Explain Yourself

at

Presidential hopeful Peter Casey

At a special meeting last month, Fine Gael councillor Michael Sheahan seconded Mr Casey’s nomination after being proposed by Fianna Fail’s member in Newcastle West Michael Collins.

Asked if he would have seconded him had he known Mr Casey’s views on Irish Travellers, Cllr Sheahan said: “No, simple as that”.

…Solidarity councillor Cian Prendiville, who did not nominate a candidate and abstained in the vote, said:

“I think all those councillors, particularly those in Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil need to come out and nail their colours to the mast and say this is not acceptable. What he is trying to do is whip up hatred, fear and prejudice.”

Calls for Limerick councillors to explain Peter Casey nomination after ‘racist’ comments (Nick Rabbitte, Limerick Leader)

Earlier: A Limerick A Day

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61 thoughts on “Explain Yourself

  1. Ron

    And the great Irish political pantomime continues. quick, everyone distract the electorate from asking the real questions about Michael D Higgins wasteful spending of taxpayer money… His whole election strategy has been to deflect attention away from him and his penchant for Government jets, personal upgrades of his home. Is Higgins a landlord too? How much is making on renting that out? I believe students are in it.

    Michael D Higgins is not fit for the office he holds but who cares about ethics and accountability when you have an electorate as stupid as the Irish one. Another one of the many reasons the Irish will always be the laughing stock of the world.

    1. George

      His strategy has been to do very little as the polls show nobody else has a chance.
      Peter Casey has been a gift to Michael D Higgins though. By taking all the attention with his nonsense he has made it difficult for any other candidate to mount any kind of a challenge to Michael D. It looks like none of the unsuccessful candidates are going to get their costs refunded.

      1. McVitty

        I think we can agree he speaks against a cozy consensus. Pat Kenny (land squatter-extraordinaire) asked a question wrt whether the candidates would be comfortable with a traveler encampment moving in on their turf. It was obvious that every other candidate lacked lacked sincerity in their answers.

        For us who have had it most of our lives (as in, know the before and after), the general and unfortunate finding is that having the travelling community in you area is disruptive from the get-go and over the longer term does little for social cohesion, public space, personal safety and home values.

        Can I take it you speak from experience?

      2. millie st murderlark

        Yes actually there are.

        Now, I’ll be the first to say that there was plenty of nimbyism when it was first proposed that a permanent spot was allocated in my area, but they’ve been there at least ten years and you rarely hear complaints. By and large they have been accepted into the local community, though it needs to be said that they keep to themselves. I’d be lying if I said there’s never been an incident or two over the years, but the objections and fears raised at the time of them moving into the area have not come to pass. Nor will I say I’ve never been guilty of looking down my nose a bit at them in the past but part of accepting them was an awareness that my own behavior/attitude are part of the problem.

        I do know that my area has been very lucky, especially when compared with others who’ve had the opposite experience. I suppose I’m just trying to say that what Peter Casey said does have a degree of truth to it but that doesn’t make it so for all of the travelling community.

        1. McVitty

          Good stories should be acknowledged too.

          A friend of mine lives fairly rural and was getting married recently. They got very concerned when they saw the travelers roving in the days in advance, likely scoping out the house after hearing someone well off was getting married. So on the day, they were so nervous they felt they had no choice but to awkwardly ask someone they could depend on (yet failed to invite to their wedding) to watch the house for the day. If this isn’t living in fear, what is? Were my friends “racist”? …or is it better to not have suffered a loss and have a terrible story to carry?

          We have groups like Pavee Point who have very selective hearing and they are a powerful attack dog. The way RTE treated Peter Casey like a pinata also says a lot about the bubble some people live in wrt Irish Travelers. Unlike Trump, I think he slid into this but the average person is clearly very happy to have their concerns represented. We got here without Peter Casey.

          1. millie st murderlark

            That’s the opposite side of the coin and one I reckon everyone is familiar with. So many people have had that experience, and I remember as a teen being told by my mother to keep an eye out if we saw an unfamiliar van traveling around the area.

            It would be a lie to say that a certain portion of the travelling community bring their reputation, and the stigma of it, onto themselves with that kind of behavior. And I agree, Pavee Point don’t help matters at all.

        2. Alan mc gee

          you’ve had a positive experience of travellers living in your area for the last 10 years. very nice.
          they go to the same pubs as you. eat in the same restaurants. go to the same schools as your kids. swim in the same pools. use the same pitches for sports.
          and you’ve only had one or two unremarkable incidents. that’s a great bunch of travellers!

          1. millie st murderlark

            You know, just because you stamp your foot and say it’s false that doesn’t make it so.

            But sure, it’s fiction.

            Btw, what exactly do I gain by making something like this up? Other than pissing you off, of course.

          2. Janet, I ate my Avatar

            Millie and I hail from the same neck of the woods or close enough, my parents are closer to said travellers, the only bother is the ponies occasionally hopping the fence onto the road

          3. Alan mc gee

            well done. you have a lovely class of traveller from where you’re from. you have every reason to be proud of them.
            where is you’re from?? Glenroe? With bould Blackie Connors letting his ponies jump fences and ruining Dick Morans prize lettuce.

          4. Alan mc gee

            rubbish. you’re talking utter rubbish.
            these lovely travellers that live in your community. do you know the name of one of them? no you don’t.
            fiction and rubbish.

          5. millie st murderlark

            Again, what exactly have I to gain from making this up?

            Anyways, it doesn’t matter. I’m not wasting my time on someone who doesn’t actually want to discuss this and who is clearly blinkered by his own prejudice.

          6. Janet, I ate my avatar

            yes actually, my Mum has picked up some nice furniture pieces with them to refurbish,
            not everyone is the same,
            grow up

          7. Alan mc gee

            you’re gas Janet. next time your ma is up on the halting site antique hunting tell her to get me a bargain

          8. Alan mc gee

            don’t go talking to your traveller friends with that mouth Millie. you’ll get a rude lesson.

            Janet. I’ve seen the way travellers go door to door selling pillows or knives or carpet etc. I hope your mother is in the full of her health and able to talk herself out of a tricky situation when a couple of them travellers doorstep her looking for an opportunity to coerce or steal. because that is their modus operandi and if you don’t believe me go and talk to your local Guard.
            but sure you and Millie are very lucky with the nice travellers you have there in Gloccamora

          9. millie st murderlark

            I’d rather just talk like that to bilious knobjockeys like yourself. It’s very satisfying, you see.

            Clearly, you’re determined to be pig ignorant, but considering your previous comments, that’s actually a step up for you.

            Toodles.

          10. Janet, I ate my avatar

            ffs Alan I’m talking about people she’s known for years
            has a cup of tea with
            get over it would ye

          11. Janet, I ate my avatar

            no they knock in cause they know she has an interest, her days of skip diving are over

          12. Alan McGee

            cod yourselves all you want. You’re talking through the top of your hats.
            You’ve a dirty mouth Millie. A dirty, ugly mouth.

          13. Alan mc gee

            what does ‘lost your kettlebell’ mean? is that Cant patois your traveller ‘friends’ thought you?
            mind yourselves ladies. they’ll have the eye out of your head.

        3. Andrew

          lots of weasly words used there. ‘Rarely’ ‘By and large’ ‘ an incident or two’ Gerrup out a dat

      1. Cian

        Je3z. As president Higgins was able to get his daughter elected to the Seanad?
        As one of the 6 senators that are directly elected?
        Who came 4th (out of 30) first preference votes?
        Yup. He probably got Soros and the lizard people to organise it.

    1. curmudgeon

      A job with no power eh? How else did Higgins got his daughter into the Seanad? Oh look the previous incumbent got her dentist husband the same gig too. Some coincidence.

      wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Mary_Higgins

      en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_McAleese

  2. George

    “Being President of Ireland you’d think Michael D would have an Irish Wolfhound, an Irish Setter, an Irish Water Spaniel or a Kerry Beagle.” – it’s weird that a man who claims not to be racist would produce a video that appears to be racist towards particular breeds of dog! It’s just a bizarre thing for someone to write – “his dogs aren’t Irish”.

  3. Truth in the News

    How much property is owned by out jet lagged President who expouses socialist principles
    he appears to own two houses, is there a third..? and while we are talking about houses
    how many houses in the social housing sector have been damaged indeed left derelict by occupants
    and in some cases had to be demolished and what was ethic status of the occupants…..?
    Perhaps Mr Murphy might ask all local authorities to provide details when they apply for housing
    funds

  4. anne

    Personally, I don’t think I’ve ever been in the vicinity of a traveller who wasn’t a bit on the feral side.

    The “normal”/ not as anti social ones musta just been home each time..

    They’ve all been threatening, loud rude & anti social.

    From a few dozen of them parking at my work, threatening people that they’d punch the head off them for glancing in their direction to being threatened again for glancing at them in the dentist’s office..as they’re shouting at each other in a confined space.

    They don’t know how to behave and bring a ton of problems with them wherever they go..from dumping rubbish to theft.

    I don’t care what’s PC these days & if John Connors feels they’re all really lovely.

    No one wants to live near them & the presidential hopeless/fuls couldn’t have made that clearer with their bullsh*t response to Pat Kenny when asked would they live near them. Gavin Duffy’s response was shur they’re down the M1 near him. lol It’s only a 90km length road.. They’re near us all at that rate. Gobsh*te.

    1. Clampers Outside!

      I was in a pub, that had been taken over, as in being run by, travellers in Dublin 8.

      I was enjoying myself and the company, chatting to the traveller locals, when a big fella, and I mean BIG, turned to me and said…
      “What are you doing in here, don’t ya know this is a traveller pub… you’re from Galway, aren’t ya..”
      “Yes” says I.
      He pulled a stern face and leaned in, as he said, “We’re not much liked round there, you’re gamblin’ comin’ in here…”
      There was a pause…

      “I, I, ’em, well…. I….” spluttering to get a word out…
      Then… *slap* in me back….
      “You’re alright” …and laughter…

      I nearly pooed meself :)

      Had a drink or two more, and said my goodbyes.
      Never went back though.

      It was The Tram on James Street, under different management now. Changed hands a lot over a number of years…. back in my drinkin’ days.

      Awwww, the memories… the few I remember, haha :)

      – – –

      And while I’m at it…. never heard anything out of any of them, nor trouble, in the twenty years I lived there. And the halting site was only a hundred yards away.
      Think it’s gone now… not sure. I do miss Dublin 8… sometimes…

      1. Paddy

        Nice anecdote but I do think people having fond memories of Travellers is a generational thing. They may not have caused trouble back then but they do now. Traveller traditions, tinkering and knacker’s yards and the like, once served a purpose in Irish society. That’s all gone now and unfortunately crime has permeated their culture. Drugs in more recent times. We must remember that there are only around 30,000 Travellers in Ireland. How is it that criminality is so prevalent? Or is it a case that the mainstream media is just highlighting the ethnicity of the few bad apples? I suspect not. Peter Casey may not be presidential but he is honest when it comes to this issue. And Pavee Point and the gardai ought to collaborate to root out the ‘few bad apples’ if it’s merely the case that crime and tax evasion is not part of their culture.

  5. scottser

    FOR FUUPP’S SAKE ITS NOT ABOUT TRAVELLERS!!
    Anyone running for president should represent EVERY citizen, not just those they like or associate with. Casey shouldnt be let next or near the aras after admitting his bias against a section of society.

    1. Martco

      no scottser, you’re right….what it is…is a pantomime interview process for one of the most obscene cushty perk laden jobs in the world, a job with zero pressure and zero responsibility. our version of royalty. garden partying with the 0.5% such bs in this day and age.
      I’d vote to abolish the role if it came along. If I’m around I’m voting Casey, I couldn’t care less what he said (or any of the others say about any subject as I reckon they’d say mass if it meant landing a job like that, don’t kid yourself) it’s my little spanner in the works.

      1. Cian

        I mostly agree – it is a chusty job, but is needed – from a diplomatic perspective. You need someone to meet-and-greet the foreign nobs. Makes sense to have a head of state.

        As for the garden parties and the 0.5%; I think you’ll find that the last 4 presidents have been more likely to have the full cross-section of the population to their parties. It’s not all champagne and Ferrero Rocher.

        Finally, I think the salary should be dropped to the same as a Senator.

        1. Martco

          then have the permanent government appoint the super-diplomat, set the salary perks etc. at an appropriate level & stop this nonsense. We don’t need an Irish royal family.

          1. Cian

            yeah, but we have it already in the president.

            Simple thing to do is slash the salary and the expenses.

            Otherwise it becomes another “political nomination”… and we all know how they are treated.

          2. Martco

            any idea much this election campaign costs end-to-end + running the show for 7 years? upwards of €40mil??

          3. Cian

            €40m? possibly. But “running the show” is a necessary evil. As a nation we have diplomatic responsibilities. We need to meet foreign leaders. We need some of the pomp and ceremony.

            As for the rest, the presidents (since Mary I) have opened the Aras to the great unwashed. And that costs money. And I’m okay with this.
            “President and Sabina Higgins are organising eight such events this summer, welcoming over 4,000 people into Áras an Uachtaráin.” That’s a lot of catering. :-)

            Part of the €40m goes to people that reach their 100th birthday. They get a €2,540 present from the president. Would you stop this?
            There is also a commemorative coin every year after 100 too. This seems a bit wasteful.

            http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/older_and_retired_people/centenarians_bounty.html

  6. Starina

    My only firsthand experience of Travellers has been overwhelmingly, repeatedly, consistently negative. I worked in a jewellery store in Temple Bar for years and they used to come in and fleece the place. Just sweep it. And you know what? The Roma ladies would do the same but they weren’t threatening — if you shouted at them to get out they’d shout back for a second and then leave. But the Irish Travellers always had a threat of pure violence.

    I’m sure there are grand folk in their group–no cultural group is homogenous–and I was happy to see them marching in the Pride parade this year. But I’ve yet to see any behaviour in my personal interactions with them that doesn’t match woejus stereotypes.

    Still not voting for that racist cracker Casey, though.

    1. Martco

      @Starina
      there’s a major prevalence of crime which more often than not is associated with travelers down the country…straight theft thru to more subtle stuff like the “powerwasher” driveway & roof gangs who prey on more vunerable homeowners. I’ve seen it with my own eyes BUT I’m not going to stereotype anyone. I know you only ever hear the bad stories and I’m sure there’s the good and bad just like any corner of society you want to look at, scumbag bankers for example.
      Personally I think it’s more an indictment on the state of our policing & justice systems.
      Trouble is yer man Casey has hit a definite nerve, it’s Trump playbook par excellence, I predict it won’t matter a fupp on this presidential farce but I also predict you’re gonna see a lot more of this nonsense come GE time, a real worry.

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