What's happened to Kevin My-Arse

dd972

Are the Indo still paying him?, the Irish Rod Liddle seems to have gone off the radar altogether, (or ''Irish'' if you're one of those who regard him as foreign as Manchu Pichu by dint of being born in Leicester.)

catallus

The man is a gifted wordsmith!

nullzero

Off being contrary elsewhere I'd assume. Maybe the RA finally caught up with him.

Arsemageddon

He's still fighting a rear guard action every week in the Sunday Times against those ghastly bounders and cads that launched the 1916 rebellion.

For Forks Sake

dd972 wrote: »

Are the Indo still paying him?, the Irish Rod Liddle seems to have gone off the radar altogether, (or ''Irish'' if you're one of those who regard him as foreign as Manchu Pichu by dint of being born in Leicester.)

Long story short, I think he's been writing a book.

Putin

dd972 wrote: »

What's happened to Kevin My-Arse

Probably shafted by somebody.

Aongus Von Bismarck

The finest columnist of the last 20 years in Ireland. Provocative, lucid, contrarian. The left, the right, the Republicans, the Nationalists; the social conservatives - they have all been given a good thorough examination by Myers. He asks questions and inspires outrage. A true polemicist in a world where banality and conforming acceptance are seen as being enlightened.

reprise

He's retired. Have to say, he wrote some great stuff for the Times. Really rattled the cages and it was so blatant.

Yamanoto

Manchu Pichu was clearly the Inca's last great gay resort.

Desolation Of Smug

He's still alive anyway, I passed him on Grafton St the other day. Face on him like a bulldog chewing a nettle.

FactCheck

He retired.

Yeah, he was great. I particularly enjoyed when he turned his contrarian eye on little children born outside of wedlock. He sure showed them what for! Lord knows we Irish had given them far too easy a ride before Myers took up his pen.

super_furry

Didn't he get the arse with someone else at the paper writing about him or am I thinking of someone else?

Pat Mustard

I hope that he eventually finds paradise in the Commonwealth.

His newspaper articles are useful for getting the fire started though.

Dyr

I hear he had to be committed to an institute when he saw the money that jeremy clarckson made by taking Kev's schtick and dumbing it down

Nodin

For Forks Sake wrote: »

Long story short, I think he's been writing a book.

On the inniskillings Regiment, apparently.

mikom

Had a sex change.
Now goes by the name of Katie Hopkins.

Pat Mustard

For Forks Sake wrote: »

Long story short, I think he's been writing a book.

Wonder what title he'll give it:

"West of Britain"

or

"Pride of the Mainland"

Eugene Norman

Actually a very good writer.

I just went to his website, last updated in 2012, some good stuff there.

anncoates

I don't agree with him a lot these days and he's a devout contrarian but I enjoy reading Myers far more than a lot of commentators that fall more squarely in my political court. I - sometimes grudgingly - admire his intelligence and excellent writing.

He wouldn't get half the opprobrium that he gets here if it wasn't for his - admittedly rabid, possibly trolling - attacks on Sinn Fein. That said, he has a lot more actual experience of them - from his time (excellently documented in his memoirs) as a journalist in Belfast in the 70s - than most people here.

Nodin

Eugene Norman wrote: »

Actually a very good writer.

I just went to his website, last updated in 2012, some good stuff there.

Sure you were on Kevin Myers site now?

Nodin

anncoates wrote: »

I don't agree with him a lot these days and he's a devout contrarian but I enjoy reading Myers far more than a lot of commentators that fall more squarely in my political court. I - sometimes grudgingly - admire his intelligence and excellent writing.

He wouldn't get half the opprobrium that he gets here if it wasn't for his - admittedly verging on rabid - attacks on Sinn Fein. That said, he has a lot more actual experience of that - from his time as a journalist in Belfast in the 70s - than most people here.

No, he'd still get it for some of the virtually racist articles he churned out in his latter years, the single mother bashing etc.

Nodin

super_furry wrote: »

Didn't he get the arse with someone else at the paper writing about him or am I thinking of someone else?

That was Waters. Had a solicitors letter sent to a colleague.

anncoates

Nodin wrote: »

No, he'd still get it for some of the virtually racist articles he churned out in his latter years, the single mother bashing etc.

For sure, he could be an awful troll in the later years. Didn't say we're on the same page politically. That said, the single mother one - which was reprehensible - was the only really bad one I remember which isn't to say that there were more.

I think most people would find his account of his time in Belfast a good read though. It's evocative and mostly excellently written and gives a great sense of those tumultuous times, especially if you know Belfast at all. It's also very surprisingly empathetic with the republicans (provisionals and stickies) and not at all with unionism/loyalism given his views in later years,.

Aongus Von Bismarck

anncoates wrote: »

I don't agree with him a lot these days and he's a devout contrarian but I enjoy reading Myers far more than a lot of commentators that fall more squarely in my political court. I - sometimes grudgingly - admire his intelligence and excellent writing.

He wouldn't get half the opprobrium that he gets here if it wasn't for his - admittedly verging on rabid - attacks on Sinn Fein. That said, he has a lot more actual experience of that - from his time as a journalist in Belfast in the 70s - than most people here.

There's a wonderful book about the Official Ira called The Lost Revolution: The Story of The Official IRA and The Workers Party. It goes into detail about the Republican movement in Belfast before the schism that lead to the Provos. Myers was the RTE correspondent in Belfast at the time. He was strongly socialist and republican at that time. Saw what was happening to the Catholic minority. It comes across in his reports from that era.

That said, he formed a deep contempt for the provo movement. Strongly religious and reactionary. Sectarian. Having to justify atrocities based on religion must have changed him.

In a very weird way I can see why he feels so much contempt for Adams. Myers deals in his own vision of the truth. Adams deals in his own vision of fiction.

Eugene Norman

Nodin wrote: »

Sure you were on Kevin Myers site now?

Yeah. I can't link. Btw I am left wing economically, small r republican, and atheist etc etc. I didn't like his b*stards column because satire should be against the powerful. Nevertheless I enjoy me a contrarian.

Nodin

anncoates wrote: »

For sure, he could be an awful troll in the later years. That said, the single mother one - which was reprehensible - was the only really bad one I remember which isn't to say that there were more.

I think most people would find his account of his time in Belfast a good read though. It's evocative and very well written and gives a great sense of those mad times. It's also very surprisingly empathetic with the republicans (provisionals and stickies) and not at all to unionism/loyalism given his views in later years,.

The funny thing is, I never took his anti-republican rants seriously. He'd be there condemning killing, slagging off "a culture of violence" and now and again have a small piece in the same section dedicated to some Irish fella who killed Indians or Africans for the Brits. Struck me as too much doublethink to be sincere.

uch

Blues Clues ??

Nodin

Eugene Norman wrote: »

Yeah. I can't link. Btw I am left wing economically, small r republican, and atheist etc etc. I didn't like his b*stards column because satire should be against the powerful. Nevertheless I enjoy me a contrarian.

O he's that. And he can write well. Wasted talent in many ways imo.

El Weirdo

Nodin wrote: »

That was Waters. Had a solicitors letter sent to a colleague.

Yeah, he was availing of a BOGOF offer that his solicitor was doing at the time.

And back to the OP, to be fair to Myers, he's not in the same league of cuntishness as Rod fucking Liddle.

Areyouwell

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

The finest columnist of the last 20 years in Ireland. Provocative, lucid, contrarian. The left, the right, the Republicans, the Nationalists; the social conservatives - they have all been given a good thorough examination by Myers. He asks questions and inspires outrage. A true polemicist in a world where banality and conforming acceptance are seen as being enlightened.

Speaking of being lucid......

DeadHand

I mightn't have always agreed with Myers' opinions but I always respected the way he presented them. A supremely gifted writer. Knowingly contrarian and prone to puerile flights of fancy. Yet, his ability and inclination to adopt and defend vigorously an unpopular position make him a loss to public discourse.

A man who instinctively went in the opposite direction to the rest of the herd, trusting his own intellect and principles above the prevailing dogma and group think of the day. People like him are essential to any free, democratic society and are becoming progressively rarer. Replaced with the identikit, the safe, the politically correct, the bland.

anncoates

Nodin wrote: »

The funny thing is, I never took his anti-republican rants seriously.

Never quite figured it out Given the relative equanimity of his views in the 70s - albeit the ones he presented retroactively in his memoirs but then again why would he lie about that - it's strange that he went to the extremes he did later on.

Maybe it's because he ended up basically being a paid contrarian and an eloquent and thought provoking (even if the thoughts that were provoked were often murderous) one at that.

You should read Watching The Door. I think you'd enjoy it and be a little surprised by it.

Arsemageddon

anncoates wrote: »

You should read Watching The Door. I think you'd enjoy it and be a little surprised by it.

I'd second that.

DeadHand

I think the thread title is childish and unnecessarily insulting.

Arsemageddon

DeadHand wrote: »

I think the thread title is childish and unnecessarily insulting.

How about we change it to Kevin Farty-pants Bumface?

DeadHand

Arsemageddon wrote: »

How about we change it to Kevin Farty-pants Bumface?

I imagine that would appeal to you.

dd972

DeadHand wrote: »

I think the thread title is childish and unnecessarily insulting.

What? You mean a bit like Ke...

strobe

DeadHand wrote: »

I mightn't have always agreed with Myers' opinions but I always respected the way he presented them. A supremely gifted writer. Knowingly contrarian and prone to puerile flights of fancy. Yet, his ability and inclination to adopt and defend vigorously an unpopular position make him a loss to public discourse.

A man who instinctively went in the opposite direction to the rest of the herd, trusting his own intellect and principles above the prevailing dogma and group think of the day. People like him are essential to any free, democratic society and are becoming progressively rarer. Replaced with the identikit, the safe, the politically correct, the bland.

Like regreggofvckyourselvesmods74, lest we forget, true speakers of the people, the balancing plates of our time, rare lights in the darkness, them both, the sixth estate, when all is said and done.

Eugene Norman

strobe wrote: »

Like regreggofvckyourselvesmods74, lest we forget, true speakers of the people, the balancing plates of our time, rare lights in the darkness, them both, the sixth estate, when all is said and done.

Bad point, incoherently made.

strobe

Eugene Norman wrote: »

Bad point, incoherently made.

That's kinda the point. But nice try.

Venus In Furs

Well versed in Northern Ireland politics having lived there at the height of the conflict.

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

The finest columnist of the last 20 years in Ireland. Provocative, lucid, contrarian.

Yeh attention-seeking for the craic is really worthy of admiration.
Having a genuinely held view that goes against the grain is reasonable; just trying to piss people off isn't.
But even though I hated a lot of his columns, I don't think he deserves to be lumped in with Waters and Harris, and he is not as unbalanced in terms of his views on the North as some think.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/kevin-myers/kevin-myers-tribal-bigotry-is-not-a-response-to-ira-violence-it-was-there-before-26745097.html