The Arrogance of Micheal Martin by Joe McVeigh

 

This country has more than its fair share of arrogant politicians and near the top of that list is the Fianna Fail leader, Michael Martin, the TD from Cork. It is difficult to know what this man’s motives are other than hatred of Sinn Fein and the fear that they will overtake and wipe out his beloved FF. His remarks today on RTE radio in the wake of Martin McGuinness’ resignation were pathetic. He had not the grace to acknowledge the important role Martin has played in bringing peace to this country and the role he has played in the northern executive during the past 10 years. All that Martin could do was denounce both Sinn Fein and the DUP. There was no attempt by him to place the blame for the current crisis where it belongs with Arlene Foster and the DUP. For Michael Martin this was another opportunity to hammer Sinn Fein.

Michael Martin represents the worst elements in Fianna Fail. They use every opportunity to besmirch the reputation of Sinn Fein leaders. They not only attack Sinn Fein but those of us who over many years have been working to bring about peace with justice on this island. I remember in the early 1990s when I was involved in the reopening of the border roads I had to endure accusations and condemnation from a FF gombeen man in Donegal.  These FF are a total disgrace and they should have no part in the future political life of this country especially after what they did to ruin the economy in the 26 counties.

 

I have known some decent people in FF especially along the border but they are not represented by the smooth talking Cork man.

Michael Martin thinks that he and FF will one day be back in power. God help Ireland if that ever comes about.

34 Responses to The Arrogance of Micheal Martin by Joe McVeigh

  1. Bridget Cairns January 11, 2017 at 3:37 pm #

    he is one despicable, opportunistic, hate-filled so called politician kept as leader of FF by like minded people sadly.

    • paul January 11, 2017 at 4:07 pm #

      He is the ultimate hypocrite, rails against FG( deservedly so) and then is so desperate to be in government he goes into coaltion with FG. With a few exceptions FF has long ago lost its roots. A true leader will attempt to fix problems and build trust. Martin ‘s entire reason to be seems to be to denigrate and rail against SF. He is an an embarrassment

  2. Cal January 11, 2017 at 3:59 pm #

    Martin only opens his mouth on the north in order to criticise SF. At this point I doubt anyone is actually listening to him. The man would need a map to drive to Dundalk ffs.

    • jessica January 11, 2017 at 5:05 pm #

      The Fianna Gael coalition where Michael Martin allows Enda Kenny to stay on as permanent Taoiseach forgoing his offer for time share in the role, just so Fianna Fail can pretend that anything the public are unhappy about was nothing to do with them.

      The Mexican stand off over rent was a joke of a sham.
      Both the Fine Gael and Fianna Fail parties are crammed with landlords all rubbing their hands with the 12% rate increase over 3 years when a rate reduction is so desperately needed and a severe investment in housing construction to guarantee any losses over US repatriation have less impact while resolving a disgraceful homeless issue.

      Only in Ireland eh.

      Perhaps the people are not as stupid as Fianna Fail thinks they are.

  3. Perkin Warbeck January 11, 2017 at 6:33 pm #

    Dressed like a tailor’s dummy, Mícheál Martin, is more, much more than just that.

    He also belongs in the great, unbroken, outspoken tradition of ventriloquist’s dummies, from Emu to Orville the Duck to Lamb Chop to Finnegan to the one with the ultimate Cork pedigree, Charlie McCarthy.

    No surprise then, that the Fianna Failure’s in-house ventriloquist is none other than his fellow Leesider on Liffeyside, E-Harris, boy. Dis pair of langers speak de same political language, like.

    E-Harris graduated from being a v’s dummy to being a ventriloquist himself.

    This was back in the day when as a hack in RTE during the original fake-news heyday of Section 31 Eoghainín na nAontacthoirií found himself as the bréagán for his master, Conor Cruise O Bolgchainteoir.

    On the current affairs programme: Féach (pronounced Fake).

  4. Sherdy January 11, 2017 at 7:12 pm #

    Michael Martin likes to think of himself as the ‘cute hoor’ of Ireland, but he hasn’t the grace to carry it off.
    His small-mindedness will always hinder and thwart his ambitions!

  5. MT January 11, 2017 at 7:36 pm #

    “Michael Martin represents the worst elements in Fianna Fail. They use every opportunity to besmirch the reputation of Sinn Fein leaders.”

    And how is this ant different to SF using opportunities to besmirch FF?

    “They not only attack Sinn Fein but those of us who over many years have been working to bring about peace with justice on this island. I remember in the early 1990s when I was involved in the reopening of the border roads I had to endure accusations and condemnation from a FF gombeen man in Donegal. These FF are a total disgrace and they should have no part in the future political life of this country especially after what they did to ruin the economy in the 26 counties.”

    So it’s a disgrace if FF play a part in the future because of damage done by economic policies, but OK for SF to play a part despite terrible human damage inflicted by murder and terrorism?

    • jessica January 11, 2017 at 8:32 pm #

      It was unionism who started the murder and terrorism MT.
      That is fact, starting with murders and shootings carried out by the UVF and RUC in the late 1960s.

      Is it not time to end this arrogance that you, unionism in general, and the DUP have about taking responsibility for your actions.

      If it wasn’t for unionism, there would have been no conflict and no terrible human damage inflicted whatsoever.

      • MT January 11, 2017 at 9:22 pm #

        “It was unionism who started the murder and terrorism MT. That is fact, starting with murders and shootings carried out by the UVF and RUC in the late 1960s.”

        Even if that were true, it’s entirely irrelevant.

        • jessica January 11, 2017 at 9:37 pm #

          “It was unionism who started the murder and terrorism MT. That is fact, starting with murders and shootings carried out by the UVF and RUC in the late 1960s
          “Even if that were true, it’s entirely irrelevant.”

          You must be following the DUP handbook, anything you don’t like is not true and even if it is true it is irrelevant because only your opinion matters.

      • Dominic Hendron January 11, 2017 at 9:42 pm #

        The political slogan of the 70s was shop fast while the shops last.

        • jessica January 11, 2017 at 9:44 pm #

          How low can you go Dominic?

          • Sherdy January 11, 2017 at 10:05 pm #

            Those of us who lived through the troubles sometimes survived on black humour, as the health service provided no help in coping mentally!

          • Dominic Hendron January 11, 2017 at 10:27 pm #

            I ask questions Jessica, it’s as simple as that

          • Dominic Hendron January 12, 2017 at 7:40 am #

            Imagine the stress of being a shop owner in the early 70s

          • Dominic Hendron January 12, 2017 at 7:41 am #

            Imagine the stress of being a shop owner in the early 70s,or a shopworker for that matter

  6. Bridget Cairns January 11, 2017 at 9:41 pm #

    MT have not noticed any comments from you in the past couple of days, perhaps I have missed them or there again it could be you are back at your old stomping ground of attack SF…………………………..love to know what you think of MMcG resignation & AF responses. Please do not throw back one of your usual open ended questions.

    • MT January 11, 2017 at 9:46 pm #

      MT have not noticed any comments from you in the past couple of days, perhaps I have missed them or there again it could be you are back at your old stomping ground of attack SF…………………………..love to know what you think of MMcG resignation & AF responses. Please do not throw back one of your usual open ended questions.”

      I think it’s sad, pathetic and disappointing. What do you think of it?

      • jessica January 11, 2017 at 9:50 pm #

        Why do you think it is sad, pathetic and disappointing?

      • Micheál Céitinn January 11, 2017 at 11:28 pm #

        Just wondering there MT,,who or what,do you think caused this “sad,pathetic,disappointment ?

        • MT January 11, 2017 at 11:32 pm #

          “Just wondering there MT,,who or what,do you think caused this “sad,pathetic,disappointment ?”

          The DUP. Who do you think?

          • Micheál Céitinn January 12, 2017 at 4:05 pm #

            At least i agree with you on that,,the British and Irish Governments also bear a responsability as co guarantores of the good friday agreement,for their failure to do their job,,our Taoiseach is too infuriated in the Dáil with Sinn Féin,,blameing Gerry Adams for “the troubles”,,a bit like the arrogance of DUP in north,,British government seem totally disinterested but Brexit should show their true hand.The truth of the matter is politicans ,North and South fear the rise of Sinn Féin,and will stop at nothing to undermine that,,constitutional politics no doubt !!!

  7. Alex January 11, 2017 at 10:02 pm #

    Political opportunism is FF’s speciality, and to think they claim the title of ‘The Republican Party’.
    I really hope they enter the political arena up North so we can tell them where to go for they are about 40 years too late. Gombeens indeed.

  8. Brian Patterson January 12, 2017 at 10:33 am #

    Micheál Martin reached the apotheosis of his career when he introduced the smoking ban in public buildings in the early noughties, making the republic the first jurisdiction in the world to so do. It was a bold imaginative act and the then young(ish) minister faced down the neanderthals of his own party. We could have hoped for much from him then.
    However his nadir was subsequently plumbed when he spoke at the unveiling of a monument to Francis Drake in Co. Cork. The same Drake who ordered the slaughter of six hundred children, women and men on Rathlin Island. This gesture could only be compared to a hypothetical situation wherein a minister in the government of the Czech Republic were to unveil a monument to Adolph Eichmann who gave the order to slaughter the populations of the villages of Ludice Chelmno and Ležáky.
    While I am no cheerleader for Sinn Féin or Gerry Adams, Martin’s attacks on them have been opportunistic and self serving. The week after excoriating Adams over th Austin Stack affair , Martin had the effrontery to address a commemoration in honour of Liam Lynch, the sea-green incorruptible of the Republican Pantheon. Lynch it may be rembered authorised the shooting of Anti-Treaty Deputy Seán Hales,and the killing of Free State Justice Minister Kevin O’Higgins’s elderly father. In addition he issued a fatwah sanctioning the killing of pro-treaty judges and newspaper editors. 2016 was not the first time Michael had spoken at the Lynch commemoration. In 2013 he delivered a speech fulsome in its praise of the Republican icon referring to him as “one of the great figures in the fight for Irish freedom”, who ” would not sit back and accept that Ireland must accept a limit to its ambitions”. Without a hint of irony Martin extolled “the scale of what was achieved by the IRA” against enormous odds. He exalted the “spirit of the people and of the fighters” in fighting the “military and economic goliath”. Going on to speak about another ruthless anti-treatyite Seán Lemass, Martin remarked that Lemass “disliked the way that taunting about the Civil War developed in the Dáil in later years”. He (Martin) could only imagine what Lemass would think of such “infantile tribal attacks” being made by (Fine Gael)Cabinet ministers in the 21 st century. The tanscript of Martins’ speeches at the Lynch commemoration are available on line. But not what he said at the Drake commemoration. Pity.

    • MT January 12, 2017 at 6:55 pm #

      “Micheál Martin reached the apotheosis of his career when he introduced the smoking ban in public buildings in the early noughties, making the republic the first jurisdiction in the world to so do.”

      This is untrue. California state and New York City had smoking bans in place several years in advance of Southern Ireland.

  9. Dominic Hendron January 12, 2017 at 1:03 pm #

    Smart men with long memories will be the death of us.

  10. Brian Patterson January 12, 2017 at 1:10 pm #

    A profound remark Dominic.

  11. Brian Patterson January 12, 2017 at 7:10 pm #

    MT. mea culpa MT, I should have insertted the word “nationlal” befoe “jurisdiction” . Even then I would have been wrong as the “Free State” is a nation. I should probably just have said “member of the United Nations”. But anyway, fair play.

  12. Brian Patterson January 12, 2017 at 7:12 pm #

    Anyway MT, have you an opinion on commemorating Drake?

    • MT January 12, 2017 at 7:16 pm #

      “Anyway MT, have you an opinion on commemorating Drake?”

      Who or what is Drake?

  13. Brian Patterson January 12, 2017 at 8:41 pm #

    Sir Francis Drake MT. Tch, tch!

    • MT January 12, 2017 at 8:46 pm #

      What is the relevance of Sir Francis Drake?

  14. Beachguy January 17, 2017 at 6:00 am #

    Drake is a rapper canoodling with some vacuous reality TV type with big boobs. Get with it MT !