Last night.
RTE studios, Montrose, Donnybrook, Dublin 4
Scenes from the press room and stage of the final televised Presidential debate on RTÉ’s Prime Time, presented by David McCullagh.
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Everything. As It Happens.
Higgins really is an angry old man. Wily too, as this campaign has proven.
Higgins came across as the least angry of the men on that stage, by a country mile.
Higgins , voted for him last time on the principle that he was the best of a bad lot, it appears 7 years later he is still the same
Ní Riada , there is an anger there , that turns me off , not straight away, it takes time , but turned off all the same
Freeman , nice person, we could agree to disagree personably , I think there are people alive or in better places today because of her , respect
Gallagher , this man doesn’t want to serve me as president, he wants to lead me , not the best at following , he obsessed with expenses i.e money , have a feeling this is what it really boils down to for him
Casey, sure it’s all great craic, big smiley head , seems perplexed by hard questions , get the feeling hard questions are something he dismisses in his current life
Duffy, reminds me of the lad in school who caused a lot of rows, and then usually stepped in to claim the credit for mediating them, but learnt something in the process, possibly how better to get away with it the next time
A joke hopefully! https://who.is/whois/seangallagher2025.com
I’d second most of that, it’s between the two ladies for me…
Miggedygiggiddy etc. has had his chance… time for anything else apart from the three stooges and chancers on the kids roundabout table to the right of your picture.
Cavan’s own Mussolini, The dumb Mayor of Amity and Gavin the expert poker player with aboloutely no tell’s when he’s spoofing.
Mickey D will prob still win… the voting majority are stupified afaic.
:-J
Was full on Higgins before this election, now considering Freeman . Trust me I’m surprised by my own conclusion, watched the south European debates years ago, and due to Grace O’Sullivan being honest I voted for her, I didn’t agree with everything she said, but she earned my respect and thus my vote , freeman is falling into the same category
Funny, of all the candidate she’s the one I’ve been most disappointed with. I really hoped she’d bring something new, but honestly the more I see her speaking on the role of president, the more I think she doesn’t fully grasp what the role is.
Ye I voted for and have always respected Higgins for being a decent politician even within the sham embarrassment of the once thought-of workers rights party that is now neo-labour establishment.
Unfortunately he’s been too weak and now about to go full farce, destroying his own legacy.
One of the two ladies will shake something up like the Mary’s I don’t buy into the SF is bad cos IRA etc. but not sure if Freeman is going to try and do anything as an independent with no clout apart from meditation and mindfulness.
Forcing FF/FG to become the single right wing conservative plutocratic party(which they already are) and a push for a post (non)brexit united Ireland sounds tasty….
:-J
Joe, just to clarify, you “don’t buy into SF is bad cos of the IRA etc”. Can you tell me what you mean by this? SF/IRA, IRA/SF are the same thing. There was an interesting documentary on the Shankill Road the other night. You should watch it.
Explain O’Kelly, Dev and Childers then. All Republicans, and presidents.
You’re already showing your cards and also your arrogance in assuming yoiu know what anyone should do before you listen to a reply to your question.
Give a one good reason why I should even bother replying to your question?
:-J
the involvement of councils in selecting candidates surely has to be reconsidered
utter shambles – 3 eejits, 2 mehs and 1 has-been
I laughed at the last American Presidential elections – “300 million Americans, and those are the best you have to offer?”
I’ve stopped laughing: “5 million Irish, and this is the best we have?” [shakes head sadly]
But it’s not the best Cian.
FFGLab saw no need for an election but SF decided to go ahead and waste all the taxpayers money on one. Perhaps they wanted a SF President for the centenary of the founding of the free state. This was followed by a bunch of no hopers putting themselves forward to the councils who really should have known better.
You’d also have to take into account that in the US the president has an actual role in governing but here, with the exception of Mary I and MDH (to an extent), the president is just a figurehead to be rolled out to meet the scouts and the odd foreign dignitary.
there should be a “none of the above- we need to go again” option when voting
Or just “no president for 7 years”.
See how we get on.
No bills get signed into law for those 7 years, the Dáil can’t be summoned or dissolved and no Taoiseach or government ministers can be appointed.
Also, we’d need a referendum as Article 12.1 states “Beidh uachtarán ar Éirinn (.i. uachtarán na hÉireann) / There shall be a President of Ireland (uachtarán na hÉireann)”
What about a rotating residency / presidency? Give each a stipend, the staff, the yoga teacher, choice of animals, use of the jet, a tailor, a candle for the emigrunts and see what each come back with. Ready, Steady, Cook.
@Spaghetti Hoop
Funnily enough, It works that way in Switzerland, rotating elected candidates as a representative president with a system of greater direct democracy.
:-J
Switzerland = where I want to live next.
The rotation idea could really work here – keeps the Prez on their toes and offers a different style per term. There is no policy work to interrupt, nobody gets too ahem…. rich, wasteful and dependent, and the Aras doesn’t get wrecked from somebody’s live-in animals for 7 years.
Nanananana.. nanananana…
Ok apart from the front runner Mickey D and because your head is haunted by a poltergeist of irish political slime, you have to pick one right now…
Who you gonna call ???…
I’m leaning towards Ni Riada… but could be convinced by Freeman…
-If anyone wants to point out any clear faults, please do.
:-J
I would have thought the fact that she is the SF candidate would be fault enough Joe?
ni riada too for me – but only because she’s, by a small margin, the best of a really bad lot
@Fridge
Why? You assume because of SF association and what exactly?
I’m already bored typing this…
:-J
I’ll give you the benefit of my doubt Cian,are you seriously comparing the 2 presidents roles.One is mostly ceremonial and the other is….Oh never mind what’s the point.
that would require a referendum Brother
Having witnessed some of these meetings myself
I would have to say
It is the standard of Councillor we are electing that needs to be reconsidered
And discussed more formally
Especially now since the Local elections are due next year
What I saw were Council Chambers encrusted with pitiful Old Men and wannabe Men
Blatantly disinterested and disengaged
Even dysfunctional
When they bothered at all it was just to push their weight around and make themselves heard and have a go of their mics
But far too many were too inarticulate to make anything but a sad impression
Too many of them were just pitiful
Throughout this whole campaign
And I have the bruises to show for it
That was the biggest eyeopener
The depressing level of sincerity and competence of many of our Local Councillors
Although, there were some bright sparks and highlights along the way,
And don’t read too much into this lads
But they were all women
I would also add that some of the presentations put before them were not as good as they could have been, and to many were not tailored to the City or County they were in
And I’m being polite
Freeman was probably the most polished and prepared; groomed and proned, she stuck to the middle ground and maintained such a steady even tone – even with her Q & As, she was impossible to ignore or brush off
Sharkey was probably the bravest of the lot imo
But one thing that was a recurrent issue from all the Councils, was that the refusal to answer some of the Councillors questions was not well received. I would question if it was because they felt they were sincere questions to the candidates that deserved answers;
But from what I saw and heard and from feedback etc,
They got the hump because they were being ignored.
I don’t mind the standard in the council chamber , as long as they stay there , preferably locked in the chamber , it’s when they get further up the ladder, and start ruminating on matters of state or even international matters that I get worried,
“He fixed the roads”
Got my uncle a hip operation is the best I’ve heard
‘He got me my passport’ was the best I heard. I told them there was a big office in Dublin where you could get one yourself but ‘No, he got me my passport!!!’
Higgins in full Tortoise mode last night, dodging questions like a boss, a safe one for him with the “I’ll tell and change everything once elected”. They are all pathetic if you ask me, no charisma / aspiration coming off any of them. The sniping between the 3 amigos wasnt even funny, it was sad.
Pathetic moderation by David McCullagh, allowed Higgins to get away with his jet use (abuse) in the past 12 months, when we know he would have been carefully eyeing this campaign. Why didn’t McCullagh ask him about his jet use in the past 7 years, especially in 2011-2013? Lightweight.
McCullagh can’t be seen to spend too much time on one candidate, particularly with the litigious Gallagher standing in front of him.
Ask the question and let the public decide on the evasive answer.
McCullagh was excellent. He treated the entire farce with exactly the attitude it deserved, laughing at the answers, mocking SF for digs about austerity, his “candidates from Ireland’s fittest family” quip.
He was the real winner on the night.
Totally agree. It wasn’t like he was hiding it, in fairness.
He was my favorite of the night. Feckit I’ll vote for him.
Particularly liked his suggestion that there might be 3 contestants from “Ireland’s Fittest Family” contesting in 7 years time.
Just checked on RTÉ player – an hour and forty-three minutes… worth watching, or no?
Fupp no.. about an hour is talking about who has the biggest expenses… which still remains unanswered…
If you survive that then you just start to contemplate migrating asap for the last half an hour..
Bitter sadness..
:-J
that’s why McCullagh is paid so well…..does what he’s told.
No way
McCullagh was excellent
By far the best moderator of any debates held
And that quip about Ireland’s fittest Family is exactly what that shower of dragoons needed to be put out in front of them last night
They were awful,
Gallagher and Duffy are in it because they need a gig, and their big party pals talked them into it
Casey tagged on because he is, and by a long ways, way better off financially than the other two, so no way was he going to let them off to pretend they have the kinda wealth and success they’re trying to let on
And d’ye know what
it was great telly
Hmmm.. I think it was more to do with
No audience….
Only one moderator…
A low tolerence for drawing the short straw and being handed the massive pile of BS to deal with..
To be fair, McCullough is less I’m a celebrity, establishment ass-lick, egotistical, narcissist, I’ve got my own show. etc..
-Think Pat Kenny for most of his life and to a lesser extent sometimes Claire Byrne and what’s her name?.. occasionally thinking they’re murphy brown or an anchor in broadcast news or whatever tv fantasy reality that goes on in all their heads in RTE…
:-J
David McCullaghs snarky question to Joan Freeman querying her figure of 30,000 lives saved by the work of Pieta House was utterly utterly disgraceful.
Joan Freeman answered – Pieta House works with on average 5000 people a year. 6 years work equals 30,000 lives, but McCullagh continued to query the figure, smarmily asking if everyone of those 30,000 lives were saved.
Even if Joan Freeman and Pieta House has saved one life never mind 30,000 that would be enough would it not?
Considering there are about 500 suicides per year and have been for a long time: 481 in 2005 (before Pieta house was opened) to 460 in 2006 it is facetious to suggest the if Pieta House didn’t exist that the numbers would jump ten-fold.
Maybe I have missed something but ….
I don’t really understand the fuss about him using the jet for an official engagement. Is that not what it is for? It just sits there in Baldonnel most of the time. It’s flown by the Air Corps pilots who get paid regardless. I’m sure there are some additional costs involved but as far as I can see, if this is his greatest infraction then he’s fairly irreproachable.
Now whether the Air Corps is the best use of tax payers money is another question, but hardly a matter for Mickey D. to deal with.
…what was in Squees ears…hearing aids?…prompters?
Probably the same little voice that told Joan Freeman she was incorrectly quoting the Constitution…
That made me laugh
Refraction of the studio lights through his lenses…
Either that or the establishment ordered the state propaganda machine to form a subtle halo effect as he looked directly into camera…
:-J
… or mickey d was starting to transform into one of those elderly, alien-fish creatures from coccoon…
:-J
Pathetic moderation by David McCullagh, allowed Higgins to get away with his jet use (abuse) in the past 12 months, when we know he would have been carefully eyeing this campaign. Why didn’t McCullagh ask him about his jet use in the past 7 years, especially in 2011-2013? Lightweight.
Also, would you look at the size of Higgins in the second photo. He hasn’t skipped any meals in the past 7 years, that’s for sure.
I met Mickie D on a Ryanair 2 years ago when he was off on his holiday, now gov her then !
When he’s on official business why now use the jet , we own it and the Air Force lads need the practice .
A more pertinent question would be why do we have and airforce ?
A viable coast guard service would be a better spend for our island
* no gov jet then !!
An even more pertinent question would be why do you think we have an Air Force? We have an Air Corps. They’re basically a transportation and surveillance corps for the Army.
And they could have been the coast guard service, with their AugustaWestland helicopters but were precluded from bidding on the job I believe.
And finally, it’s not about the fact that Miggeldy used the government jet but rather the fact that it may have been wasteful to do so within the confines of (half of) this island.
Unlike Mary McAleese whose family treated her driver as their personal taxi service.
You clearly know a lot about Mary mark II so do explain why Martin’s ex employees were invited up and down the M1 so often that they started to make excuses?
I don’t really, that’s just a snippet from a friend of one of her kids.
I haven’t a clue what you mean by ‘invited up and down the M1’ – invited to do what?
“snippet from a friend” = heard down the pub.
M1 = up north.
Whatever the criticisms of Mary II, ill treatment of staff is not one of them. Was there not a court case about said?
“snippet from a friend of one of her kids” = heard down the pub.
Whatever.
Invited up and down from the north to do what? Spare us the riddles.
Honestly it made me question the entire point of having a president. It’s a pointless ceremonial position that is about going to parties and signing guest books.
I dunno, do you not think a head of state, however titular, is beneficial on a large trade mission?
Do you not think having a dignitary adds pomp to woo investors abroad?
We’re FDI-dependent, and we need this soft but official representation more than most countries.
Taoiseach could do that – and does afaik?
Would have thought that the Taoiseach should have more important things to be doing than endless meet and greets.
McCullagh explained at the beginning that the arrangement of the candidates had been decided by a draw:
The result placed the three dragons together which emphasised the “us and them” effect, i.e. three pompous, egotistical, multi-millionaires versus three more “normal” candidates. This also meant that they were often framed together in the same which, I think, made the Three Amigos look even more foolish.
I dunno
I would question the Multi Millionaire status of two of them
maybe if they liquidated everything they had in the morning, they might reach a couple a’ bar
but having disposable six and seven figure sums of cash
Nope
Higgins lofty protestations that he’s above all the grubby talk about money simply does not ring through. He knows where the trough is as well as the next lad.
Still, the highlight was Ni Riada imploding over the usual Shinner Average Industrial Wage nonsense. No mention by her of the MEP’s unaudited General Expenditure Allowance of €4,400 per month in addition to her salary.
That average industrial wage thing has me baffled, 46k before tax? That has to be a joke, I look around me and can see a vast majority of minimum age paid jobs but few over 46k, is it just me or ?
MEPs also get €313 per day for work in Brussels (this is to cover hotel + food + expenses). But no receipts are needed.
Ni Riada has attended at least 185 sessions, so that is another €58K she pocketed.
*although I’m sure she has published all her expenses since 2014 – after writing that letter to MDH and all.
From L-R:
1) A loop-de-loop trying to profit from suicide work, grand plan if she gets in is to do some workshops on ‘wellness’.
2) A stalking horse for Mary Lou, up in flames due to Poppy-gate and ‘average’ wage.
3) 7 years of snout in trough, wants another 7 and who could blame him, pity he lied about only wanting one term – spent most of the debate looking very confused and got an easy ride from McCullagh.
4) Shot himself in foot last time out (with RTE’s help), was cryogenicaly frozen until court case was settled.
5) Irish Trump, McCullagh went after him without bothering to hide his disdain.
6) You spin me right round, baby right round.
Country is fupped!
+7yrs
+317,000
Brilliant assessment.
Its probably the only time in his life that Michael D has been head and shoulders above everyone else in the room.
I switched off after they attacked wee Mickey for using the jet to Belfast. He’s no Mary McAleese which is a fair criticism but it was hardly the crime of the century either. I have more faith in him doing the job for another seven years than any or all of the others together, with the exception of Joan Freeman.