I’m not sure that this offers sufficient substance for an entire blog, but I feel I must say it: wasn’t James Brokenshire a laughable figure on TV yesterday? Here we had this twinkly-eyed boyish figure, who wouldn’t have been born during the height of the Troubles, telling us that he’d decided to allow us an election. Like every other British politician, he knows that the only thing worse than being British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is not being British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Like all such Secretaries, he slips quickly into the ‘we’ of things – as though he were from here, suffered and succeeded with us, his interests inextricably tied up with ours. Which is concentrated horse manure. The fact that the man made the supreme sacrifice of spending (most of) last weekend here tells you everything. And yet here is the man who tells us when we can and cannot have a chance to deliver our ballot-box verdict. Surely commonsense would tell anybody, even a dyed-in-the-wool unionist, that this is an absurd and debasing state of affairs.
Right. Back to the election, and the speeches at Stormont yesterday. In her best red (or was it pink?) blouse, Michelle O’Neill told the Speaker where to go in terms of nominating someone for Deputy First Speaker. I’ve never heard her speak so well. She was reading from a script, but perhaps for that reason her speech speed had slowed down and we were able to catch the emphasis and meaning of what she said. I know those jolly souls on this site who loooove to mock the Shinners will leap on my metaphor, but Michelle O’Neill’s great weakness is the speed of her delivery – it comes at machine-gun rate, mowing down meaning. Were she to learn how to use pauses, she would indeed be a formidable figure.
Another Sinn Féin figure who hasn’t been noticeable in recent days and was seen yesterday was John O’Dowd. God gives us all the face and body we have; in John’s case he was given the face of a merciless street-fighter and a build to match. The fact that when he speaks, he is forceful without being antagonistic, clear without being tedious, is all the more remarkable, given that tough-guy appearance. He’s also grown a beard, I notice, which I think, all things considered, was a good idea.
The third person I heard talking this week was Mairtin O Muilleoir. He was on BBC Radio 4 this morning and he breezed through the interview with customary sure-footedness. He too has a tendency to speak too quickly sometimes, but not this morning. Not the kind of guy you’d like to take on in an argument.
If Martin McGuinness resigns from active politics – and I think he will, if not this side of an election, on the other side – these three – O’Neill, O’Dowd and O Muilleoir – are the three whom many view as being potential successors as Deputy First Minister – or First Minister. I know which I believe would be the best choice, but I’d be interested in hearing what readers think.
They are all well equipped for the top job.
O Muilleoir would be an excellent FM.
Michelle because I fancy her!!!
Join the queue!
Then contrast that to who, is it whom?, the DUP put up, Givan, and this morning Poots. They are both a gift. Givan only opens his mouth to change feet whereas Poots can kep both in there.
When asked about St Andrew’s agreement and why they signed it knowing the Irish Language Act was in it, he was all toes. They just wanted power, they were never going to honour that part of the agreement, nor bill of rights. Just proving the points made by SF.
Then out of the far right comes Allister. Unionists have given enough concessions, he claimed. NOlan, like the rest of the media interrogators let it pass unquestioned.ncan anyone make a list of concessions that were in the unionist gift to give and when they gave them?
Have we ruled Conor Murphy out?
Well it is a long overdue move away from the old faces associated with the IRA.
Hopefully Gerry and indeed Gerry Kelly will also call it a day soon.
I have some respect for McGuinness but this is clearly the right time to go for him.
These three seem a bit lightweight in comparison,but there are hardly any better options.
It would be ironic if we were to be led into our new 32 county socialist republic by a millionaire.
However as I am not at present a SF supporter I am sure I will be told my opinion has no value.
I would like to see a good clear out from Unionism too as the likes of Wilson and Campbell are purely negative and divisive.
“However as I am not at present a SF supporter I am sure I will be told my opinion has no value.”
Nothing like a good old MOPE, Gio. Of course your opinions have value; you need to learn that they are only opinions though. No less value than mine and certainly not more.
ceannaire
MOPE is the default setting round here.
I have been told more than once that as I am not a SF supporter my opinion on their leadership has no value.
But when did I ever suggest my opinions have any more value than anyone elses?
“I would like to see a good clear out from Unionism too as the likes of Wilson and Campbell are purely negative and divisive”
I would love to see Gregory and Marty being Joint First Ministers, would be a laugh lol
Gio, who is the millionaire pray tell
Bridget
I was led to believe John O’Dowd made his first million as a chef in Newry, but if I have been misinformed I am happy to withdraw it!
none of the above.
I don’t want to see a return to Stormont and hope not to see any SF FM or DFM.
Two opinion pieces this morning, Esteemed Blogmeister, proved the not uninteresting fact that not only do Great Minds think alike but indeed that a Great Mind and even a (gulp) Grate Mind can be ad idem (a daarling’ phrase, Joxerum).
Even though the Great and the Grate in this instance are invariably at polar opposite ends of the political spectrum, much in the same way the head of a polar bear is at the opposite end to his rear-end, when seated at their respective Lapland tops.
In today’s pieces both have recourse to a military phrase as they each cast an eye over the forthcoming Election.
In the case of the Great Mind, EB, you mention ‘a machine-gun rate, mowing down meaning’ (see above, Joxer).
In the case of the Grate Mind the military word of choice is w for war. Fintan O’Toole (for it is actually he!) is here electioneering under the heading:
-DUP must be punished for its Brexit folly.
Eh?
Does this mean that the Finest Mind of the Free Southern Stateen is morphing into a (gulp) snaking regarder of the Republican, even of the pub Republican variety, thereby ditching his long-held lounge -bar loyalist leanings?
Well, actually, erm, no. The following tale-telling phrase says it all:
-Sinn Fein has its own agenda in its war with the DUP but there is a much bigger agenda rhubarb, rhubard, rhubard.
Hmmm.
In a solemn column which is short with Sinn Féin (only one mench !) and long on the predictable pong of horse manure, it was entirely foreseeable that the Shinners should be seen in purely military terms.
The Excitable Boy of West Britannia had an expansive menu of words to choose from in describing their d for dispute with the DUP – from brouhaha to beef to hubub to riff to miff to tiff to rumpus to wrangle – but, instead, it was another w word he opted for:
-w for war.
In fairness, going backwards, there is a caveat or whatever you’re having yourself to be entered here : it is only a few days since his pneumatic drill-style grilling of the ‘mass killer’ Martin McGuinness in The Unionist Times last Saturday so Field Marshal Fintan was probably still in military mode as he marched all over not one but two of the First Ministers in his Full Monty wearing only the desert boots which once belonged to anothe Field Marshal and were obviously bought at a knock-down price at a cheap- skate second- hand auction:
-Left, left, I had a good job and I left.
Gadzooks,could this indicate that the Fine Minded Fintan O Toole is aceually penning an open job application to the coalition of parties he is proposing to save Norneverland?
-SDLP, Alliance and UUP or SAU for short.
That he has in fact tossed his camouflaged helmet into the ring and is looking to become, if not their Spin Doctor then, for sure, their, erm, SAU Doctor?
Does this mean that he, in full Electioneering Mode, is about to do a (gulp) Saw Doctor who made a hit and miss of the N17 is about to ham up a hymn to the (gasp) M1?
Having long been a Hurler on the Ditch is he Finally about to become a Hockey Player on the Field and leave his FOT prints all over the Astroturf of Politics?
If so, let him be forewarned, that he is about to take a, erm, Cliff Risk, to use a newly minted cliche. Certainly if one is to go by his analysis of the whole Brexit thingy. Or, should one say, his urinalysis, for in truth in his p-poor Nelson long column today he fails to even hint at the actual reason for the mad scramble of the Brits for the B-Exit door.
In a word:
-The Premiership.
For the past umpteen years now, Syd and Fred and Doris and Myrtle , have had to endure on a 24/8 basis the sight of Juan Foreigner, Johann Foreigner, Giovanni Foreigner, Jean Foreigner and even (gasp) Sean Foreigner é féin wearing the yellow / bib buí of a Bainisteoir even as they nightly do a two-minute post-match take-on the Tax-free Chain-Saw Massacre of the Gernan Queen’s English in front of their very English eyes and ears even as they munch a crunchy bag of Walker’s crisps fornenst their 32 inch flat screens while seated on their 64 inch rumps.
They have had enough. Brexit was simply and bluntly a cri de coeur, oops, a belly rumble to give them back :
-The Pomiership.
Curiously, the Great Mind and the Grate Mind (see above) also coalesce on the virtue of scoring the old hat-trick. In the latter’s case, the doomed Tripartite Coalition of S.A.U. while in the former case, by tossing a trio of tri-coloured ribbon-o hats into the ring for the Sinn Fein vacancy:
The OOO’s have it !
So an O is to become the new
Shinner winner: time to review
With the new lack
Of another Mack
With Fate who’ll now rendezvous?.
While alll theee OOOs indubitably ooze class galore nevertheless if pick came to shovel The Perkin’s inner Leprechaun would choose (ambaist) Mairtin O Muilleoir.
Nothing quite like the (mo léan) compulsory cúpla focal to ostentatiosuly curry the yoghurt of the Yunes, both north and south, lá agus oíche.
Mines’ a Muilleoir, garcon !
We all talk too fast here in Ireland. I remember during Summer 2016, I was walking down the Falls Road, it was a beautiful day, the sky was pitch blue, it was very warm and the Sun was shining. Suddenly my path was blocked by one of the many tourists who flock into West Belfast in the Summer months. This particular tourist was Italian and he needed directions to the Peace Wall. I started to tell him which way to go when he nearly immediately said “slowly! slowly!” with a laugh then added “You Irish speak too fast!”. I laughed as well and lowered my speed of voice (which felt unnatural) and directed the Italian the right way. But I always remember that encounter and I think it is true that we all speak very fast but that’s just a trait of ours but one we should work on changing.
They say Politics is “Show Business” for ugly people. Well that certainly doesn’t apply to Michelle O’Neill and many other young women in Sinn Fein. Michelle is good looking but her downfall is she talks way too fast, even by our standards. But that can be worked on and I think if Michelle does train herself to talk a little bit slowly than she will be formidable in politics here. She is already a skilled politician but your voice is important when your in Politics.
John O’Dowd wouldn’t look out of place on the set of Game of Thrones or some other warrior drama series or film. He looks like a big brutal giant but I sense that under that he’s a BFG, Big Friendly Giant. Looks aside, John O’Dowd is a very skilled politician and a good speaker. I watched him last night being interviewed by Tara Mills along with the DUP’s Paul Given in Stormont’s “Great Hall”. He was articulate, clear and commanding. I don’t think O’Dowd will ever be leadership material but he has proved he’s very good at what he does, his time as Education Minister backs that.
Mairtin O Muilleoir IS leadership material. He’s very likable, articulate and skilful. He’s been a very successful businessman in the days after he was dragged from Belfast City Hall in the, I think, late 80’s for daring to speak the Irish Language. Mairtin alone has brought a lot of investment from the USA into Belfast. Will he be leader of SF in the north one day? He’s certainly a favourite.
I think Martin McGuinness will stay on in politics for as long as his health allows. I got a glimpse of him in Stormont yesterday and he looked a little better than before when he gave his resignation. If Martin does leave politics for good, I like the idea of Gerry Adams coming back into Northern politics and replacing McGuinness. That would allow for someone like Pearse Doherty or Mary Lou McDonald to be the face of Sinn Fein in the South and take away a lot of the ammo that FF/FG resort to when it comes to Gerry Adams, like dragging up the Troubles.
Most people on twitter seem to think Conor Murphy will replace Martin McGuinness if he leaves politics. Conor is a good speaker but for me he wouldn’t be my first choice to replace McGuinness.
PS: “it comes at machine-gun rate, mowing down meaning” lol I had to laugh a little at that sentence.
spitting image the comedy should be brought back now.the new version of this outfit now would be some craic during the election.
O’Muilleóir and Murphy are essentially neo-liberals. O’Bill looks promising but still an unknown quantity. Why has no-one mentioned Michelle Gildernew, the most likeable of all the (in her case FORMER) ministers ;one who is of impeccable republican stock, who is besides at once articulate and clearly capable? Is she no longer flavour of the month in the Politburo? Is she to be exiled to the salt-mines of Fermanagh, erased from the SF historical picture album without even a show trial?
”O’Bill” was O’Neill before predictive text intervened.
Jude, how about an animated discussion between Michelle O’Neill and that wee lad Brokenshire (who shouldn’t have left home without his mammy)?
Michelle, in full staccato, machine-gun delivery versus the abnormally slow motion, carefully enunciating James, it would be no contest.
You’re right about Michelle not pausing for breath, but you may have noticed, she has a great looking pair of lungs!
Your short list for leader to replace Marty is missing the favourite, Conor Murphy.
lets move rorrrd.all the country yokes newer say forward.even arnold.
Personally speaking it’s irrelevant who might be joint first minister as Sinn Fein surely can’t be contemplating forming an administration with the corrupt and irreformable dup. They should concentrate all their efforts on stopping RHI, SIF and Red Sky. If they don’t take this on board they might not return as largest party in future. It is time the Irish govt stepped in and asserted itself in favour of the international agreements made with the British govt. is it possible to claim back Articles 2 and 3 if GFA is ignored?
Yes it is Paul, they were conditional on the full implementation of the GFA.
More glowing praise for the Shinners from Jude.
“More glowing praise for the Shinners from Jude”
Dale Pankhurst….is that you?…..
Imagine a conversation between Michelle and the wee man from Strabane outside the Dole office tying the presenter ( Charlie Weatherspoon? ) in knots circa 40 years ago? Talking competition @Féile anyone?