Bertie ahern

Mrcaramelchoc

This guy needs to **** off and retire under a rock somewhere. He s passed it and no one gives a toss what his opinions are. He ruined the country when he was in charge and made us all pay for it.

Seriously bertie piss off and get a hobby. Removing landmines somewhere preferably.

Atlantic Dawn

He's on a pension of €134,500 plus to make you feel even better.

I'd love him to go for President, the debates would be pure gold.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191179#Comment_118191179

I'm afraid that horse has long bolted. This one was responsible for a six figure "bonus", paid for the conservatory in Marbella. All the other white collar criminals looked on in envy.

Allinall

Just get another bowl of cornflakes OP.

Its not a big deal.

Kermit.de.frog

All he said was there were loyalist ghettos in the north. Is it wrong?

There are also nationalist ghettos.

Yurt2

Seriously clumsy and inappropriate comment from "the peacemaker"(tm) given the delicacy of the political situation.

Bertie longs to be respected and known for something other than driving the country into a wall. We'd nearly let him have the peace process (even though his input was around the peripheries in reality) and write everything else off as a bad dream.

Effects

He's pretty much forgiven now, isn't he?

Most people realised they would do the same thing he did, if they had the chance.

Speak Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191354#Comment_118191354

What? Most people would bankrupt the country given the chance?

JupiterKid

As my late father opined “a chancer of the highest order, a corner boy, fence sitter and glorified grifter.”

Yep, that’s about right.

Effects

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191371#Comment_118191371

Moat people would take bribes and back handers.

Current government not doing much better than Bertie.

VinLieger

Will never give him a vote but he knows what hes talking about when it comes to NI and his comment in my opinion was spot on. I honestly don't see what people are finding so wrong with it, there are ghettos in East Belfast and i dont see whats wrong with him stating that.

Capt'n Midnight

Friday morning, October 18, 1991 - Charlie Haughey put his head around the door, pointed at Bertie Ahern and declared:

"He's the man. He's the best, the most skilful, the most devious, and the most cunning of them all."

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191354#Comment_118191354

Far from it, I cant think of another living Irish politician more universally despised. Leo & MM don't even come close. Lowry or the Healy-Rae's?

I thought he had died a while back, I must have been confusing him with someone else 😂

Effects

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191430#Comment_118191430

If he's so despised, then why is he back in the public eye, on the radio, on TV?

And people clearly love Lowry and the Haely-Raes or they wouldn't be voting for them every time there's an election.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191486#Comment_118191486

The Healy-Raes are absolutely loved in Kerry.

They are hated by the media and on social media like boards, Twitter etc.. Nobody in Kerry cares about what the media or social media thinks about it though.

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191486#Comment_118191486

1. He's a former taoiseach, they will always have a platform, and being one who is so divisive will garner more clicks, comment, debate etc.
2. There's a substantial portion of the people of Tipp & Kerry clearly love them, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone else from outside of those that are generally indifferent to them

Bertie raised his head a few times over the past few years to see which way the wind was blowing, put out feelers for a tilt at the presidency. He quickly shuffled off for another few months when he realised the mood was sour. I don't think its changed that much since

km991148

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191405#Comment_118191405

I don't think there are "ghettos".. it's a bit strong really.

Sleepy

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if Bertie Ahern had any love for Ireland, he'd swallow a bullet and save us the cost of his pension.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191448#Comment_118191448

wishful thinking?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191737#Comment_118191737

Haha, God only knows who I was confusing him with 🙃

BENDYBINN

Bertie didn’t force us to queue for three days so we could buy phase three of “the meadows”......and boast in the pub how much our property has increased in a few months. When it all went wrong it was Bertie who bankrupt the country....Jesus wept.

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191633#Comment_118191633

Its far from the first time these areas have been reffered to as ghettos

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/apr/11/boris-johnson-posturing-has-put-northern-ireland-fragile-peace-at-grave-risk

The statistic that sticks in my head is that these ghettos have the lowest level of educational attainment in Europe.

Yurt2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191914#Comment_118191914

He was merely the Pied Piper, which ultimately as former Finance Minister and Taoiseach he needs to own. Sure, a lot of people were eager to swallow the lie, but leadership is leadership, and there were people at the time trying to stop the madness as well.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191914#Comment_118191914

No. However, it was his job to ensure that his government were following fiscal prudence rather than encouraging bubble economics and telling those who disagreed to head off and top themselves.

rolling boh

For me Bertie was right what he said I would think not that many north or south know much about the workings of the protocol but as usual in the north any perceived threat to the union stirred up by politicians trumps everything we see it time and time again.

thefallingman

his son in law is an even bigger head wreck

trashcan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191633#Comment_118191633

Incredibly clumsy of him to say it out loud anyway. This from someone who is supposed to be so cunning and devious. Mind you, he was never a stranger to the old foot in mouth disease. Can’t stand him, but in fairness there was more than a grain of truth in what he said. As I said though, pretty badly articulated.

km991148

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118192094#Comment_118192094

yeah I still disagree with the wording - and yeah on top of that - by a so called diplomat - more than clumsy.

BENDYBINN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118191968#Comment_118191968

You're right he made us do it.....

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118192255#Comment_118192255

I didn't say that. However, with the light tough regulation encouraged by his governments, you had the banks handing out mortgages without adequate stress testing. You had banks giving out 110% mortgages. The banks were a law unto themselves.

When things wen't pear shaped, well you know what happened.

Or are we still following the "it was all Lehmans fault" line?