Tanaiste Leo Varadkar at the Mighty Hoopla festival in south London

This morning.

Via Independent,ie

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar told the live events industry that the UK’s reopening is “definitely” not an example to follow, just days before travelling to London to attend a music festival.

Mr Varadkar has been caught up in fresh controversy as the Irish Independent can reveal that he warned the meeting about the high numbers of Covid deaths and hospitalisations in England and Scotland.

The meeting was held between the live events sector, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Arts and Culture Minister Catherine Martin and the Tánaiste last Monday.

Mr Varadkar said he “definitely” didn’t think that Britain was “an example to follow”

Tánaiste travelled to UK festival just days after calling event rules there a ‘bad example’ (Independent.ie)

Pic via Twitter

Meanwhile…

The mighty Hoopla 2021 line-up.

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61 thoughts on “Bad Example”

  1. Frank

    “definitely” didn’t think that he as tánaiste and policy maker was “an example to follow”
    Fixed that.

  2. Diddy

    Phones and snitches….. do people have a right not to be photographed without their permission? And published online?

      2. Ronan

        I think most concert tickets include assumed waivers on image rights in the T&Cs. Your tough as an attendee if you end up visible in promotional photos, other patrons photos, or shifting someone on the convert vidgeyo.

        I’d object to someone standing outside a politician’s gaff taking photos, but going to a concert is fair game. He should have worn a better disguise – a mask would have added good anonymity, ironically enough.

  3. delacaravanio

    “…do people have a right not to be photographed without their permission…”

    Not in a public place they don’t.

    1. Diddy

      Like a train carriage? Sammy Wilson and the loose mask. Remember what your condoning here, a surveillance society where pics are sneakily taken and put online to shame/blame/sneer at someone. It’s a sinister development. Make no mistake about it

      2. Micko

        It’s a hard call.

        I don’t like the idea of someone having pics taken of them and shamed, especially when it’s a private citizen, but if it’s a news story of a controversial public figure (who chose that career) it become more difficult to condemn.

        I think that a leader of a political party attending a festival abroad, while the country he partially governs has used policy to completely destroy an entire industry and continues to do so indefinitely. (60% capacity venues are not viable and I can’t see Oct 22nd reopening happening)

        And he pops off to a festival in a country that has more cases, more deaths, less vaccinated and is back to relative normality AND he only condemned them during the week for their risky behaviour, IS a news story and is justified.

        It’s news. So screw him and his privacy.

        3. Slave to the Rhythm

          Speaking rhetorically only Micko, because as I’ve said before I think if we met in person I’d have a lot of time for you despite our difference of opinion about COVID etc., but I would LOVE to see you/your family face this kind of scrutiny every time you/your wife/kids go to take a dump or whatever, and see whether you’d have the same opinion then.

    2. Cian

      Firstly, there is “public” and there is “public”.

      If you are on the street that is totally public and you can photograph/be photographed.

      However if you are on a train (another poster mentioned this) there may be bylaws that forbid this – you could be asked to leave the train. If you are at a concert on private property there may be terms and conditions around this. It would all depend on what they say,

      Secondly, taking a photograph is one thing. But if you publish a photograph (social media) there may be GDPR issues relating to that.

      1. Slave to the Rhythm

        I think the applicable law here (mostly) is (And judging from posters responses)

        “I don’t like Leo so therefore whatever he does he is a …” (insert favourite expletive)

  4. Paulus

    It’s been galling enough I suppose
    For those here who can’t put on shows
    With rules still quite rigid
    Like the Táiniste’s digit;
    It must really get right up their nose.

    2. Slave to the Rhythm

      Going on from my banter with Micko above, here is my effort

      Leo is taking a crap!
      Quick! Better take an intimate snap!
      Then put it online,
      Like a squirt of urine,
      And whine like a wee girl of nine.

      1. Paulus

        Good effort, but without being patronising, the limerick does have an accepted form:
        Ending of lines 1, 2 and 5 should rhyme.
        Ending of lines 3 and 4 should rhyme.

        The overall verse should have a rhythm. This is greatly helped by lines 1,2, and 5 having roughly 8 to 10 syllables and lines 3 and 4 having 5/6 syllables.

        Some see this as being overly prescriptive, but I find it adds to the challenge, and otherwise the result just doesn’t flow.
        Of course all forms of poetry should be welcome here, but a limerick is a specific form.

    3. ian-oG

      Its a dreadful lineup.

      Also, Gok Wan??? Is he there to give a ‘workshop’ on How to look good eating your snots in public?

      1. SOQ

        He’s a DJ too apparently- oh dear.

        Horse Meat Disco was the only thing with any cred I think.

        Possibly Jimmy Somerville for old times sake.

        Cheryl Cole as headline- really?

        Def a Naff Naff line up.

    5. Slave to the Rhythm

      He is in his forties isn’t he?
      It’s easy to forget that

      And come on, he’s very middlebrow, that’s obvious.

  10. Johnny

    I need a 8 ball or a few grams now …yeah yeah I’m already all out and sitting on my ass calling you….

    WTF is he doing ?
    There.

  11. Paulo

    He seems incredibly immature and “silly” for a person of his age and position. Seems to lack judgment and wants to be the “cool guy” still or the important guy. Lots of cringey stuff over the years between his snazzy socks, Trudeau bromance, getting reports for his friends, Kylie letters, being snapped at various parties etc.

    I don’t necessarily dislike the guy but he seems to have a bit of growing up to do. He seems like a good diplomat – probably more suited to am ambassadorial role than Taoiseach / Tainiste / party leader.

    1. Ronan

      Private lobbying and internal shmoozing roles with the likes of Halliburton / Carlyle Group. Seem to be the go-to career options for politicians who’s stars shine brightest in youth.

      Grabbing one of these guys in their early 50s is likely to give you top ranking connections in half the governments in Europe for a period of 10 years.

      Once you’re done with trade deals (including arms if you’ve lead a former military power), you go into diplomat mode in your 60s, in a sort of poacher turned gate-keeper role of ‘Peace envoy’ or some shizz.

      I actually like Varadkar, he’s not the worst of them, but I definitely think he’s about his brand rather than the country – it’s just that he’s unashamedly so, doesn’t really pretend to be all about the little people.

    2. Ben Madigan

      “incredibly immature… silly… lacks judgement… cringey”

      “seems like a good diplomat” ????

    3. Slave to the Rhythm

      We all have our weaknesses, for some reason he feels he wants to let us know about his comings and goings (I’m on a roll here, see above, a toilet roll…0)

  12. Junkface

    Standard rules don’t apply to Leo Varadkar. He’s better than normal people, as evidenced by his actions over the last few months.

  13. V aka Frilly Keane

    Not only do I think this is a non story other than a snippet in a gossip column
    or some craic on the internet, or a gag in some continuity announcer’s speil

    I think its going to him more good
    than harm, in the long run
    and the very lad hoping this Tone Deaf and false Government Jet story is going to scar Leo
    will be sorry he wasn’t seen himself out and about in flip flops and an old tour t-shirt, struggling with a drippy 99

  18. Boe__Jiden

    Begrudgery of someone having a good time, we’ve become a nation of curtain twicthers, and there’s the every-present undercurrent of homophobia attached as well.

  20. Andrew

    Hes’ living out his adolescence now. It happens. He was far too earnest in his youth and now he’s making up for lost time. It’s common enough.
    However, he should not be doing this growing up on our dollar.
    He’s ultimately a lightweight intellectually and not fit for public office in my opinion.
    Simon Coveney is also not fit to hold public office but for different reasons- he’s just a bit thick in my opinion.

    1. Hank

      That was my first thought when I saw that pic. Anyone with any experience of festivals knows why you never sit near one of those fences!

    2. Fergalito

      Or if you’re like me, someone might even poo up the side of your tent when you’re inside, asleep and minding your own business.

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