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Which Taoiseach has done the most for Ireland?

  • 04-11-2013 06:38PM
    #1
    wretcheddomain
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,094 ✭✭✭


    Pretty self-explanatory; which Taoiseach would you choose that has benefited this country the most?

    Personally, I would have to choose Brian Cowen not least because he became the perfect example of a politician whom we shouldn't vote for, that's got to be viewed as a benefit!

    Who benefited Ireland the most? 169 votes

    W.T. Cosgrave
    0% 0 votes
    Eamon de Valera
    5% 10 votes
    John A. Costello
    12% 21 votes
    Sean Lemass
    0% 1 vote
    Jack Lynch
    35% 60 votes
    Liam Cosgrave
    1% 2 votes
    Charlie Haughey
    1% 2 votes
    Garret FitzGerald
    5% 10 votes
    Albert Reynolds
    15% 27 votes
    John Bruton
    2% 5 votes
    Bertie Ahern
    2% 4 votes
    Brian Cowen
    13% 22 votes
    Enda Kenny
    2% 5 votes


«134

Comments

  • #2
    theblaqueguy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 401 ✭✭theblaqueguy


    Its gotta be bertie for me
    He did a great job!


  • #3
    Mark Twain
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 121 ✭✭Mark Twain


    I truly believe this current government under Enda Kenny will be up there. I can't see him outdoing Lemass, but he is doing an excellent job.

    He will be seen as the man who stood up to the church, was in charge for the successful visits of Barack Obama and her majesty Queen Elizabeth II, made that moving speech after the Magdalene laundry reports, got the country out of the IMF bailout programme, legislated for abortion, and looks likely to do the same with same sex marriage. That's just off the top of my head.


  • #4
    diomed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,744 ✭✭✭diomed


    Easier if the question was
    Which Taoiseach has done the most worst for Ireland?


  • #5
    Sunnyisland
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,562 ✭✭✭✭Sunnyisland


    None of them, they were all politicians and there party's and self came first.


  • #6
    porsche959
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,499 ✭✭✭porsche959


    Lemass probably the best of a bad lot.


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  • #7
    CrazyRabbit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,659 ✭✭✭CrazyRabbit


    Which one served the least amount of time?


  • #8
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,968 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    Lemass may have been FF but he and his camel hair coat cabinet dragged Ireland out of the dark ages, just a pity so much of the work started was not sustained


  • #9
    porsche959
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,499 ✭✭✭porsche959


    CrazyRabbit wrote: »
    Which one served the least amount of time?

    John Brutal.


  • #10
    Amirani
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,622 Mod ✭✭✭✭Amirani


    Probably Lemass. That's not saying he was our best Taoiseach, just that he led during an era that was primed for quite a lot of economic development for Ireland. He did a fair job at facilitating that.

    Socially there's arguments to be made for the likes of Fitzgerald and Reynolds.

    While not being Kenny's biggest fan, I do think he's done a good job of developing Ireland's image abroad, so he's probably worthy of consideration.


  • #11
    MRnotlob606
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,642 ✭✭✭MRnotlob606


    one day i will be fuher


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  • #12
    hansfrei
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 915 ✭✭✭hansfrei


    John Bruton coulda been great.

    If only he was on our side. One crazy fuddermucker.


  • #13
    hansfrei
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 915 ✭✭✭hansfrei


    Mark Twain wrote: »
    I truly believe this current government under Enda Kenny will be up there. I can't see him outdoing Lemass, but he is doing an excellent job.

    He will be seen as the man who stood up to the church, was in charge for the successful visits of Barack Obama and her majesty Queen Elizabeth II, made that moving speech after the Magdalene laundry reports, got the country out of the IMF bailout programme, legislated for abortion, and looks likely to do the same with same sex marriage. That's just off the top of my head.

    The huge rate of suicide, condoning Anglos robbery of the people, driving up inflation during a time of economic recession, stifling growth, targeting the poor and the vulnerable, rewarding tax dodgers, creating the most unequal society we've seen in a hundred years, undoing workers rights, destroying the countries sense of pride......


    Just a few things off the top of my head


  • #14
    Amirani
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,622 Mod ✭✭✭✭Amirani


    hansfrei wrote: »
    driving up inflation during a time of economic recession

    That's not necessarily a bad strategy right now. It reduces the massive debt burden that is probably the main reason behind our economic stagnation.


  • #15
    hansfrei
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 915 ✭✭✭hansfrei


    NiallSparky wrote: »
    That's not necessarily a bad strategy right now. It reduces the massive debt burden that is probably the main reason behind our economic stagnation.

    Its effecting the cost of doing business. Its effecting consumer spending Power. Its creating uncertainty in the market place. Its helping.make society more unequal.

    From my POV.


  • #16
    Stinicker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭Stinicker


    Garret Fitzgerald brought the country back from the brink in the 1980's and set the foundations in place for sustained growth in the 1980's - 1990's, it took Fianna Fail to come along in 1997 and totally wreck all the good things which were attributable to Fitzgerald's government of the 1980's and the Rainbow Coalition in the mid nineties. Fianna Fail never did anything positive other than loot the country and line the pockets of their own corrupt cronies.


  • #17
    Mark Twain
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 121 ✭✭Mark Twain


    hansfrei wrote: »
    The huge rate of suicide, condoning Anglos robbery of the people, driving up inflation during a time of economic recession, stifling growth, targeting the poor and the vulnerable, rewarding tax dodgers, creating the most unequal society we've seen in a hundred years, undoing workers rights, destroying the countries sense of pride......


    Just a few things off the top of my head

    Usual drivel you hear trotted out.

    Suicide is an awful thing, and I am active in the area of suicide prevention, but Ireland has an average suicide rate, not a HUGE one as you said.

    Stifling growth and driving up inflation??? Which one is it buddy. Think you need to sit economics 101. You seem to just hear inflation and immediately assume its bad, because the price of a 20 pack of Major and 6 bottles of bud have gone up.

    You'll have to provide some sort of evidence for the rest of that stuff.

    As for the last point. I've never been more proud of my country. Seeing her Majesty speaking a cupla focal in Dublin castle was as poignant and proud a moment as we've had in decades.


  • #18
    wretcheddomain
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,094 ✭✭✭wretcheddomain


    hansfrei wrote: »
    The huge rate of suicide, condoning Anglos robbery of the people, driving up inflation during a time of economic recession, stifling growth, targeting the poor and the vulnerable, rewarding tax dodgers, creating the most unequal society we've seen in a hundred years, undoing workers rights, destroying the countries sense of pride......


    Just a few things off the top of my head

    But as one of the other posters has said, it's about who did the least worst damage so to speak and focussing purely on the negatives isn't exactly the best way to answer the question.


  • #19
    tricky D
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,698 ✭✭✭tricky D


    W.T. Cosgrave did a helluva job keeping the books in good shape in the 20s, when the British might have reduced the nation economically and fiscally to a basket case. Even de Valera acknowledged this, giving out to his son once when he went on a rant over the then previous government.


  • #20
    porsche959
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,499 ✭✭✭porsche959


    Stinicker wrote: »
    Garret Fitzgerald brought the country back from the brink in the 1980's and set the foundations in place for sustained growth in the 1980's - 1990's, it took Fianna Fail to come along in 1997 and totally wreck all the good things which were attributable to Fitzgerald's government of the 1980's and the Rainbow Coalition in the mid nineties. Fianna Fail never did anything positive other than loot the country and line the pockets of their own corrupt cronies.


    Fitzgerald was probably the worst Taoiseach in history.


  • #21
    _Kaiser_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 29,965 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    Mark Twain wrote: »
    I truly believe this current government under Enda Kenny will be up there. I can't see him outdoing Lemass, but he is doing an excellent job.

    He will be seen as the man who stood up to the church, was in charge for the successful visits of Barack Obama and her majesty Queen Elizabeth II, made that moving speech after the Magdalene laundry reports, got the country out of the IMF bailout programme, legislated for abortion, and looks likely to do the same with same sex marriage. That's just off the top of my head.

    You can't be serious.... (Taken from my post here)
    Enda Kenny...

    - the man who reneged on virtually every pre-election promise the minute he got into power

    - who has been more concerned with being a "good European" than representing the people who put him there

    - who refuses point blank to debate outside the Dail and even there can't do it without resorting to petty name-calling or deflection tactics about whose party did what (as if ANY of the current parties have a spotless history)

    - who's had several members of his party turn against him

    - who 2.5 years on is STILL blaming FF on almost a daily basis

    - who just had his pet-project referendum on abolishing the Seanad defeated, quite possibly due to the above arrogance and sending Bruton out to do the job for him

    - who has a health minister (and party colleague) with apparently less maths ability than Cowen and Bertie having his competence openly questioned by TD's and the media

    .. has suddenly decided he's going to be the one to sort out the welfare system?? A guy who has been in "public service" since 1975 and was "double-jobbing" himself for 30 years.

    And you people believe it? It didn't occur to you that this might just be another populist attempt to win back his core voters after the 2 latest fiascos? An attempt to distract from these rather embarrassing issues, especially with the local/Euro elections coming up?

    Oh and let's not forget Enda's idea of "incentivising" is to push young people back into their parents home (assuming the parents can afford to keep them that is!) or onto a plane. Or extending the massively-abused "Job Bridge" scheme to 18 months - but hey, if it reduces (hides!) the true extent of the problem then sure why not!

    As for your examples above...

    - Stood up to the Church? He made a few populist speeches and the Church told him to whistle for the money they should have paid the victims.

    - Obama/The Queen. What exactly did he do of note there, aside from steal one of Obama's speeches?

    - Out of the Bailout: Really? Cause from what I read over the weekend, it seems to me we're being "encouraged" to take another one

    - Abortion: A half-assed attempt at legislation that only occured after a poor woman died is hardly dealing with the Abortion Issue.
    Luckily the British Pregnancy Advisory Service is still willing to look after Irish women

    Kenny is probably the weakest, most ineffectual "leader" this country has seen in decades (if not ever!). FF may have set the country up for ruin, but Enda and Co quite happily picked up right where they left off.


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  • #22
    Zebra3
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,299 ✭✭✭✭Zebra3


    Mark Twain wrote: »
    I truly believe this current government under Enda Kenny will be up there. I can't see him outdoing Lemass, but he is doing an excellent job.

    He will be seen as the man who stood up to the church, was in charge for the successful visits of Barack Obama and her majesty Queen Elizabeth II, made that moving speech after the Magdalene laundry reports, got the country out of the IMF bailout programme, legislated for abortion, and looks likely to do the same with same sex marriage. That's just off the top of my head.

    This is how good Edna Kenny is.

    Our brave leader. What would we do without him? :eek:

    What a hero!!!

    http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/gene-kerrigan/gene-kerrigan-were-shamed-by-conspiracy-of-silence-26743866.html

    Enjoy paying that 20 billion euro, losers....


  • #23
    Spring Onion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,087 ✭✭✭Spring Onion


    Seriously folks, if Ye think Enda is up there you must have tunnel vision in a very sheltered life. He is a buffoon. His government are puppets. He is leader of FF lite. Check out the national debt clock and wake up to fcuk.

    Lemass #1 for me.


  • #24
    SC Kevin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 245 ✭✭SC Kevin


    where is the "self serving parasite" option? :D


  • #25
    hansfrei
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 915 ✭✭✭hansfrei


    Mark Twain wrote: »
    Usual drivel you hear trotted out.

    Suicide is an awful thing, and I am active in the area of suicide prevention, but Ireland has an average suicide rate, not a HUGE one as you said.

    Stifling growth and driving up inflation??? Which one is it buddy. Think you need to sit economics 101. You seem to just hear inflation and immediately assume its bad, because the price of a 20 pack of Major and 6 bottles of bud have gone up.

    You'll have to provide some sort of evidence for the rest of that stuff.

    As for the last point. I've never been more proud of my country. Seeing her Majesty speaking a cupla focal in Dublin castle was as poignant and proud a moment as we've had in decades.


    I can't be talked down to by someone who looks up to a parasite.

    Echelons 101.


  • #26
    AskMyChocolate
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,312 ✭✭✭AskMyChocolate


    I know my grandfather (who went on to be Fine Gael's minister for Industry & Commerce) always had a huge amount of respect for Sean Lemass.

    They both had guns put to their heads (literally rather than metaphorically), yet managed to work together, cross-party, under the radar, while wounds were still very raw, in an effort to build this country.

    Bord na Mona, ESB, Bord Gais, Coillte, Irish Sugar, Aer Lingus, Irish Cement, RTE, IDA etc.

    Sad to see it all having to be sold off to cover for the gambling debts of a fistful of valueless knackers.:(

    But, I've gone off-thread.

    Sean Lemass IMO.


  • #27
    SoulandForm
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,096 ✭✭✭SoulandForm


    porsche959 wrote: »
    Fitzgerald was probably the worst Taoiseach in history.

    I find him funny in that he thought that social liberalism would appeal to Ulster Protestants- I am an Ulster Protestant and we are probably the least socially liberal people in western Europe.


  • #28
    telekon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,427 ✭✭✭telekon


    porsche959 wrote: »
    Fitzgerald was probably the worst Taoiseach in history.

    No, that would be Bertie.

    Sure, you can throw him down as worst Minister for Finance too while you're at it.


  • #29
    Ugo Monye spacecraft experience
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,221 ✭✭✭Ugo Monye spacecraft experience


    hansfrei wrote: »
    I can't be talked down to by someone who looks up to a parasite.

    Echelons 101.

    Great retort to his reasonable points. You haven't a clue

    Usual bleeding heart liberal soapboxing that gives genuine liberalism a bad name

    Enda Kenny is not responsible for any of the things in your OP, only a fool would think he has had an impact on suicide rates in Ireland

    Then when presented with fact you come up with the crap above

    Pathetic


  • #30
    Forest Demon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 632 ✭✭✭Forest Demon


    Ahern is a spoofing, self serving, arrogant, corrupt scumbag and should be in prison never mind collecting his fat pension. Only in Ireland would people believe the "I won it on a horse" excuse or the whip round excuse. It sickens me to see a single person voting for him in this pole.


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  • #31
    Forest Demon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 632 ✭✭✭Forest Demon


    telekon wrote: »
    No, that would be Bertie.

    Sure, you can throw him down as worst Minister for Finance too while you're at it.

    and the biggest see you next Tuesday :mad:


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