Who is your Irish political hero?

JohnnyFlash · 17-09-2020 12:44AM #1

It will come as no surprise to the regulars around here, but it's Garret FitzGerald for me.

Who are your Irish political heroes?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIpUL9dAk0U

17-09-2020 12:48AM

T K Whitaker

bobbyy gee · 17-09-2020 12:57AM

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

It will come as no surprise to the regulars around here, but it's Garret FitzGerald for me.

Who are your Irish political heroes?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIpUL9dAk0U

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/may/19/garret-fitzgerald-obituary

17-09-2020 01:39AM

Jedward.

17-09-2020 01:57AM

Michael Collins.

17-09-2020 05:13AM

Deleted User wrote: »

T K Whitaker

But Whitaker was not a politician.
He was a civil servant.

17-09-2020 05:15AM

If we can include NI politicians then John Hume hands down.

If we can't include NI then it's a bit of a head scratcher.

john123470 · 17-09-2020 05:15AM

Maria Bailey

blinding · 17-09-2020 05:22AM

Michael Collins if he had not been daft enough to get himself killed at Béal Na Bláth.

Montage of Feck · 17-09-2020 05:24AM

Dr. Noel Browne

Overheal · 17-09-2020 05:42AM

gemma o'doherty of course

bobbyy gee · 17-09-2020 05:44AM

Gerry Adams
https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/27/world/europe/gerry-adams-fast-facts/index.html

SchrodingersCat · 17-09-2020 06:01AM

John Hume. He put peace before his party when he invited Sinn Fein to the negotiation table.

bobbyy gee · 17-09-2020 06:03AM

blinding wrote: »

Michael Collins if he had not been daft enough to get himself killed at Béal Na Bláth.

maybe not
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-20199508.html

blinding · 17-09-2020 06:07AM

bobbyy gee wrote: »

maybe not
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-20199508.html

The Times that were in it for both sides.

DangerScouse · 17-09-2020 06:09AM

Ronald Regan

Wanderer78 · 17-09-2020 06:12AM

DangerScouse wrote:

Ronald Regan

He went downhill though when he threw the leg over Maggie

Gervais08 · 17-09-2020 06:57AM

Wanderer78 wrote: »

He went downhill though when he threw the leg over Maggie

And we’re done with breakfast ...!!!

Rodney Bathgate · 17-09-2020 07:02AM

Probably Enda Kenny

Yurt2 · 17-09-2020 07:04AM

DangerScouse wrote: »

Ronald Regan

I've never understood the Ronald Reagan (one would think hero worship would extend to knowing how his name was spelled) sycophancy.

The record shows he spent most of his presidency asleep and reading sunny-side-up rhetoric about America's greatness from script put under his nose by aides. Much like Trump, his cognitive faculties were very much under question during his presidency and anything of significance was crafted almost exclusively by his cabinet and he just signed off on things.

Republicans back-filled a history of 'the legend of Reagan' after he left office that has proven curiously useful in courting the naive.

Smee_Again · 17-09-2020 07:08AM

Hard to look past John Hume, one of the few Irish politicians to put his country before his party or himself.

the purple tin · 17-09-2020 07:11AM

Yurt! wrote: »

I've never understood the Ronald Reagan (one would think hero worship would extend to knowing how his name was spelled) sycophancy.

The record shows he spent most of his presidency asleep and reading sunny-side-up rhetoric about America's greatness from script put under his nose by aides. Much like Trump, his cognitive faculties were very much under question during his presidency and anything of significance was crafted almost exclusively by his cabinet and he just signed off on things.

Republicans back-filled a history of 'the legend of Reagan' after he left office that has proven curiously useful in courting the naive.

Don't forget Iran-Contra.

coinop · 17-09-2020 07:12AM

Justin Barrett. Until he established the National Party, Irish politics only had the illusion of an opposition. Every single political party in the country, major or minor, all agreed on the main issues. Pro homosexual marriage, pro mass immigration, pro abortion. Justin Barrett’s party finally provides the Irish electorate with a choice and that can only be a good thing.

EmmetSpiceland · 17-09-2020 07:15AM

Montage of Feck wrote: »

Dr. Noel Browne

Mine too.

Smee_Again · 17-09-2020 07:15AM

coinop wrote: »

Justin Barrett. Until he established the National Party, Irish politics only had the illusion of an opposition. Every single political party in the country, major or minor, all agreed on the main issues. Pro homosexual marriage, pro mass immigration, pro abortion. Justin Barrett’s party finally provides the Irish electorate with a choice and that can only be a good thing.

That they’ve wholeheartedly rejected at every opportunity ðŸ˜‚

Wanderer78 · 17-09-2020 07:25AM

coinop wrote:

Justin Barrett. Until he established the National Party, Irish politics only had the illusion of an opposition. Every single political party in the country, major or minor, all agreed on the main issues. Pro homosexual marriage, pro mass immigration, pro abortion. Justin Barrettâ€™s party finally provides the Irish electorate with a choice and that can only be a good thing.

Who? Think Ronnie got the leg over here to!

FrancieBrady · 17-09-2020 07:30AM

For what and who he delivered it has to be Gerry Adams.

SchrodingersCat wrote: »

John Hume. when he invited Sinn Fein to the negotiation table.

Factually wrong...Fr Alex Reid was the person who began the process as a go between Adams (SF) and the SDLP. He was ignored by Seamus Mallon by the way before approaching Hume.
Adams and Reid actually formulated the idea that the peace could only come by a joint approach by the 'Irish' interests.
the proper FACTUAL view is that Hume was invited by the two above and while his party demurred, Hume accepted the 'invitation'.

osarusan · 17-09-2020 07:47AM

For modern Ireland, it's John Hume. Puts pretty much everybody else in the ha'penny place as far as I am concerned.

Within the context of the ROI, Garret Fitzgerald could have been one of our greatest, but things never fully aligned for him.

When you look back on the list of Taoisigh over the past 50 years, it goes like this (some holding the office more than once):

Jack Lynch, Liam Cosgrave, Charles Haughey, Garret Fitzgerald, Albert Reynolds, John Bruton, Bertie Ahern, Brian Cowen, Enda Kenny, Leo Varadker, Micheal Martin.

It's a pretty uninspirational collection really. You have to go back to Lemass for somebody who combined vision and real results.

Eric Cartman · 17-09-2020 07:58AM

Peter casey, went from dead last in a presidential race to getting 1/4 of the votes of the nation by being brave enough to speak out against the rampant abuse of government money by travellers. A brave man in a time where theres so much pressure and intimidation from pavee point on the media and journalists to gloss over the criminality and entitlement culture within the travelling community that is the single biggest detracting force in rural Ireland

Cookie_Monster · 17-09-2020 08:03AM

Still waiting...

Sorry about that · 17-09-2020 08:05AM

Seán Lemass, for the introduction of children's allowance in 1943.

Who is your Irish political hero?

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