From top: Howard Marks on the Late Late Show in 1997 when he was called ‘Mr Evil’ by Mary Harney; Meeting Aodhan O’Riordan (right) with Hot Press journalist Olaf Tyaransen (centre) last November.
Backstage [at the Metropolis Festival at the RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4] I spot Drugs Minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and invite him to come over and say hello.
The last time Howard met an Irish minister was on The Late Late Show in 1997 (I was also present). Mary Harney wasn’t impressed, telling Gay Byrne that she considered him to be “Mr Evil.”
Ó Ríordáin is far more pleasant and open-minded, later tweeting a picture of us all together along with the comment that it was “Great chatting.” What a difference 18 years can make…
Olaf Tyrannsen, Hot Press, November 2015
Minister Aodhan O’Riordan meets Howard Marks At Metropolis (Hot Press)
Howard Marks obituary: Britain’s Most Charming Drug Smuggler (The Guardian)
Was he the lad who dreamt up the coffee jar holiday competition to Columbia where the winners would travel to Columbia and receive a wooden ornament to bring home with them (which was jammed with cocaine)?
No, that was Zachary Swan. That scam was recounted in Robert Sabbag’s Snowblind.
Harney pot calls Marks kettle black…..actually that does a disservice to Marks
enjoyed the movie wonder if much licence was used
Strange by her.
I would’ve expected her top be a bit more libertarian on the topic – free market, let the users decide, etc.
This is the woman who shut down headshops. She’s not a libertarian, she’s a thatherite
RIP Mr Marks :(
Now we’ve reached the hour… of Spliff Politics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl27QeNycB4
Some of his stories from Shannon Airport, and his encounters with the paramilitaries, are hilariously embarrassing …
I hate Olaf T
I totally agree. He’s a poor mans Gerry Ryan
What does that make Ian O’Doherty?
He’d probably hate you, too…
Contrast the hagiography for this welsh geebag with the treatment meted out to Michaella McCollum. He was responsible for far more drugs entering this country than she was. And remember, it was a cannabis gang who murdered INM journo Veronica Guerin.
Not fair
Hashtag gets to use geebag and I don’t :)
:)
St Patrick?
Suitably refreshed, fell out of the bog knickers around ankles on a Lingus flight once. Nuff said.
There is only one Sheik Yahbouti.
He was a copper’s nark.