OK, I’m Leaving Now

at

Statement from Taoiseach Enda Kenny this afternoon announcing  his resignation ‘effective from Midnight tonight’ with a competition for his successor to  conclude by Friday, June 2

Gulp.

Meanwhile…

This afternoon.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny launching Senator Marie Louise O’Donnell’s report on the Irish way of death, Finite Lives.

Fight!

Pics via Paudie Coiffey

UPDATE:

A statement released by Fine Gael TD and Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar  this evening.

Via Gavan Reilly

UPDATE:

“As leader of Fine Gael, Enda Kenny has been a towering figure in modern Irish history and will be recognised as such over the coming days, weeks, months and years. When Enda took over the leadership of our party we were broken and demoralised.

With his vision, determination, positivity and relentless work-rate, he led our party back from defeat and to sustained electoral success, culminating in victory in the 2011 General Election and a record result for our party.

I am proud to have served in Opposition and then in Government with Enda. I saw at close quarters how skilled and driven he was to succeed for our party, in Government and for our country. His record in Government since 2011 will be viewed very positively by historians, not least how he led the restoration of our economic financial independence over that period, which was a landmark event.

But it is not just these high-profile moments that I reflect on, I recall the energy and excitement of a number of elections campaigns – any day on the campaign trail with Enda was a lively one; or those early days in Government when the economy teetered on the brink and Enda’s calm and clear-headed leadership helped guide us through, or the late nights and long hours trying to construct a new coalition Government in 2016.

It has been an honour to serve with Enda Kenny for almost 20 years now and I wish him, Fionnuala, Aoibhinn, Ferdia and Naoise the very best in the future.”

A statement released by Fine Gael TD and Minister for Housing Simon Coveney this evening.

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106 thoughts on “OK, I’m Leaving Now

  1. dav

    good riddance, he managed to squander national goodwill, a large majority and revitalised ff as a political party.
    His cowardice in the face of the ecb should never been forgotten.

    1. Topsy

      @ Dav. Unfortunately FF treasonous acts have been forgiven and soon Kenny’s cowardice & submission to the EU & IMF will also. We also revert to blaming the unemployed and PS for all our ills.

      1. dav

        yes, we measure our country’s success by how many Morgan Stanley tax evading spivs we entice into the country

        1. classter

          Have you founded a business which is going to employ reasonably large numbers of people in well-paying jobs?

      2. Andrew

        The Public Service ARE the permanent government. I blame them for most of what is wrong with this country.

      3. classter

        When do we ever blame the unemployed for our problems? In fact, we ususally assail politicians for failing to ‘deliver’ jobs to all regardless of skills or ability. (And the odd half-hearted crack-down on perceived or real welfare reform is not blaming the unemployed for our problems).

        And the PS deserves to be kept accountable.

  2. Andrew

    he seemed to get more abuse than Aherne or Cowen from some quarters, which I can’t quite understand.
    However, his government had an opportunity to re-set this country and really reform it. They didn’t. While a lot of that that is down to the immense power the permanent government have, they still had room to really change things. They never looked like they wanted to really.
    I wonder will the new leader call an election soon?

    1. classter

      Agreed on all, Andrew.

      They really did miss the chance for a huge reform of the public sector

  3. Nigel

    Goodbye.
    Oh great. Now it’s either The Benefits Avenger or Social And Affordable Simon.

    1. ahjayzis

      She’d murder orphans to harvest their organs if he but gave the word. I’ve never seen anyone so sycophantic about an Irish politician. What 60K a year of a sinecure can buy, I suppose.

      1. realPolithicks

        True, she’s unbelievable. I generally can’t stand to listen to her but when she speaks about him it just goes to a whole new level.

  4. Nigel

    Interesting title change. At midnight is he going to turn into a man with two pints?

    1. realPolithicks

      “At midnight is he going to turn into a man with two pints?”

      No, but a village in Mayo will be getting it’s idiot back.

    1. Clampers Outside

      Junkface has spoken.. “He will make a good bookshelf”

      *holds up a piece of two b’ four and yells*

      “HAIL HE! Who will deliver us from the woodlice!”

      It’s gonna be epic!

    1. mildred st. meadowlark

      I don’t quite know what to do with that visual image.

      Dammit Tony.

  5. Johnny Keenan

    Good riddance to another thundering bolex who abused the power entrusted to him by the sheeple. If the other pair of pricks think that they are going to waste time with a media circus they better think again. House of cards doesn’t come close to what’s going to happen next in this republic.
    #PowerToThePeaceful

      1. Frilly Keane

        They’re landing
        With the next daycent full moon

        And suck all the baddies up
        And mulch them down into fertilizer
        For Mars

        And Johnny KK and the Democratic Peace Picquettes (DPP) are going to be left in charge

        With just quarterly reporting to HQ on the BrotherShip

        Wi’a bitta luck he’ll ban the GAA in his own Countydom

        1. Johnny Keenan

          Frilly you’ve just earned your place at the top table my little Spinstress

  6. Brother Barnabas

    And Varadkar’s statement on top of it all…never imagined I could dislike someone I’ve never even met so much.

    1. Johnny Keenan

      Brother B I have 2 question you might have answers to.
      As Enda Kenny and FG do not have a mandate to even be in government is this the final nail in the coffin of this government?
      It’s one thing for Coveney and Vradkir to have a leader of Fine Gael contest but how does this make it legal to be Taoiseach?

      1. LW

        The new Taoiseach will be voted on by the Dáil, pretty legal I’d say. As long as majority of votes cast are in the new leader’s favour, they’re in

        1. GiggidyGoo

          While Fianna Gael are occupied with their internal election, Fine Fáil may take that the opportunity to bring down the government thus causing massive problems for a leaderless motley lot. Labwhore will wet themselves.

          1. Frilly Keane

            Oh Cheezuz I’d love it

            no need for holidays when there’s a summer election

            but there all going ta wait for the Commission to come back with the Constituency adjustments

            I know for a fact one Constituency is expected to go to a 4 and FF are relying on it

          2. classter

            What’s gonna happen in another election?

            A similar result most likely, maybe with FG getting a small new leader bounce

        2. Johnny Keenan

          Thanks LW. Still not a mandate though.
          An election with a few referendi should be called.
          #ShakeTheState

          1. Biggins

            what would consider a mandate?

            you come across as a bit thick, all made up of capital letters and exclamation marks

          2. mildred st. meadowlark

            As do you, dear biggins, by that logic, leaving out (gasp!) entire words like that.

          3. Johnny Keenan

            Biggins I’m not thick but I’m not a pseudointellectual either. The last election was a hung government and no party had a mandate to govern. FF (the schizophrenic party)
            propped up FG (the deluded party). Both proved they are both cheeks of the same arse.
            The only solution is a completely socialist government and that scares the poo out of the public sector and most of the contributors on this thread who hide behind handles. Discredit away but you and I know the game is up Biggins. Soon enough you are going to have to use that pen to do something else other than pushing opinions.

          4. Twunt

            The public sector are scared of a socialist government? Has the PS come over all capitalist?

      2. Brother Barnabas

        Agree that it’s not morally correct – Varadkar or Coveney won’t have any popular mandate to be taoiseach. But the people don’t get to elect the taoiseach – majority support in the Dáil is all that matters. I’d bet FG thought they’d be riding the crest of a wave with 50% support by the time this day came. Got that one badly wrong. Likely get a brief honeymoon popularity bounce when there’s a new leader – and probably hoping that’ll carry them through the election. Autumn election anyone?

      1. mildred st. meadowlark

        Delicious use of the word unctuous.

        My phone doesn’t even recognise it as a word.

  7. Mary Jane

    Ah here Johnny…

    Three months into the next Fianna Fail Government and people will start to remember why we booted those F**pers out in 2011. Perhaps its time to remind you that the scum who still support them are salivating and getting their grubby mitts ready to manhandle the leavers of power again. God help us!

    Then we might remember that Kenny wasn’t that bad…..

    1. Sheik Yahbouti

      No, we will NEVER remember that Kenny was not so bad. As has been repeated ad nauseum “two cheeks of the same arse”. FF can’t really hide what they are – FG are even more offensive because they seek to claim some sort of moral high ground. Wretching, just thinking of it.

    2. Johnny Keenan

      Mary Jane if you were smokin yerself i might let you off the hook. You talking about Fianna Fail leading the next government sounds like the British mainstream media discrediting Corbyn because they know that he is going to fluppie dup dup them up when he gets in.
      And then you cry to Santa clause/ God for help us all. Fweepie deepie off!!!
      I know how evil Kenny is. Kicking the Vatican out the front door while he runs around and let’s them in the back.
      Boom! Boom!

      1. classter

        Are you genuinely comparing FF to Corbyn?

        FF have been the main party of govt in Ireland for much of the states existence. They became utterly corrupted from the 70s on and provided shabby, self-serving, incompetent government. The severity of the economic crash was due in very large part due to their recklessness.

        Corbyn’s detractors allege something completely different. The line of attack is that he is a protestor/activist rather than a practical leader capable of making pragmatic compromises. Nobody has ever accused FF of being too wedded to principles or any moral sense.

    3. martco

      yes Mary Jane…lets see, so on his watch:

      record homelessness
      record hospital queues & scandals
      in situ corrupt police force
      quango heaven & big business bias par excellence
      fakery in dealing with the issue of separation of church and state
      blatant verifiable lies & utter bs stories
      massive wastes of money eg. forcing unwanted charges (sorry TAXes) down his people’s throats
      an utter inability/incompetence to resolve ANYTHING evidenced by jesus I’ve lost count at this stage is it 40+ commissions of enquiry now and counting?
      a new type of Ireland now polarised into haves and have nots…neighbours snitching on each other like good English Tories….ha!
      A new thing called working poor, who would have thought!

      etcetera
      etcetera

      Good man Enda. Great job.

      (we won’t bother with all the broken personal election promises cos shure isn’t that stuff you tend to say)

      and 2x goons lining up to take his place

      jesus wept

      1. Johnny Keenan

        Yeah! What Martco said^^^^ and the rest.
        After getting into government in 2011 he famously said “Paddy likes to know what the story is, and we’ll tell Paddy”.
        He Didn’t even have the balls to talk to Vincent Brown

      2. Liam Deliverance

        Thanks for that contribution Martco, it saved me producing a poo load of bile while trying to type up something similiar. Hopefully Enda will toddle off into obscurity, damage done. The only good thing from this is that it is a useful reminder that we don’t want anymore Endas, Aherns, Haugheys et al.

      3. classter

        I don’t disagree with you completely but there’s a fair few questionable claims in your comment.

        ‘in situ corrupt police force’
        He certainly could have done a lot more to reform the force, however the problems have resulted from decades & decades of fudging (and worse) by politicians.

        ‘quango heaven’
        What does this actually mean? My understanding is that Kenny’s govt (very slightly) reduced the overall number of quangos.

        ‘A new thing called working poor’
        This absolutely is not a new thing! We were one of the poorest countries in Europe until about ten minutes ago.

        Per capita homelessness, hospital waiting lists are almost definitely not records.

    1. mildred st. meadowlark

      Well, that’s a good question.

      Are you referring to before or after our last GE?

      1. Johnny Keenan

        Well Mildred he has dodged more bullets than Arnie in all the Terminator films. Thankfully unlike Armie he won’t be back

        1. mildred st. meadowlark

          Never say never, johnny. You see a sudden smarmy ex-taoiseach being wheeled out by FF lately, and you have to wonder…

          1. bisted

            …jeeez Johnny…you’re getting great value out of that comment…just heard it read out on #VinB

          2. Johnny Keenan

            Haha! Missed that Bisted. I would have liked if he had read out this one
            #vinb Even though Kenny dodged more questions than Bertie at the Mahon tribunal ‘Paddy’ would still like to know what’s going on.

  8. Aeneas

    I’m disappointed that after 5hrs I’m only the second person to be supportive of Enda. I think he has done a good job and steered the country out of the depths of despair in 2011. However I’m not really surprised by the opinions expressed here. This site used to provide witty postings, originally promised every 15 minutes, but it has now descended into a series of long-winded postings by a selection of quirky commenters.
    I now visit the site mainly to read the comments section, but even that is becoming boring given the preponderance of negativity.
    I’ll miss Bertie and Mildred, and sometimes Clampers.

    1. Johnny Keenan

      The view from your ivory tower must be great. Politics in Ireland is a serious business to those who are affected by the policies of the rich.
      Don’t throw us down any crumbs. I’m heading up for the whole fuppin cake

    2. Brother Barnabas

      I’m sorry to tell you but Bertie and Mildred have broken up. Bertie’s taken up with some cook, and Mildred is rebounding dangerously with an Arab gentleman.

      1. mildred st. meadowlark

        We’re still pals though. And I haven’t got ’round to propositioning the Arabian stallion yet.

        Come for the cat pics, stay for the soapy drama of the comments section.

        1. Sheik Yahbouti

          (puff, pant- running ) You mean I’m in with a chance Mildred?? (polishes Prince Albert). Wot larks!

    3. Yep

      So you’re disappointed more people don’t agree with you? If you think he steered anything alone you’re naive and if you are ignoring the marks on the bonnet you’re just willfully ignorant.

  9. Brother Barnabas

    When he does actually go, we’ll miss the shoulder-sway swagger when he walks on stage, the point-and-wink manoeuvre. Can’t see Leo or Simon working those moves in the same way.

    1. mildred st. meadowlark

      The idea of them makes me feel ill. They’re equally abhorrent in strangely different, yet similar, ways.

      It’s paradoxical, and not in the fun way.

  10. gringo

    Just had four pints of the black stuff and a doobie sweet and long to celebrate his departure.Unfortunately the mean eyed vultures stabbing each other to replace him are even more vicious and amoral.

    1. Andrew

      Why do you feel the need to tell us about your ‘doobie’ and pints? Are you a teenager?
      I’m curious though, as you are representative of the over-sharing cohort, who you would like to lead the country.
      I’m glad Enda Kenny is gone by the way; and don’t rate either of the two front runners to replace him either.

  11. Spaghetti Hoop

    No Shakespeare quote?

    ‘Come, Let’s have one other gaudy night. Call to me All my sad captains. Fill our bowls once more. Let’s mock the midnight bell.’ : Antony and Cleopatra ACT III SCENE XIII

    1. Mickey Twopints

      “O my Antonio, I do know of these
      That therefore only are reputed wise
      For saying nothing, when I am very sure
      If they should speak, would almost damn those ears
      Which, hearing them, would call their brothers fools.”

      — Merchant of Venice, Act I, Scene I

    2. Frilly Keane

      one ah’ me favourites Hoop

      ta. Let’s mock the midnight bell

      that’s like my mission statement

    1. Johnny Keenan

      I’m not sure about that Anne.
      This Is Gombeen Central and the majority of the voting population are God fearing gombeens.

      1. anne

        There’s always a bigger eegit to be found I suppose. Enda was a rare breed of eegit though.

        1. Spaghetti Hoop

          I think Anne what you meant was ‘we’ll never find another eejit so in touch with his inner eejit’.

  12. Joe

    If you read that letter carefully he doesn’t specifically say he’s standing down as Taoiseach. I’ll believe he’s gone when I see it. The man has more lives than a cat and a portrait in the attic more riddled than Dorian Gray’s!

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