From top: Barry Cowen (left) Minister for Agriculture and the Marine receiving his seal of office from President Michael D. Higgins (right) at Dublin Castle; Mr Cowen in 2016, the year his Renault Megane was stopped at a Garda checkpoint on his way back to Offaly from the All-Ireland football final
Last night/this morning.
Via Independent.ie:
The ban arose as Mr Cowen [age 49 at the time] was not driving on a full licence. He was categorised as a ‘specified driver’ as he was driving on a Learner Permit.
[Taoiseach and Fiann Fáil leader] Mr [Micheá] Martin didn’t know about the offence when he selected Mr Cowen as a minister.
Mr Martin said:
“I first became aware of this issue on Friday afternoon. I have spoken to Minister Cowen and I accept that his remorse about this incident is genuine.
“I am disappointed that I learned about it in this way and have made that clear to him.”
Revealed: Cabinet minister’s drink-driving ban (Independent.ie)
Meanwhile…
“The incident occurred on the night of September 18, 2016”
Meanwhile Tuesday, 29th Jan 2013https://t.co/09ro9gDWNo
— PieceOfPi552 (@PieceOfPi552) July 4, 2020
There you go now.
Meanwhile…
Get angry. Its one law for them & another law for others. Cowen is in good company with his Midlands Minister @RobertTroyTD and the curious case of the 3 missing summons and the penalty points quashed. And they have the neck to lecture the rest of us. 🙄https://t.co/UOVd72jXgs
— Politics Watch (@PoliticsWatch14) July 4, 2020
Meanwhile…
Barry Cowen timetable is not remotely credible.
1. Had 2 pints.
2. Went Croke Park for All Island final, 2 hours.
3. Left Croke Park and got food, minimum 1 hour.
4. Drove to Offaly, minimum 90 mins on All Ireland final day.
So, 4.5 hours after 2 pints he was over limit?
— Revolution 🐊 (@Revolution_IRL) July 4, 2020
Meanwhile….
Something very odd in this case . Barry Cowen TD is very 53 . Apparently he had a provisional driving licence at age 49.. It took me a few years to pass my test but 32 years that's a bit of a stretch or did he previously have a full licence and lose it ? Ff are back
— Caoimhin O Hailpin (@Cohailpin) July 4, 2020
In fairness.
Minister for agriculture was also an Irish greyhound board employee
He need hardly worry about the IGB. FG have already bailed them out by paying a grossly inflated purchase price for the Harolds across stadium.
https://www.broadsheet.ie/2018/10/08/double-cross/
He has GOT to GO
How the hell did he keep that quiet for four years?
It was an ‘on the spot’ fine with a three month ban. If he didn’t pay it, it would have gone to court and would have been reported in the media. By paying it, the fine and the ban wouldn’t have been reported (same as paying a fixed charge penalty for speeding).
Someone does t like him.
That congestion again.
He has to resign.
…you’d think he’d been colluding…
oh but this is so much WORSE
Still only a amateur when compared to Donegal Doc…what was his name?
Jim McDaid
That’s him.
At least Biffo Beag stuck to his own side of the road….I hope.
I see there he was on a provisional licence at the time
Good job he gets a Driver in his new gig now I suppose
Terrible pity (for him) that big brother never made it into the Dept of Justice
It’s hard to believe the media didn’t know about this before now. I wonder were they sitting on it to reveal later?
Either way, god enough for him, I can’t stand him.
I was hoping he’d be given an opportunity to embarrass himself anyway, he’ll probably be watching himself now.
He was on a provisional licence at age 49 so I’m assuming he has been driving illegally for years. And if he was prepared to drive after drinking in 2016 at age 49 you’d wonder if it was his first time….
Not just that, its been reported he was driving from Dublin to Offaly. So driving long distance, at motorway speeds, drunk, while apparently not good enough at driving to pass a driving test…
Thats absolutely horrifying. Much much worse than someone driving 5minutes down the road drunk (not that thats OK either mind you).
The learner driver thing is almost worse
tis
especially if he was on the motorway at any stage during the journey
The puerile whiff of superiority and schadenfreude is as magnificent as it is predictable.
It’s a mandatory requirement to have AT LEAST one drink driving offence before you’re even put forward as a possible candidate at a FF convention. And this is a surprise?
…would never happen in Limerick,has FF not made some moves in the Taxi racket in Dublin yet ?
Nothing to see here, Science has already decreed that a Fianna Fáil TD’s driving is improved while stocious.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/aylward-driving-test-responses-faster-after-drinks-433538.html
The present day FF’ r’s are a shower of lightweights when compared to the
‘ I couldn’t give a bollix what you think
of me ‘ hardchaws of yesteryear.
History doesn’t repeat, it rhymes
If he was driving on a learner permit was he accompanied, had he lost a full licence due to earlier problem.
He should resign immediately. If not, he should be sacked.
Drunk driving on a provisional licence. Unbelievable.
It most definitely is one rule for them and quite a different law for us.
Cowen out.
The lakes of pontchartrain was on the radio when he was pulled over
Good work by Fionnan Sheahan for running the story
Anyone heard anything about his brother, has he made a full recovery?