Bye Bye Chris Andrews

imme

"Who?" you might well ask.

Quite a sad story, former TD Chris Andrews has resigned from Fianna Fail.

Not sad for Fianna Fail but sad for politics.

Andrews was behind tweets on Twitter that were seen as generally negative about FF and the current leadership.

Andrews seems to have been caught up in the idea that Twitter can change the world and control opinion, a common enough Social Media conception.

One tweet involved slagging off FF dynasties. Andrews is the son of a former TD and the nephew of a former TD.

Andrews' potential didn't distinguish him from his backbench colleagues and has nothing from his days on Dublin City Council to make him memorable or that he stuck out for.

A bit of a non story really, 'disgruntled former TD resigns from broken party'.

Just a bit of a 'meh' story.

Anyone going to miss Andrews?

Boulevardier

Yes. I thought he was one of the less obnoxious FF-ers, as was his dad Niall. I even gave him a middling preference last year, which I would not have done with most others of that ilk.

He was very outspoken on the Middle East in particular.

He may be back - in fact, he almost certainly will be if O'Cuiv takes over.

Sunnyisland

Maybe his first cousin Ryan tubridy will have him on the late late in september to give his say ....................

SocSocPol

No real loss to politics, hopefully the rest of that failed and outdated entity that is FF will follow suit.

scotchannie

he's also the brother of Barry Andrews ex minister of state for children ... so there

GSF

imme wrote: »

Not sad for Fianna Fail but sad for politics

Why is it sad for politics? Because he got found out? Surely thats good for politics - unless you condone his behaviour and unwillingness to put his name to what he was saying?

Boulevardier

Are you sure Chris is Barry Andrews' brother? I was wondering if Barry was in fact the son of David Andrews, who is Niall's brother, which would make Barry Chris's cousin.

The comedian David McSavage is also a member of one of those 2 Andrews families.

The grandpa was Todd Andrews, who fe***d up our railway system in the 1950s.

thecommietommy

imme wrote: »

One tweet involved slagging off FF dynasties. Andrews is the son of a former TD and the nephew of a former TD. ........ A bit of a non story really, 'disgruntled former TD resigns from broken party'.

Just a bit of a 'meh' story.

Anyone going to miss Andrews?

" slagging off FF dynasties " - Andrews grandfather Todd was a founder of FF in 1926. His father Niall was a TD and an MEP while his uncle David was also a TD for Dun Laoghaire. Will he stand as an Independent ? Still FF are falling apart regardless, did you ever think you'd see the day

imme

GSF wrote: »

Why is it sad for politics? Because he got found out? Surely thats good for politics - unless you condone his behaviour and unwillingness to put his name to what he was saying?

maybe more bad rather than sad.
Either way it's unedifying and does nothing for politics.

No I don't condone his behaviour.

I don't think Andrews himself is any particular loss. He struck me as rather useless.
He wasn't a top tier politician and didn't seem likely to be either.

The whole cheap angle of the story reminds me of writer Paul Theroux trying to explain to a foreigner that 1970's US Vice President Spiro Agnew

had to resign after fiddling his personal taxes for relatively minimal gain, albeit Andrews wasn't top tier.

raymon

His alter ego had some great points in my opinion

1) FF has no future and should disband
2) M Martin shouldn't be leader because of lack of integrity
3) There should be no place for Willie o dea in FF
4) FF has no core values
5) FF treated Crowley badly in the presidential nomination

However he showed real FF style dishonesty in the manner in which he viewed his opinions

imme

raymon wrote: »

His alter ego had some great points in my opinion

1) FF has no future and should disband
2) M Martin shouldn't be leader because of lack of integrity
3) There should be no place for Willie o dea in FF
4) FF has no core values
5) FF treated Crowley badly in the presidential nomination

However he showed real FF style dishonesty in the manner in which he viewed his opinions

He read an article in the Irish Times (Noel Whelan) and liked it. Did he have anything constructive or anti the official line when his party was in power.

Maybe they had integrity then and held the high moral ground in his opinion. :rolleyes:

raymon

I wonder if he had an alterego on boards.ie too .

Anyone encounter a "brianformerff " or someone similar ?

Lapin

He's proven himself to be a bit of a gobshíte after this episode.

Wouldn't trust his judgement now.

Shea O'Meara

Like O'Cuiv; pipe up and distance yourself in a blatant attempt to gain some moral high ground in the face of dim witted FFailers, who still have wet dreams about the traitor and thief DeValera, regardless of how much they get stood on and bull****ted to, generation after generation.

FFailer party members are not unlike disgraced evangelists still preaching while looking after themselves above all others.

Laminations

His criticisms about FF are pretty spot on though. Most FFers can't recognise the rottenness of their party family. It must be difficult to separate yourself from a party you've dedicated yourself to and look objectively on the performance. Home truths are hard truths. And with massive cognitive dissonance from being part of something he now dispises, he did develop a social media alter ego, a critic in cognito that's allow him to distance himself from the insults and accusations he was throwing. Not a fan of Freudian psychoanalysis but it looks like Ego Defense mechanisms lessening the distress of an uncomfortable reality.

Extreme projection: The blatant denial of a moral or psychological deficiency, which is perceived as a deficiency in another individual or group

Fantasy: Tendency to retreat into fantasy in order to resolve inner and outer conflicts.

Passive aggression: Aggression towards others expressed indirectly or passively such as using procrastination.

Dissociation: Temporary drastic modification of one's personal identity or character to avoid emotional distress; separation or postponement of a feeling that normally would accompany a situation or thought

Sand

GSF wrote: »

Why is it sad for politics? Because he got found out? Surely thats good for politics - unless you condone his behaviour and unwillingness to put his name to what he was saying?

So, if its disagreeable for someone to express their political views anonymously...what are you up to then?

I don't see that Andrews has done anything particularly wrong - certainly nothing worse than most posters on this board have done. Its only a big deal in the sleazy little world of Official Ireland.

wes

Chris Andrews was TD for where I live, and he seemed like a decent sort mostly. Its probably for the best that he has left FF.

poeticseraphim

Boulevardier wrote: »

Are you sure Chris is Barry Andrews' brother? I was wondering if Barry was in fact the son of David Andrews, who is Niall's brother, which would make Barry Chris's cousin.

The comedian David McSavage is also a member of one of those 2 Andrews families.

The grandpa was Todd Andrews, who fe***d up our railway system in the 1950s.

This is why our country is the way it is ....families and their idiot relatives

FF are delusional i have no idea what it would take to clean up Irish politics and change it.
FF needs to disband?..YES OBVIOUSLY!
But even when calling for complete honesty, he cannot be but a conning snake oil merchant!
Martin is lacking in any redeeming characteristics as a politician.

They cannot and should not be allowed to exist in this country any longer after what has happened.

We can NEVER attempt to clean up Irish politics while they exist in my opinion. Those ties need to be severed...for good ...

They must disband...and yes they haveno core values...i doubt he does either to be honest.

Laminations

FF are down and out, licking their wounds and taking account. While they undoubtedly damaged Irish politics and many senior members did a huge disservice to the offices they held, they are not a threat to Irish politics in their current state.

The real pressure for political reform needs to be piled on FG and Labour. They have the power now to make a difference, the opportunity for radical change. They cannot forget that the message sent to FF was not just about economic mismanagement but abouts people being sick of typical Irish politics. Im still waiting for this government to impress me.

nuac

Very interesting how his tweets were traced back to him.

Good thread on that on poliics.ie

Laminations

nuac wrote: »

Very interesting how his tweets were traced back to him.

Good thread on that on poliics.ie

Searching for that I came across this

Maybe he went all ANON because of reactions to him public ally criticising FF?

The anonymity thing really doesn't bother me, it can't from behind my makey-uppy screen name. All that matters is the veracity of his claims (I don't know what he was saying other than what's relayed here as I was unaware of all this) and whether FF members are taking them on board

poeticseraphim

I actually think this is BS

Fianna Fáil members know they should disband but have to much self interest.

So some of them will split and form another party..it will be called ..the Democratic left something or other and they will procede to pulverise their ex brethren. But it is just to take advantage of the situation. This is the start of it.

It will be spun as a break up...but really it is just the worst of the crooks and people who got us into this or at best the ones who helped them setting up shop under a new name.

Like getting a police record deleted.

I just hope the public don't fall for it.

eigrod

Interesting the extremes that Carroll went to to track him down, and how relatively easy it was to do so.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/husband-unmasked-former-ff-td-chris-andrews-after-phantom-tweets-targeted-wife-3202402.html

Husband unmasked former FF TD Chris Andrews after phantom tweets targeted wife

Friday August 17 2012

14 Comments
FORMER Fianna Fail TD Chris Andrews was unmasked as a phantom tweeter in a sophisticated sting by the husband of a businesswoman he criticised.

Mr Andrews quit the party this week after being unmasked as the dissenting Twitter user @brianformerff -- and fresh details have emerged of how he was identified.

Using the Twitter account, Mr Andrews posted more than 300 tweets, many criticising Micheal Martin and other senior Fianna Fail figures.

But his identity was uncovered not because he criticised party policy or leadership, but because he "questioned the professional integrity" of a Dublin businesswoman.

Her husband, in turn, moved to identify the source of the tweets and tracked Mr Andrews to a south Dublin internet cafe.

Kathryn Byrne, a self-employed businesswoman who runs a PR firm in south Dublin, last night confirmed to the Irish Independent how the sting was pulled off.

Ms Byrne, who is also a member of the Fianna Fail national executive, said Mr Andrews had used the Twitter account @brianformerff to question her personal and professional integrity.

She said the "online vendetta" spurred her husband Eddy Carroll, a director and chief technical officer of tech company Amulet Devices, into action.

Ms Byrne, whose Limelight Communications company is based on Grand Canal Street, Dublin, last night said: "Eddy Carroll has never been a member of Fianna Fail or any other political party. Ironically, had Chris Andrews restricted his comments to purely political matters, Eddy would have had no motivation to track him.

"It was only when Chris started questioning his wife's professional integrity and reputation that he felt he must take action."

The married couple live in Sandymount, just miles from the Rathmines internet cafe where Mr Carroll eventually tracked Mr Andrews down.

Ms Byrne was elected one of the party's vice-presidents at the ard fheis earlier this year, and was one of only two members of the national executive who abstained on the vote to bring forward a motion to expel Bertie Ahern from the party in the wake of the Mahon Report.

The sting operation involved Mr Carroll setting up another Twitter account called @john_cant_type and interacting with Mr Andrews's fake account.

Mr Carroll then posted a link to an article which was picked up by Mr Andrews, which enabled Mr Carroll to identify the unique IP address of the computer Mr Andrews was using. This was tracked down to a computer in the Amazon internet cafe in Rathmines.

Mr Carroll then waited on tweets from @brianformerff and went to the cafe to catch Mr Andrews in action, using photo and video surveillance.

Dossier

Mr Carroll compiled a 35-page dossier on his sting -- which some in FF thought was excessive in itself -- and submitted it to party bosses.

In her statement, Ms Byrne said her husband "spent in total five to six hours spread over several months on this discovery". She added: "His motivation was simple. His wife, Kathryn Byrne, a member of Fianna Fail's national executive and a self-employed business woman, was one of the subjects of this online vendetta.

"A number of @brianformerff's tweets called into question her personal and professional integrity.

"On learning that Chris Andrews was the person behind @brianformerff, he wrote a report detailing how the discovery was made and listing the various tweets.

"This was submitted to Fianna Fail headquarters. Eddy Carroll and Kathryn Byrne understand that FF HQ sought independent legal and IT advice, and subsequently held a meeting with Chris Andrews and were awaiting a response from him.

"This report was anonymously leaked to the press without Eddy Carroll or Kathryn Byrne's knowledge or consent in the last week.

"They had no desire to have Chris Andrews publicly embarrassed in any way."

Mr Andrews did not respond to requests for comment last night, but in a weekend interview he said he quit Fianna Fail because of disenchantment with leader Micheal Martin, and frustration over the direction of the party.

His resignation from the party only came to light at the same time as the Twitter incident.

Mr Andrews also insisted his resignation was not linked to the Twitter fiasco.

Fianna Fail is a party that his grandfather Todd Andrews helped found, and which his father Niall, uncle David and cousin Barry also served.

- Fiach Kelly Political Correspondent

Irish Independent

Laminations

Ms Byrne was elected one of the party's vice-presidents at the ard fheis earlier this year, and was one of only two members of the national executive who abstained on the vote to bring forward a motion to expel Bertie Ahern from the party in the wake of the Mahon Report.

I think her integrity IS called into question.

Laminations

"A number of @brianformerff's tweets called into question her personal and professional integrity.

Does anyone have a link or list to what he was saying about her?

raymon

Laminations wrote: »

I think her integrity IS called into question.

Careful Laminations , you will have the FF secret police taking photos of you and going through your recycling bin before you know it

Laminations

raymon wrote: »

Careful Laminations , you will have the FF secret police taking photos of you and going through your recycling bin before you know it

Well this is why I want to know what he said about her. It is perfectly reasonable to question her integrity over her attitude towards Bertie (especially post Mahon) - not so much if it was related to her PR firm or personal (more private) behaviour.

raymon

Laminations wrote: »

Well this is why I want to know what he said about her. It is perfectly reasonable to question her integrity over her attitude towards Bertie (especially post Mahon) - not so much if it was related to her PR firm or personal (more private) behaviour.

I agree

I am also looking forward to seeing the full transcript of the tweets

walrusgumble

imme wrote: »

"Who?" you might well ask.

Quite a sad story, former TD Chris Andrews has resigned from Fianna Fail.

Not sad for Fianna Fail but sad for politics.

Andrews was behind tweets on Twitter that were seen as generally negative about FF and the current leadership.

Andrews seems to have been caught up in the idea that Twitter can change the world and control opinion, a common enough Social Media conception.

One tweet involved slagging off FF dynasties. Andrews is the son of a former TD and the nephew of a former TD.

Andrews' potential didn't distinguish him from his backbench colleagues and has nothing from his days on Dublin City Council to make him memorable or that he stuck out for.

A bit of a non story really, 'disgruntled former TD resigns from broken party'.

Just a bit of a 'meh' story.

Anyone going to miss Andrews?

It all sounds rather self serving and sour grapes. He was not man enough to do all of this in person, and he probably would not be saying all of that had he won his seat

later12

eigrod wrote: »

Interesting the extremes that Carroll went to to track him down, and how relatively easy it was to do so.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/husband-unmasked-former-ff-td-chris-andrews-after-phantom-tweets-targeted-wife-3202402.html

Did you see this?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056671327

Coyler

later12 wrote: »

Did you see this?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056671327

And did you notice the OP claims he or she works for Amulet Devices. If that isn't Mr Carroll, it's an incredible coincidence

SaoriseBiker

Another FF dynasty falls. How long will the party survive ?