Former Minister for Justice Alan Shatter
Mr Shatter said that when he and he wife tried to “get away from all of this” for a holiday in France after his resignation he was “subjected to a tirade from an Irish guy” who had travelled on the same flight.”
Alan Shatter ‘spat at’ and ‘abused’ after leaving minister role (irish Times)
‘sheet reader ‘Bonkers’ writes:
I’m sure you have seen the story on RTÉ and elsewhere about Alan Shatter saying he was spat at in public and abused “in an airport in another country”.
I can’t be 100% certain but he might have been referring to myself who challenged him in Gatwick Airport over his handling of the Garda whistleblowers. If it is myself he is referring to then, in my honest opinion, he is engaging in spin.
I addressed him respectfully as Deputy Shatter and asked him why he hadn’t taken [Garda whistleblower] Maurice McCabe’s complaints seriously.
Rather than engage with me and explain that he had (as he is now claiming) his immediate response was to go on the attack by saying “Who the fuck are you?”.
I was taken aback by this and as we got on the escalator in Gatwick I turned around and replied “I’m just a voter who was wondering how the Minister for Justice got taken down by a hippy builder in a pink shirt” (referring to Mick Wallace being instrumental in his resignation)
At this point Shatter was seething, I had made my point and left. But in no way was the conversation one of abuse, I approached him politely and asked a question to which he replied with expletives.
If anything he was the one abusing me and it certainly wasn’t the type of language you would expect out of a man whose is supposed to represent the people.
Anyway that’s just my own experience of asking Alan Shatter a question. It does amaze me how he has spun the incident a full 180 degrees though and its taken as fact by RTÉ and other media organisations….
FIGHT!
Rollingnews
If you asked me about work (or my former work) while I was on holidays I’d probably be seething too.
But that’s not the point is it.
What do you think the point is please?
That Shatter lied about the exchange in order to garner unearned sympathy
Two people have an encounter & both have a differing takes on the politeness of the instigator.
That’s hardly Shatter ‘lying’, is it
Probably.
it’s exactly the point
It could have been someone else? This guy is a bit self-important.
that’s grand. Then Shatter should have told us that when a guy approached him whilst on holidays and asked him questions he basically told him to f#@k off. It’s not ok to say he was spat at and abused if it’s not true
I suspect that ‘Bonkers’ was nowhere near as polite & calm as he suggests.
People who accost public figures rarely are.
I’m willing to bet there was a lot is spittle spraying going on.
“suspect” / “willing to bet”
nonsense not worth posting
Perhaps but every bit as worthwhile as the anonymous claim of ‘Bonkers’ that he met Shatter in Gatwick, that this is the incident Shatter is referring to & that he went up to somebody who had just lost their job & in a super-polite manner questioned him on policy.
Perhaps it wasn’t you, in which case.. Who cares.
I care. I find it in the public interest that he told a citizen to “f**k off” when asked a question.
All smiles and manners in public, different story in private. The typical duality of politicians.
He had just resigned.
He had been humiliatingly pushed from office & this d!ck has a go at him in public while on holidays with his wife.
Bonkers is an a$$.
I’m not Alan Shatter and your comment isn’t very nice.
You’re an bottomhole as well
The man was off duty
And has been subject to trial by television by Mick Wallace and other mullahs
You’re a real brave heart standing up to him like that
“You’re a real brave heart standing up to him like that”
Politicians are answerable to the people.
Yes – in parliament. Gobspoo
And outside.
No. Everywhere.
Yup, lead by example, is forgotten on some, being a politician is a full time 24/7 job in that respect. If that’s news to Alan or anyone else….. i dunno….
Gibberish
This the trial by television in which Shatter divulged some of the private information he was swapped by his buddy the ‘non-political’, ‘independent’ Commish, yeah? Poor Shatter.
Probably a very able reformer – but so far up his own arse he’d need patronage of a dictator to sustain public office.
Worthless nonsense not worth rebutting. Stick to making comments about eligible twinks
Of course you absolutely knew – on what evidence only you know – that Shatter didn’t take McCabe seriously.
Put yourself in any politician’s shoes here or anyone queuing at the airport looking forward to a holiday from work. This cretin at least would have got a mouth full from me too. Without a shadow of a doubt, however respectfully or disrespectfully he decided to approach Shatter, the timing & circumstances completely warrant at best, a polite dismissal, at worst a smack in the face. There are times & places for questioning & interrogating politicians – the airport when that individual is merely going on a break with his wife is not one. I’m totally with Alan Shatter on this.
I’ve been on a bus with David Quinn. I abhorred some of the arguments he made against Marriage Equality. Basic decency informed me in an innate way that it was probably not a good idea to start questioning him on his opposition to marriage being extended to same-sex couples. People, even politicians & those in the public eye are not “available” to every have-a-go crank at any time of the latter’s choosing.
+1
– 1
All Mr. Shatter needed to do was say what you said Jordofthejungle, but maybe not in as many words.
Civility doesn’t cost anything, and it’s the very least we should expect from our overlords.
Take a hike.
Civility is difficult to sustain when you are in the midst of ptobably your lowest moment & you flee abroad for some respite.
….true if, Alan’s tellin’ the truth about the approach
“looking forward to a holiday from work”. He gets plenty of holidays.
“There are times & places for questioning & interrogating politicians”. Very few for the average person.
“Basic decency informed me”. Nonsense. Especially when Quinn has had anything but “basic decency” when commenting on that subject from his lofty platform.
You can’t really know the exact details of the interaction (body language etc.) but IF bonkers was as civil as he says then I can’t see how anyone could be with Shatter with that kind of response. Email my office would have been a far better approach.
Edit: I didn’t realise it was post-resignation…
You appear to be agreeing & disagreeing with me?!
I’m sorry but are you suggesting that it would have been perfectly reasonable for me to turn around on Dublin Bus and have a go at David Quinn over some of his marriage equality mutterings I found derogatory? It is not acceptable. In the same way as Shatter was right to be piqued at Bonker’s base opportunism at the flipping airport.
In the case of Quinn, I think you would have every right to try and engage in a conversation with a very public figure on what was a national issue. It is how it is approached that can be problematic. If you are civil and genuine, don’t push past when it is clear the other party wants no involvement, I see no problem.
Personally, I would have left Shatter alone (I thought this was during rather than after the events). Although I don’t condone his reaction, I can understand where he was coming from after.
My main problem was not reading Shatter’s account :). I am already tired he is taking centre-stage on this story. I am sure it is only partly his own doing.
I got much more satisfaction going out canvassing for a Yes vote. I wouldn’t like to be approached by a randomer on a bus and I guessed, as much as I disagreed with him, David Quinn wouldn’t have liked it either, however civil. In any event, both our minds were made up! :-)
It’s a total waste of time confronting someone like Shatter or Quinn. Professional slime balls who would merely use your anger as a stick to beat you with claiming victim status. You have to box clever with snakes.
Basic decency in this case really means you did not have the bottle.
I took that to extremes and gave Ronan Mullen a hug outside the Olympia one night >_<
You have a serious drink problem.
-How did you end up on Dame Street?
Workin’ de street, y’know yerself hun. Gotz to make dem coins gurl.
Alan Carr once got me thrown out of a club though, that kind of evens the score on the whole nice to people I hate, hateful to people I like thing.
I once met Mark E Smith.
Hated myself afterwards for being so awestruck, tongue-tied and talking rubbish at the same time. I made a complete fool of myself.
But I found a €50 note in the snow on Dame Street one morning, just opposite the Olympia so I got that going for me
I’m jealous now
You made a complete fool of yourself?
I’m sure that’s just your mind playing tricks on you.
It was horrible.
He asked me to help him to find the nearest decent boozer in Dublin.
I took him to Doyle’s on College Green.
He sat at a different table.
I’m no longer jealous.
Haha… Great story,. I thought you were about to say that he just sacked his band and asked you to join him for a new tour….
https://youtu.be/wygQmJ59E4Q
:-J
You looked it up, you incredibly enormous eh….I’ll get back to you…
The pub has two entrances.
We didn’t use the door you speak of. We used the one around the corner.
A bogger would never know that, so I’ll give you a pass. I won’t call you names.
@ :-Joe
Drink a long draft.
Send me the bill.
Pay your rates.
#gerrup
A few pint bottles in the airport and couldn’t help yourself, wha? …. Sure your a tax payer, you can say what ever ye like to who ever tell like when ever your want.
Pint bottles of Evian of course…
Careful… don’t remind him or those receipt will be up here soon
Perhaps he was referring to some other @rsehole who accosted him in an airport; I’m sure that you were just one of many.
Ha this post hasn’t got the reception that he anticipated.
I think I may have been one of many because the incident happened in Gatwick and he mentioned being on the way to France. But if it was my incident he was referring to then-
1) It is politicians themselves who are always telling the electorate they are on call 24/7
2) The flight was early on a Friday morning and he was wearing a suit going to London, even if he was going on holidays I wasn’t to know and most people I know don’t go on holidays in suits
3) Id written to Shatter before with zero reply, if he wasn’t going to even reply then I don’t see a problem with approaching him
In any case I think the point has gone Whoosh over many heads here- if it was the incident at Gatwick he was referring to then the only person who was using abuse was him. I addressed him politely as Deputy as asked him a question I wanted to hear an answer to, as you would any politician. There was no need for his expletive laden reaction. Yet he goes crying to the national media spinning it for his own agenda because he wants Enda Kenny to apologise to him.
You appear to think Bonkers that you have a right to a personal conversation with Alan Shatter at the time of your choosing – you don’t. Why did you not make an appointment at one of his clinics like most of his constituents? Or express your disapproval if this was the case at the ballot box, again like most of his constituents? He may be a Minister in the public eye but his duty is to all of us not you personally. If he doesn’t do
his job correctly well then express your anger in a voting booth not accosting him, however nicely, while in the presence of his wife when at an airport. Would you like it? I certainly would not.
He wasn’t even a minister any more.
‘express your anger in the voting booth’ – lol
I don’t believe you were polite, Bonkers (putting aside the legitimacy of your intervention in the first place). Your entitled tone and strangulated justifications here suggests to me you were obnoxious.
What were you going to get out of it anyway? What constructive step were you hoping to encourage? He had resigned.
This is what I was thinking. If this incident happened after the other you could hardly blame the man for being testy.
Alan Shatter has had to deal with his fair share of loons & goons invading his personal & private life. His wife woke one morning in 2013 to find an anti-abortion picket replete with children of protestors carrying placards with unsubtle & derogatory messages about her husband right outside their home in Rathfarnham. Lovely.
The area outside their home like most people’s borders an area where the ghastly public are permitted.
You sound like an utter gobdaw who appears to have decided to take a stand for the less well off,downtrodden and vulnrerable.
Sorry snowflake but basic common decency would inform any normal citizen that the right place for these macabre protests are the Department of Justice or outside the Dáil. Not a politician or minister’s private home. The Gardaí cleared then in any event & judging by the adverse publicity it is likely they (Youth Defence) won’t be pulling a stunt like that again.
+1
I’m pro choice hun it would be the same for pro-lifers. Picketing outside their home is not reasonable.
That should be ‘but’ not ‘hun’
“hun” works fine in the context
ps.Was she sleeping in the garden?
Ah for god sake people stop abusing this man for approaching Alan shatter.. I see these bottomholes on a regular basis and the only time they show decency is in front of a camera. They are politician s and must answer anybody who approaches them. That is the only way you will know the real person instead of them hiding behind their notes
wow, you are some tulip.
If you addressed me in that manner about my work when I wasn’t actually working, you’d get far choicer words than you got.
The fact you aren’t even embarassed about this speaks volumes.
reply wasn’t meant for you Bernie.
Wasn’t commenting to you
Get a hotel.
This gets me too: the man feels he is perfectly entitled to question Alan Shatter in the presence of his wife at the airport while they are making their way to their holiday flight. The sense of delusion & lack of perspective & decency are jaw-dropping.
Lol, that you Alan?
Yes! Damn you!
No need for that sort of language Alan.
It’s what got you into this mess in the first place, remember?
-You can do it in front of your wife as much as you like, but not in public.
What sleuths you lot are! Fiddlesticks! Is that better?
Knob head
Erm, in one word No. What did this delusional have-a-go-Harry expect, that Shatter would say, “Sure, pull up a pew and let’s discuss it”. We all deserve & expect, whether in the public eye or not, quiet & peaceful enjoyment of our PRIVATE lives.
Actually he was being approached while off duty you utter cretin. He’s not public property or on duty to you 24-7.
Mindless thuggery
Needless to say I had the last laugh.
Touch of L’esprit de l’escalier about the anecdote.
Mange tout bertie, mange tout..
Maybe he was referring to some other self-righteous muppet.
Also, what do you expect the media to do? Check with everyone who’s been through the airport since the whistleblowers story broke to see if Shatters story is true? That’s why it’s written as “He said…”
I’ll bet you think it would be OK though to ask Gerry Adams while he was waiting to board a plane, if he was in the IRA. You wouldn’t apply the same standards to that would you? No. You wouldn’t.
You don’t see any difference between membership of an illegal organisation responsible for extrajudicial killings & whatever Bonkers’ petty query was?
Like I have no problem with somebody haranguing Bertie/Lowry for actual corruption
If Adams had just resigned rather than being SF president for life, it would still be a bit off
So brave. Shatter is only a wee buck too! You wouln’t be so tough mouthing off to a big bear of a culchie like Phil Hogan would you?
Hahaha
lol! the broadsheet massive out to defend poor Shatface and reign abuse on bonkers!!
The broadsheet community has a finely tuned sense of propriety. Otherwise how could they moralise and look down their noses at other lower order drones ?
You couldn’t make it up, could you? ;-D
But it isn’t the Broadsheet massive. It’s the Young Fine Gael army who sit at the sidelines waiting to pounce and defend their beloved sneering champions of right wing politics.
The usernames are never familiar. Always one offs for the occasion.
Exactly, 1980’s Man.
(I was going to make a joke and call you 1984’s Man, but I like you too much.)
Actually I’m on here quite often. So there goes that theory out the window.
He’s right y’know, this HoldInYourGroans’ bloke. He was here before.
Everybody put down your pencils, throw out any notes you’ve made earlier and let’s start again.
-We need a new theory.
Lol. You’ve rumbled us Young Fine Gaelers 1980s Man! The “if you’re not with us, you’re agin us” mindset you peddle is so endearing. Any defence of Alan Shatter can only be done by right-wing drones. Got it in one…
Ah the shattered ego of Mr Shatter, if he didn’t lose his Dail seat there would
not be a peep out him, indeed Kenny would have him back in government
He is a bit annoyed at some other travellor at the Airport asking him politely
about the McCabe allegations, yet is the same guy that went around at all
hours two months ago looking for votes and he’s the very man that could tell Mick
that he used a telephone, Shatter has seems to be a rather thick hide, perhaps
it should be wrapped in additional protection….whats really annoying him is
that Kenny got rid of him before he could oust him
If he was on his way to France, what was he doing in gatwick? You’d think a Dublin to France connection would make more sense wherever in france he was going!?
Maybe trying to save a few quid by trying to get a cheap ryanair connection?
I don’t think it was fair to approach him. I wouldn’t do it. It’s not exactly Liam Lawlor or Bertie either. The guy had just lost his job.
Im glad to see the back of Alan Shatter. There were files on his desk on Patrick Nugent, Shane Tuohy, Shane o Farrell, Fr Niall Molloy, to name but a few. There are 160 cold case murders . There is nigh on a thousand ” missing persons” unaccounted for – many murdered. He closed garda stations. He cut garda wages. He closed garda training school. He left his garda protection officers piss against the bushes outside his house rather than provide toilet facilities. I doubt there was an offer of a cup of tae provided to garda assigned . “At his desk 7am” ” working hard”….what bull. I see parents day after day awarded millons caring for their beautiful handicapped children after fighting ” the system” for 10 -11-12-13-14 -15 years. Alan –‘focus on your 35properties worldwide. Good riddance and button it.
Sssshhh,not while he’s on holiday you peasant.
& this too… Lolz.
:-J
THIS.
-Maith an fear…
:-J
Hey :-Joe…
The lie-dream of the man who’s head expanded and wrote elastic man…
There are no oranj bulbs in this painthouse.
Black monks in hot weather on Cruiser’s Creek, etc.
You can’t beat Blindness, ammirite?
Stop.
Every already loves The Fall.
They just don’t know it yet.
Have mercy on them.
He closed stations & cut Garda wages because his departmental budget was cut.
It was cut because we were in deficit. The main reason for this is that we don’t want (as a body politic) to pay sufficient taxes or other govt charges. Before you start blaming it all on the Irish ‘super-rich’, we have one of the most progressive tax systems in the EU
In the OECD in fact
Shatter takes up huge airtime on our national broadcaster with his precious whinging and complaining. That’s why he’s unpopular. He even blamed losing his seat on Fine Gael election policy. He can’t take rejection. Takes it very badly indeed and hits back every time. He should do himself a favour and enjoy the cosy life he has and be grateful that he has more than most people. His character turns me right off.
He doesn’t ‘take up’ airtime, he doesn’t control the media. Media organisations decide to broadcast about Shatter
I don’t know about that now..
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/gene-kerrigan/theres-no-telling-where-this-will-end-34715747.html
‘The odds are you didn’t even notice – but last week, they did a job on you. Some very smart people did a job on your perception of what’s been happening.
Last week, headlines and fragments of stories were manipulated to give a skewed view of the O’Higgins Commission Report. ‘
I don’t necessarily disagree with Kerrigan on this one but Shatter is not sitting atop that pyramid.
He has been discarded.
The ones we should be worried about are those that attract very little controversy & make sure not to put themselves on the line. What happened to the constatnt drip drip of legacy Garda issues once Shatter resigned & ‘Do-nothing’ Fitzgerald took over?
Bonkers wtf
Seriously
WTF
Were ya at t’be going near that gimp
He’s spiteful
He’s self serving
He’s a bigot
And he’s disloyal
So you were well aware that his version of the encounter was always going to differ from yours
Buyer Beware Bonkers
Jaysus. Why don’t you just come out and say he is evil Frilly? Grow up & get some perspective.
@ Jerkoftheyoungfg;
-Why don’t you leave Frilly alone?
-Why don’t you talk to me?
Frilly’s not here. I never go away
You’re a bit strange but nice strange…
You’re a very bad judge of character Jerkoff.
I’m not nice. I don’t have to be because I’m not a politician.
What time do you clock-off at?
-How many more minutes have I got?
Well, despite your low self opinion, I’m
still of the view you’re nice – with perhaps a smattering of harmlessness. I’m afraid that I have yet to receive my instructions from the dark one to sign off.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for those instructions Jockser.
-I think it’s a P45 you’ll be getting.
If I know Al it’ll come by e-mail in the morning.
You’re letting yourself down with the whole clichéd online bitterness & anger. It’s unbecoming for one who, at heart, is nice. And obvious. Too obvious. Be different my good fellow. Be yourself. Also appreciate that no one really cares.
The …appreciate that no one really cares. bit is funny.
You might not get it.
You might reply.
I hope he does…it would be much funnier if he did.
-BTW Jordofthejungle, I’m not the real sǝɯǝɯʇɐpɐq
I haven’t even got an avatar.
I think you should go for it.
You can always change your name in the morning
Don’t listen to him.
There’s only one Sheik Yahboo-hey, but there’s only sǝɯǝɯʇɐpɐq and sǝɯǝɯʇɐpɐq and sǝɯǝɯʇɐpɐq too. Accountants will understand.
” bigot ” ??
Shatter is playing a huge PR offensive here. Get out first and fast and hard. But its not over yet. He has enemies, and while they may not be as media savvy, they are as dogged.
Sorry Tony, but you made a mistake…
-You said ‘media savvy’.
The man is so obviously NOT media savvy.
Media-worth, maybe, but even that’s stretching it a bit because he’ll be forgotten very soon if he doesn’t get a move on.
This is how I see things developing;
He’s going to write a book.
He’s going to get a proper haircut.
He’s going to be on the Late Late Show.
He’s going to be on morning television.
-That’s not strictly what you’d call ‘media savvy’.
That’s media-maniplut, manuptli, manutptli…That’s opportunistic.
His enemies are far more media savvy.
Part of his downfall was that he is not media savvy.
“We’re”.Afraid you don’t speak for me cheese.Unless you’re an elected representative of course.
I reckon this Shatter fella might have a book in him.
-Something with swear-words in it. People would buy that.
Two sides as always
Astonishingly, I’m with Shatter on this one. Feck off. He’s on his holliers.
Bonkers sounds like a spastic.
Shatter was right; he should have glassed you if there was one handy.
Genuine lol
Shatter is throwing his toys. Is it because he is not being nominated by Enda for the Senate ?
How do you defend the indefensible?
It looks to me like some people think it can be done, on Broadsheet of all places.
-It beggars belief.
I’m writing down names and taking notes.
-just sayin’…
…using my ‘serious’ avatar too so you know I’m not messing.
Shatter is a public servant. He knows what this entails. It means being in the public eye, it means the public speaking to you regardless of whether you’re working or on holidays or whatever. It means dealing with the public in an appropriate manner.
I’m not saying bonkers is right in doing what he did, because I don’t really agree with it, personally. However, Alan Shatter is someone with significant experience in dealing with the public, and really, he should know better than to respond like that, and using it as political fodder, especially nowadays, when social media is as powerful as it is and both sides of the story can come out.
“Hold my coat” types bring me out in hives.
So I’m with Shatter on this one.
Surely “Get Me coat”?
I must be missing something here.
-Am I correct here?;
Nobody, and I mean absolutely not one person has said that Mr. Shatter DIDN’T use foul language that is unbecoming of any public representative, especially in front of his wife, at any time of the day or night, whether you’re in Gatwick or Timbucktoo.
-Like he actually DID talk like that?
What is it?
I must have missed something.
Well who would know? We’re taking yer man Bonkers on his word, which we know nothing about, though recent reports have said Shatter is a man of his word.
Brilliant, at last….
Thank you Hairy Molly.
Together we’ll get to the bottom of this.
These recent reports you speak of….
-Any chance you could post a link or two?
Damn…
I said ‘post a link.
I should NOT have said that.
I apologise to everyone…
Look who turned up…
Scumbag.. in a suit.
If you were a scumbag you’d wear a suit too.
I know I would.
I don’t know where you’re going with this ‘suit’ thing.
-Stop slagging suits.
Creative types hate suits and are constantly condescending towards people who wear them for work.
So, are you saying people in suits are not creative?
Who are you, Tommy hiltlerfingered the minister of fashion?
:-J
Yes and people who work in call centres or other dead end jobs because they drink or smoke too much hash.
Sorry Peter.
I’m not great at suits.
Weddings, funerals, and when I want to get away with being a scumbag. I wouldn’t wear one if there wasn’t a promise of free booze.
Ha!!!!!
-I wouldn’t wear one if there wasn’t a promise of free booze.
-That means you’d be in nip unless you had to pay for your own drinks. SPANX is gonna pick up on that. It’s his type of humour.
I’m going to bed.
upside down, for sure.
@ Guy Beige
It could’a been back-to-front.
-but then you’d consider me an ally, and I wouldn’t like that.
-How many slaps do you want?
Pack of whingers, both Mr. Shatter and Mr. Bonkers. You’d swear neither men had never had a heated encounter or disagreement with another human being before.
Bonkers. Why didn’t you just enjoy your flight and your holiday, and mind your own business for a few hours you halfwit.
“Needless to say, I had the last laugh”
Odd Bonkers would hear a comment on the radio that a politician had been abused in a foreign airport and presume that their mild mannered exchange was actually that.
If I had behaved in the exemplary fashion outlined by Bonkers, I wouldn’t automatically assume it was the same incident that Shatter described. But for some reason, Bonkers did presume it was the same incident. Odd that.
Unless, of course, Bonkers’s story is somewhat understated.
Bonkers shouted, Shatter responded. Both had their 15 minutes.
Next up |
Exclusive CCTV video of when Panti Bliss kicked the **** out of a homophobe @ Moscow Airport.
Except that would be footage we would all love to watch – again and again
i frankly would have kneed you in the tiny nuts you have if I was put a similar position, you little cretin.