Was Jackie Healy Rae really as thick as he sounded?

He wasn't a fool, nor is Michael Healy Rae.

Danny... Now that's another matter...

Wasnt his wife a professor or something? And his daughter is/was a barrister? To portray them as the village idiots would be a mistake. But then on the other hand you could say its the image that they have crafted and formed by themselves

Ya sure we are all thick down here and I love playing the game away when ye folks trong the place during the summer, all good fun.

I have had dealings with them in a professional capacity and they are definitely not thick. Tbh I admire them for looking after their own constituency whereas many, once they make it big politically, forget where they came from.

He got a deal off Bertie for his local area that a TD these days could only dream about, but of course to the southside Dubs he was just a thick culchie when in reality he was a very smart operator.

Michael is like him, Danny on the other hand would be a bit out there but is still a wealthy man compared to most of the folks who would be laughing at him.

Both of them are guaranteed to be elected for as long as they wish to be in the Dail so its probably them who will be having the last laugh.

The whole family has thier hands in many pockets none of which are thier own .

I once heard a stat that no healy rae (from Jackie to Danny and Michael and all the younger councillors coming up) has ever lost an election - is that still true?

To think that Jackie only went independent because fianna fail wouldn't select him. They missed out on a huge political machine there

I've no idea how they'd do on an IQ test but they're well able to do whatever is necessary to get ahead in life.

I think Dubs in particular don't get the value in letting people think you're less capable than you are. Then the thick culchie follows them into a revolving door and comes out ahead and the Dub is left scratching their head.

The Healy Raes know that and their constituents know that, and that's all that really matters.

The pair of them could give a masterclass in vote management to any of the major parties, they have it to a fine art.

@StupidLikeAFox

Still 100% hit rate through three generations. I'd say the one that ever fail to get elected will be excommunicated.

They were cute enough to run the younger generation in three different constituencies around the county for the 2019 council elections so as not to cannibalise the votes.

Doubtless they all enjoy a good game of chess and a lengthy chat about Dostoevsky and the influence of the Bauhaus after a hard day playing the muck savage.

No. But they clearly think everybody else is.

The great Stephen Fry has an interesting take on the essential difference between British and American comic heroes. See below. The American hero is a wise cracking winner who always gets the girl and wins the cash; the British comic hero is a stuffy dutiful loser who fancies himself as an important agent in a well-ordered meritocratic world but instead gets crapped on from on high and by his won incompetence.

The Irish comic hero is the smartest guy in the room who convinces everybody else he's the stupidest.

That's the Healy Raes all over. Bunch of jokers, but we're the fools.

Thick, probably not. Shifty, dishonest, entitled and arrogant yes.

For the last 10 years the Healy Raes were used by RTE as the figure-heads for everything non-Dublin related or 'down the counthry'. That's grand until it comes to things like the abortion referendum where the Healy-Raes did more damage to the No campaign than the yes campaign ever could.

If it's all an act, then they should do us all a favour and f*ck right off.

Very few politicians actually care about the working class. But the progressive ones pretend.

As a Dub if you want to understand Michael Healy Rae you need to read his book and watch the episode of Living with Lucy, both will give an insight into the mindset.

Michael does not sit still and never has since a young man, what other TD is a Farmer, Multiple other businesses and will still answer his phone to Mary down the lane in the back of beyond and treat her the very same as the millionaire asking for help. Yes he has built vast wealth but shows none of it, i think it will be a classic case of Jackie (started it), Michael (Minded it) and the Kids (blow it)