Favourite political moment of 2011

raymon

A very eventful 2011 , many ups and downs.

What was your favourite political moment of 2011?

Mine was the Queen bowing at our war memorial during her visit.

Sean Gallagher on the Frontline debate, hands down!

Lapin

Michael D Higgins becoming President.

Mr.Micro

Seeing FF getting thrashed in the GE, and Sean G outed as the FF bagman on the TV. :D

johngalway

Fianna Failure being kicked out of office by a country mile, good riddance.

Son Of A Vidic

Watching the Queen bow her head in respect for the Irishmen and women who died fighting for our freedom. I don't think I will ever see anything as powerful, politically or symbolically as that ever again. If ever two countries had closure, her visit defined it for me.

hallelujajordan

Queens speech in Dublin Castle. .

"A uachtarain, agus a cairde . . "

. . made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

jank

FF getting a roasting in the GE.
Queens visit.

Sand

February 25th.

It ought to have been declared a new Irish national holiday to celebrate the defeat of Fianna Fail and the victory of the Irish people.

Killer Pigeon

My favourite political moment: FF getting trashed.
My least favourite political moment: Realising how stupid I was supporting Labour and finding out that the FG/Labour coalition is just like FF in government but magnified by two.
My second favourite political moment: Finding libertarianism.

hallelujajordan

Sand wrote: »

February 25th.

It ought to have been declared a new Irish national holiday to celebrate the defeat of Fianna Fail and the victory of the Irish people.

Yes . . We succeeded in putting FG into government to continue with all of the FF policies they said they would reverse. Victory indeed !!

Ellis Dee

Martin McGuinness lamping that recycled and rebranded effeneffer Gallagher in the final Frontline TV debate and thereby saving Ireland from that phoney just when he thought he had it in the bag.:D:D:D

ednwireland

mary coughlan losing her seat

the groutch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM8trclPjgM

Overheal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW_nDFKAmCo

You can see his eyes flipping through is rollodex.

Armin_Tamzarian

Ellis Dee wrote: »

Martin McGuinness lamping that recycled and rebranded effeneffer Gallagher in the final Frontline TV debate and thereby saving Ireland from that phoney just when he thought he had it in the bag.:D:D:D

The end was good but I don't agree with the means.
Reading out an unsubstantiared tweet like that was disgraceful IMO.

My favourite political moment was FF getting decimated in the GE.
That and the Dana assassination attempt of course.

DB21

Dana. Everything about her campaign satisfied the needs of satirists for the next 10 years.

RMD

Don't know why everyone is so happy about the GE results. They've been replaced by the same group of tossers under a different name and have risen back to 2nd in the opinion polls.

For me it was seeing the Queen's visit pass off without major incidence other than the Straffan bus bomb.

Manach

The government's referendum #30 failing, and the initial petulant over reaction of the ministers blaming all but themselves.

Wider Road

Reading the Mail on Sunday with their story on Bernard Lynch being released after a year despite being found guilty of the murder of Larry White in 1974.
Bernard was released, not because of innocence but because of an expired warrant. He's married to Kathleen Lynch, is a brother of Ciaran Lynch, Labour TD and amazingly Bernard is employed by the current government.

This could be the story of 2012 even though it's in the public for some time.

matthew8

For comedy value:
1. Ming's election
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Int0CGNvo3E
2. Tom Elliot's scum of Sinn Fein comment, NI assembly election
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uARXJ84BCLE
3. Rick Perry's famous moment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTNjhcyx7dM

Only genuinely good political moment of the year was the defeat of the inquiry referendum. Don't know why so many of you are fond of the government broadcaster unfairly stealing the election from Sean Gallagher and the queen doing what she does all over the world (everywhere she goes she says a few words of the local language).

gizmo555

John O' Donoghue's startlingly graceless concession speech as he lost his seat in the sports hall "I helped to build . . ."

Liam Byrne

the government broadcaster unfairly stealing the election from Sean Gallagher

Not this fiction again!

Gallagher had 2 conflicting stories with 5 mins - THAT'S why he lost.

No-one stole it from him, and if he'd been honest he'd have won.

matthew8

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Not this fiction again!

Gallagher had 2 conflicting stories with 5 mins - THAT'S why he lost.

No-one stole it from him, and if he'd been honest he'd have won.

It was stolen, if Pat Kenny wasn't a digraceful presenter this whole thing would have never happened. People never think straight when accused of something, especially when it has big implications.

Mr.Micro

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Not this fiction again!

Gallagher had 2 conflicting stories with 5 mins - THAT'S why he lost.

No-one stole it from him, and if he'd been honest he'd have won.

I agree. If there had been nothing to it, then the chameleon chancer would not have been derailed from his chance of becoming President. The worst of it was that the bagman went under the radar for all the time prior to this unnoticed and unchallenged. The press and media have a lot to answer for.

Liam Byrne

matthew8 wrote: »

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Not this fiction again!

Gallagher had 2 conflicting stories with 5 mins - THAT'S why he lost.

No-one stole it from him, and if he'd been honest he'd have won.

It was stolen, if Pat Kenny wasn't a digraceful presenter this whole thing would have never happened. People never think straight when accused of something, especially when it has big implications.

If Gallagher hadn't lied he wouldn't have been exposed.

If someone accused me of something I could flatly deny it and then stick to it, because I hadn't done it.

It's no wonder corruption and stroke-pulling gets places in this country when people end up spouting deflection and shooting the messenger.

NewHillel

1. Brian Lenihan winning in Dublin West.

2. Sean Gallagher being exposed as the FF Hack he is.

NewHillel

Liam Byrne wrote: »

If someone accused me of something I could flatly deny it and then stick to it, because I hadn't done it.

Done nothing, have we?

matthew8

Liam Byrne wrote: »

If Gallagher hadn't lied he wouldn't have been exposed.

If someone accused me of something I could flatly deny it and then stick to it, because I hadn't done it.

It's no wonder corruption and stroke-pulling gets places in this country when people end up spouting deflection and shooting the messenger.

Facts are facts and you are ignoring them. Pat Kenny was irresponsible on the frontline and ruined Gallagher's campaign. The media picked Michael D as their guy and did everything they could to try and destroy Gallagher. Big debate, pressure's on, accused of something, he was flustered.

charlemont

Seeing Michael McGrath sweating it before the election, He was talking some rubbish at peoples doors in Carrigaline, He really looked a worried man, Priceless but unfortunately he didn't lose his seat.

NewHillel

matthew8 wrote: »

Facts are facts and you are ignoring them.

The main fact was that Gallagher tried to mislead the electorate, from the start. He got his comeuppance just in time.

darragh16

Fianna Fail climbing up the polls....

Liam Byrne

NewHillel wrote: »

1. Brian Lenihan winning in Dublin West.

2. Sean Gallagher being exposed as the FF Hack he is.

Lenihan ? Are we talking about the guarantee-signing idiot or someone else ?

matthew8

NewHillel wrote: »

The main fact was that Gallagher tried to mislead the electorate, from the start. He got his comeuppance just in time.

That's very biased to say that that is the main fact. The main fact is that he lost the election because of a question Pat Kenny asked him which was totally unfair, lie or no lie.

Mr.Micro

darragh16 wrote: »

Fianna Fail climbing up the polls....

..the greasy polls , and you know what happens then? Fianna Fall down again

Mr.Micro

matthew8 wrote: »

That's very biased to say that that is the main fact. The main fact is that he lost the election because of a question Pat Kenny asked him which was totally unfair, lie or no lie.

It was not unfair in that it was a bombshell question and SG had a lot to hide, so therefore became flustered trying to cover up more than one thing. It was great IMO and showed up the dishonesty of the man and all his positivity BS. He was going to have a big laugh at how gullible the Irish electorate were.

tayto lover

matthew8 wrote: »

That's very biased to say that that is the main fact. The main fact is that he lost the election because of a question Pat Kenny asked him which was totally unfair, lie or no lie.

A liar need a good memory.

matthew8

Mr.Micro wrote: »

It was not unfair in that it was a bombshell question and SG had a lot to hide, so therefore became flustered trying to cover up more than one thing. It was great IMO and showed up the dishonesty of the man and all his positivity BS. He was going to have a big laugh at how gullible the Irish electorate were.

Gallagher was far more positive than the other candidates, both inside and outside the campaign. It's clear that you don't care if the media decides who is president, as they did.

Mr.Micro

matthew8 wrote: »

Gallagher was far more positive than the other candidates, both inside and outside the campaign. It's clear that you don't care if the media decides who is president, as they did.

The voters decided, not the media. I cannot quite comprehend why you would defend a man like Gallagher and what he was, even if the method of his exposure was unfair in your opinion? Surely you can see now that he was not of suitable integrity for the job?

matthew8

Mr.Micro wrote: »

The voters decided, not the media. I cannot quite comprehend why you would defend a man like Gallagher and what he was, even if the method of his exposure was unfair in your opinion? Surely you can see now that he was not of suitable integrity for the job?

He has more integrity than MDH. The media told the voters not to vote for Gallagher with their constant attacks on him.

huey1975

It has to when Bertie Ahern explained that it wasn't his fault but the media who took their eyes of the economy. He said THERE SHOULD BE AN INQUIRY. He is probably the greatest c unt to ever draw a breath in this country

Mr.Micro

matthew8 wrote: »

He has more integrity than MDH. The media told the voters not to vote for Gallagher with their constant attacks on him.

I cannot agree there. Why would the country want SG as President when he could not tell the simple truth on TV or even that he was FF. The job of President is about integrity and honesty and both are lacking in SG IMO. He would never have advanced in the polls were it not for the attacks on Marty and Norris, and of course the fantasist Dana, leaving Gallagher as a safer option. It was pure luck that he got so far and crumbled when it got a little bit sticky.

tayto lover

Mr.Micro wrote: »

I cannot agree there. Why would the country want SG as President when he could not tell the simple truth on TV or even that he was FF. The job of President is about integrity and honesty and both are lacking in SG IMO. He would never have advanced in the polls were it not for the attacks on Marty and Norris, and of course the fantasist Dana, leaving Gallagher as a safer option. It was pure luck that he got so far and crumbled when it got a little bit sticky.

Yes. For once Pat Kenny and Martin McGuinness did the country a big favour.

nesf

gizmo555 wrote: »

John O' Donoghue's startlingly graceless concession speech as he lost his seat in the sports hall "I helped to build . . ."

Same here. Was absolutely lovely to watch him moaning about the kind of gombeen local parish pump politics that got him elected year after year finally failing him.

NewHillel

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Lenihan ? Are we talking about the guarantee-signing idiot or someone else ?

No I wasn't talking about 'Lenihan' I was talking about Brian Lenihan, a patriot who put his country ahead of his health. Thankfully the electorate recognised this, even if some of his decisions were, with the benefit of hindsight, flawed.

Liam Byrne

NewHillel wrote: »

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Lenihan ? Are we talking about the guarantee-signing idiot or someone else ?

No I wasn't talking about 'Lenihan' I was talking about Brian Lenihan, a patriot who put his country ahead of his health.

OK - someone completely different to the guy that I was thinking of, so.

More Jack Barrys than one, as the saying goes.

HellFireClub

I think seeing Paul Gogarty losing his seat would have been the moment my faith in Irish politics was very very slightly restored...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD-xxoQwOo4

john reilly

Unfortunately mine are only imagined. first one would have been the queen apoligising for her countrys actions against ireland and proving it by annoucing that they were revoking their claim to part of ireland.
Second would have been to see a true irishman take the presidency and not some old lying windbag, who has spent his entire life sponging off the state.

Mr.Micro

john reilly wrote: »

Unfortunately mine are only imagined. first one would have been the queen apoligising for her countrys actions against ireland and proving it by annoucing that they were revoking their claim to part of ireland.
Second would have been to see a true irishman take the presidency and not some old lying windbag, who has spent his entire life sponging off the state.

Good thing they are only imagined then.....that is where they should stay.

john reilly

Mr.Micro wrote: »

Good thing they are only imagined then.....that is where they should stay.

One that I liked and didnt imagine. was the feigned surprise on our wonderful presidents face when the glorious queen uttered the statutory bit of gaelige. It was hardly worthy of an oscar, especially due to the delay. But i got a laugh out of it.
Quick question does anybody know if are labour president, who claimed to be at the peak of fitness, has passed away, its just i havent heard a dickie bird from him, since he got the 250k per annum gig.

tayto lover

john reilly wrote: »

One that I liked and didnt imagine. was the feigned surprise on our wonderful presidents face when the glorious queen uttered the statutory bit of gaelige. It was hardly worthy of an oscar, especially due to the delay. But i got a laugh out of it.
Quick question does anybody know if are labour president, who claimed to be at the peak of fitness, has passed away, its just i havent heard a dickie bird from him, since he got the 250k per annum gig.

You wouldn't have heard anything from Gallagher either. He'd probably have been out doing his door-to-door rounds collecting brown envelopes or filling in 5k a time G.A.A. grant applications.