From top: Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney: Champagne at the Department of Foreign Affairs with then general secretary Niall Burgess in the foreground.
This afternoon.
There may be bubbles ahead.
Via Independent.ie:
Mr Coveney said he was told by his team that Mr [Niall] Burgess put a photograph on Twitter that was “clearly not a good idea” on the night of the event. The imaged showed the secretary general and 20 officials huddled together unmasked while drinking Moet and Chandon champagne.
“I didn’t know that there was, you know, an inappropriate gathering, albeit temporarily after the [UN security council] vote,” Mr Coveney told RTE Radio One’s News at One.
“I was told later on that a photograph was tweeted out and was later on, I think late that evening after midnight, was taken down,” he added.
Mr Coveney said he did not investigate the party at the time because he “trusted” his secretary general and did not feel there was no need for a “follow up”.
Hic.
Savage headline. ;-)
Ta, Micko. Birra Freddie on a Friday.
Almost gave me a Sheer Heart Attack.
Hehehehehehe
Simple Simon at it again after Zapponegate.
And was I hearing things but the muppet with the smirk on his face has been promoted to the office of ambassador to france
This position must be reversed
Let that be His punishment
A temporary gathering?? So a party then.
As opposed to a permanent gathering.. like a graveyard
Ha ha ha ha.
Weasel words from Simon the Chief Weasel
His brother managed to lose a fortune for Greencore, which he headed for years, share price collapsed after years of bad decisions. How can these two brothers be such abject failures yet keep getting golden jobs when they’re clearly not up to it? Because Ireland.
absolute rubbish.
History will be very kind to Simon,irish that is,he’s handled Brexit with aplomb,no not a bomb.
In my opinion he is the closest we have to a Irish statesman,wonderfully witty,charming,with a large imposing,alpha male energy in any settling.
Last time i met him,i said only stand next me if you have something awful to say,we chatted for twenty minutes:)
Lol an alpha male energy in any setting.
And that’s the problem right there.
Gays and straights alike think this is a good thing.
The world has moved on Grandad.
….better let the lil englanders know,who would you send in his place?
criminal case must be progressing.
+ large imposing alpha male …laughed my ass off
then shuddered at how grim and passé that is
….i take it i mean i get it that you would naturally be more partial and loyal to Leo.
still,who would you have negotiate for Ireland,against that UK team,who would you send?
I’d send Mary Lou …
Maybe the Garda drugs squad would be interest in the substance you are on to actually come out with that
Watched him giving his speech over this breach of rules
One minute to open pour and drink a glass of taxpayers funded bubbly gets him into the Guinness book of records
The donations to the poor box by offenders was contempt pure and simple
Moet ?
How common can you get …
Well, you, obviously.
Could they not have just had facemasks Photoshopped in? I’d do the needful for a few bucks, then we could all go back to pretending there’s a Pandemic. I hope the Mainstream Media don’t splash this all over the news. Hahaha, geddit? The Mainstream Media? The News? Oh, suit youself.
As TenPin Terry implies, Moet is a big name but not a great champagne.
A bottle of Veuve Clicquot, for me, please & don’t dare put it in ice!
Yup, the Widow Ponsardin is my favourite cheap champagne too.
Pol Roger for celebrations.
Hope they didn’t drive home after that.
How come there was a very young baby allowed to be in their midst?
And ‘did not feel there was no need for a “follow up”.’ Such journalism
Did you not know the civil service is all nepotism? if someone dies their kid automatically get their job – regardless of the age of the child.
That “baby” is probably an EO!
A HEO even
And not a rat in the house licked.
That was going to be the baby thrown into the bath water
Great the way impromptu parties just happen to have bottles of champagne and champagne glasses handy.
Now – who paid for the champagne? Was it claimed on expenses or did it come out of an ‘allowance’? Whose?
Wonderful questions, GG.
I’d ask another question though – why is it apparently Coveney’s fault (not saying he’s not at fault btw)?
Isn’t the Sec Gen of the department their boss? He was at the gathering; it couldn’t have happened without his say so. Has he swanned off into the sunset without a worry in the world?
…the real take from all this and golfgate is that none of them look remotely worried about the deadly pandemic.
This snap is from June 2020… All unjabbed and maskless?
Exactly.
As it’s been said before, these lads would have been under the covers with five masks on if they were worried about it.
Bear in mind this is nepotism at its finest, and none of them are at risk because genetically nothing transfers as they’re all the same and they just feed off each other and taxpayers blood – I think it’s called Teflon variant.
I know one of that group. He had been working his butt off in the months leading up to that vote. I don’t begrudge him a glass of bubbly.
What was the vote Lilly?
The vote that saw Ireland elected to the UN Security Council.
Yep a neutral country making decisions about war
An absolute joke
His brother, Patrick, managed to lose a fortune for Greencore, which he headed for years, after years of bad decisions, stepped down, ahem. How can these two brothers be such abject failures yet keep getting golden jobs when they’re clearly not up to it? Because Ireland.
Simon has leapt into action – although he must have taken a very long run up as it’s taken him so long:
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/simon-coveney-orders-investigation-into-champagne-party-at-his-department-at-height-of-covid-restrictions-41245776.html
“The Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee will formally raise concerns about the investigation into the Iveagh House champagne party being carried out by the Department of Foreign Affairs secretary general…”
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/foreign-affairs-committee-to-raise-concerns-with-coveney-about-secretary-general-investigating-champagne-party-41251618.html