Cowengate: The Barry Cowen drink driving affair

Oops!

It's all one big race up the slippery slope to the top... It really does take a certain kind of brass neck to get there too. We have Lowry in my own area who holds a god like status in the parish and surrounding ones.... I'll give him one thing, his neck is every bit as thick as the likes of CJH and Bertie and the likes of who's named in this thread, you couldn't rattle the man!

expectationlost

and no local reporter ever heard about it?

BonnieSituation

Sam Russell wrote: »

Clearly. It must have been the talk of the town. I think a lot of gossip would have been based on it, and people do not forget.

Now whether they grass him up to outsiders - I doubt it.

They just didn't care. And that's what makes this more bizarre.

He's gonna get elected at GE2021. So the seat was always safe. You then have to ask what his motivation was to obfuscate.

So, was he too thick headed to come clean? Was there even more revelations to come out that he figured they'd fall by the wayside? Or was it quite simply he doesn't have the political wherewithal and nous to play these things on the hoof, say like Ahern didin the period between the Rambo up the tree days to the sob story interview with Dobbo.

The language used throughout has been interesting. The use of "regularising his licence" was telling for me.

It wouldn't surprise me if there's a long oul ban in there from years ago on the old badly maintained locally administered driver file which resulted in a fresh application for a learner's permit later on.

Or, he's one of the beneficiaries of the wiping of penalty points by AGS. Either way...

BonnieSituation

Oops! wrote: »

It's all one big race up the slippery slope to the top... It really does take a certain kind of brass neck to get there too. We have Lowry in my own area who holds a god like status in the parish and surrounding ones.... I'll give him one thing, his neck is every bit as thick as the likes of CJH and Bertie and the likes of who's named in this thread, you couldn't rattle the man!

I always thought CJ could never be touched in the brass neckery stakes. But if you told anyone 25 years ago that Lowry would still be about the place after that meeting with Denis O'Brien in Hartigan's in 1995, they'd laugh at ya.

Lowry is the brass king.

CrabRevolution

HildaOgdenx wrote: »

'FF is bigger than me. It’s definitely bigger than M Martin'

The 'definitely' bit reads as complete arrogance, to me.

It reads as if he's saying "While FF is bigger than Martin, it's debatable whether it's bigger than me."

Mearings

"regularising his licence" can only mean passing the driving test.

Coillte_Bhoy

I wonder why the MSM arent going with this Byrne angle?

Coillte_Bhoy

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

I wonder why the MSM arent going with this Byrne angle?

They have only printed Byrne's denial to McFadden's allegation.

I suppose with the spurned job angle maybe it doesn't feel right to them - I don't know.....

blackwhite

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

I wonder why the MSM arent going with this Byrne angle?

I'm guessing that there's a reluctance to go too hard after someone who's leaked them information - given they want others to keep leaking them information!

blackwhite

blackwhite wrote: »

I'm guessing that there's a reluctance to go too hard after someone who's leaked them information - given they want others to keep leaking them information!

that's actually a great point!

didn't think of that.

BonnieSituation

Mearings wrote: »

"regularising his licence" can only mean passing the driving test.

Or course. But why create a new clunky phrase that could be interpreted in an unintended fashion?

"I passed my test on [insert date]" would surely have been a better bet, especially seeing as there were multiple questions about the vagaries of his bullshít story about the circumstances before the arrest.

BonnieSituation

blackwhite wrote: »

I'm guessing that there's a reluctance to go too hard after someone who's leaked them information - given they want others to keep leaking them information!

That's a cracking point.

Sam Russell

Mearings wrote: »

"regularising his licence" can only mean passing the driving test.

When you regularise something, it suggests that it was irregular before. Now having a learner permit is not irregular. Passing your test is not irregular. So what was 'irregular'.

Was it driving around as if he had a full licence with no 'L' plates and no qualified driver accompaniment? Hmmmm.... that would be irregular alright. Doing it while at TD and Councillor - now that would be irregular alright.

Thinking that as a FF TD you were above the law - well that would be quite OK, and quite usual.

Sam Russell

Sam Russell wrote: »

When you regularise something, it suggests that it was irregular before. Now having a learner permit is not irregular. Passing your test is not irregular. So what was 'irregular'.
.

We're really scraping the barrel now. This can be solved pretty quickly with a dictionary. Irregular can refer to something that is unconventional. It is unconventional for a 49 year old professional to drive on a Learner Permit. Mystery over?

Will we get a live video feed of the driving test?

I guess that he will ace the 3 point turn and probably reversing around a corner too.

Hermy

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

This can be solved pretty quickly with a dictionary.

The politicians use of the word may be quite irregular compared with the dictionary definition.

It could be solved very quickly if politicians just told the truth and stopped constantly trying to bullsh!t their way out of their own mess.

Mossie1975

Still making Sunday paper front page. Heard a preview of the papers this morning and it was suggested in an article that BC was making tentative steps to aligning himself with Jim O’Callaghan with both eyeing up potential FF leadership.

magicbastarder

That's made my morning. He's clearly shows he has leadership qualities.

Mearings

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

We're really scraping the barrel now. This can be solved pretty quickly with a dictionary. Irregular can refer to something that is unconventional. It is unconventional for a 49 year old professional to drive on a Learner Permit. Mystery over?

"I conventionalised my licence." I bet BC would loved to have thought of that phrase.

Sam Russell

Cowen is continue to dig. Best advice ever - When in a hole, stop digging!

He is lawyering up to take on the Gardai - not a good position to be. He must have been noticed by the local Gardai to be driving around without 'L' plates, and without a supervising co-driver (if he did do so). He is playing with fire - they have long memories, and can be vindictive.

magicbastarder

magicbastarder wrote: »

That's made my morning. He's clearly shows he has leadership qualities.

care to explain?

coylemj

Mossie1975 wrote: »

Still making Sunday paper front page. Heard a preview of the papers this morning and it was suggested in an article that BC was making tentative steps to aligning himself with Jim O’Callaghan with both eyeing up potential FF leadership.

I seriously doubt that Jim O'Callaghan needs a BIFFO with a chip on his shoulder on his team to advance his leadership ambitions.

BC might be taking 'tentative steps' to hook himself to JC's wagon but I think he'll quietly be told that he's not wanted.

coylemj

coylemj wrote: »

I seriously doubt that Jim O'Callaghan needs a BIFFO with a chip on his shoulder on his team to advance his leadership ambitions.

BC might be taking 'tentative steps' to hook himself to JC's wagon but I think he'll quietly be told that he's not wanted.

Obviously not the case given the Sunday Times article where he backs Cowen publicly