Maria Sheen’s bid and handbag

I don’t know if Maria Steen would have made a good presidential candidate (which is a different question from wondering would she have made a good President). She or maybe some of those backing her lamented that she was shut out from making a presidential bid (she fell two nominations short of the 20 required). But if you want to see an example of tolerance for difference, don’t go to Miriam Lord in today’s Irish Times.

Lord can be funny,but when she starts speculating on whether Maria Sheen is carrying a Hermes handbag or not,  things have got a bit confused.  Apparently if it was the real thing, it would have cost over €10K. Although it might have been a fake, in which case it’d have cost a lot less.

But either way, isn’t it Sheen’s own bloody business what handbag she buys? This isn’t a contest to see who has the nicest/most expensive handbag  (puts Jim Gavin at a disadvantage, I’d say), it’s a contest to see who would make the best president to represent the people of Ireland. ALL the people of Ireland. So what if Maria Sheen did spend €10k on her handbag. I spent over €10k on my last car.  It was my money, just as Ms Sheen’s is her money, and we’re entitled to spend our money whatever way grabs our fancy.  And no, I don’t give a damn if  Miriam Lord’s handbag is composed of gossamer wings or dried cow dung.

I’ll tell you what it is. Miriam is on the liberal side of things and Maria is on the conservative, and liberal commentators are open to all points of view, providing they are liberal.  And vice versa? The jury is out.