."

There you go then -- he may be an arrogant shyster without any apparent sense of honour (a decent man would have resigned on a point of principle) but at least he made sure some bogtrotters got a new clubhouse for their GAA club.

And supposedly this should have glossed over the fact that he was living a lifestyle that Louis the IVI would have been jealous of at the taxpayers expense.

John O'Donoghue is a knob but so is Ian O'Doherty and the quoted article reminds me why.

Floppybits

has anyone seen the or heard the speech given by John O'Donoghue when he found out he was not been elected. To quote the bull "I hope that the irony will not be lost upon you, that I stand here on my evening of defeat, in a hall, this magnificent sports complex, which I helped to build".

He still doesn't get it. He also didn't rule out running again.

martinn123

Didn't hear his speech, but at least thats some of the defecit sorted with him out of the Dail. No more publicly funded trips to Cheltenham.

MidlandsM

Floppybits wrote: »

"I hope that the irony will not be lost upon you, that I stand here on my evening of defeat, in a hall, this magnificent sports complex, which I helped to build".

Fat prick........:mad:

ei.sdraob

it should be on rte player under news there, fairly cheeky of him

someone should point out that alot more people would be in the country now if it wasnt for the likes of him

Pudzianowski

Heard it last night. He seems to be cloud cuckoo land, and looked like there were tears in his eyes whilst speaking.

When he was eliminated on saturday night, there seemed to be a bit of a cheer when the returning officer called it.

jmayo

Floppybits wrote: »

has anyone seen the or heard the speech given by John O'Donoghue when he found out he was not been elected. To quote the bull "I hope that the irony will not be lost upon you, that I stand here on my evening of defeat, in a hall, this magnificent sports complex, which I helped to build".

He still doesn't get it. He also didn't rule out running again.

He is one arrogant self-aggrandising self important unrepentant bol***.
The slimeball hasn't one ounce of decency, just like his party colleague up in Limerick.

Someone should tell him it wasn't his money that built that centre, but the taxpayers money.

It was the taxpayers and peoples' lotto money that he poured into sporting establishments all over his constituency, not his own money.

It was also the taxpayers money he squandered around the world as he partied.

The f***er should be tarred and feathered never mind just voted out of the parliament. :mad:

Floppybits

jmayo wrote: »

He is one arrogant self-aggrandising self important unrepentant bol***.
The slimeball hasn't one ounce of decency, just like his party colleague up in Limerick.

Someone should tell him it wasn't his money that built that centre, but the taxpayers money.

It was the taxpayers and peoples' lotto money that he poured into sporting establishments all over his constituency, not his own money.

It was also the taxpayers money he squandered around the world as he partied.

The f***er should be tarred and feathered never mind just voted out of the parliament. :mad:

Couldn't agree more, I think he should be slopping out at this very moment in mountjoy with a few more of his FF party and banker mates.

The one thing that I haven't heard during the whole election is how TD's who abuse their expenses are going to be treated. We have seen MP's in the UK going to prison for this sort of thing, this is something I would welcome here, its about time our TD's behaved in a professional manner and this government should start introducing tougher laws on white collar crime, its about time we grew up as country and start behaving like grown ups and stop trying to get one over on each other.

bonzos

http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1092744
Forward to 16.40

Fr Tod Umptious

Delighed to see him eliminated.

I am really sorry I did not get the chance to engage with him on a canvas (I live in South Kerry) and may never get a chance again.

If he had not been a greedy P**K with his expenses as CC then he would have had his seat automatically and Sheamus Kirk would be giving the goodbye speech.

baalthor

" I raised this sports temple and in three days I could tear it down again "
John 316 k Unvouched Expenses

Flimbos

Floppybits wrote: »

has anyone seen the or heard the speech given by John O'Donoghue when he found out he was not been elected. To quote the bull "I hope that the irony will not be lost upon you, that I stand here on my evening of defeat, in a hall, this magnificent sports complex, which I helped to build".

He still doesn't get it. He also didn't rule out running again.

I heard that alright, and it angered me listening to it. But that anger turned to pity for him, the eejit, he really doesn't get it.

Gombeen politics isn't wanted in Ireland anymore, and we made that clear by not voting for FF. But they still seem blinded by self importance; I've heard Micheal Martin over the last day again mentioning the "global" financial crisis as the major factor!

Will they ever learn?

munchkin_utd

what?

as a thanks for his great service as a minister he has a 100k+ pension till the day he dies and a 60k+ payoff now.
What more does he want?

Flimbos

Have to say, whatever about Hanafin, Coughlan, Haughey, Andrews etc... O'Donoghue was the one I wanted to see the back of most of all.

murphaph

So folks, the lesson here is:
WRITE to your new TDs this week and instruct them that you want to see tough sanctions imposed on politicians like Mr. O'Donoghue in future and that if these measures aren't forthcoming, you'll vote elsewhere at the next elections, be they local, European or a by-election.

The government needs to be kept on it's toes by the people. We can get rid of or at least greatly reduce the numbers of the likes of O'Donoghue if we so desire.

Bistoman

As a defeated, disgraced, Useless fat Fu&2$r, Why did He get a chance to make a speech from the podium?

Floppybits

Flimbos wrote: »

Have to say, whatever about Hanafin, Coughlan, Haughey, Andrews etc... O'Donoghue was the one I wanted to see the back of most of all.

The one I wanted to see the back off most was Brian Lenihan, unfortunately that spoofer got back in but O'Donoghue and Coughlan the most arrogant and ignorant of politicians more than makes up for it.

Hope FG learn a lesson from this and remember that if they do abuse the system their time in government will be short lived.

Would love a new party now to be formed to start challenging the old order.