THE FIANNA FÁIL STORY.......The Rise And Decline Of Fianna Fáil , by Kevin Boland - Mercier Press.
Seán Lemass And The Making Of Modern Ireland , by Paul Bew and Henry Patterson - Gill and Macmillan.
By Roy Johnston.
From 'Gralton' magazine, Aug/Sept 1983.
'The Rise and Decline of Fianna Fáil' by Kevin Boland gives a useful insider's view , while 'Seán Lemass and the Makings of Modern Ireland' by Paul Bew and Henry Patterson is a scholarly collaboration between Queens and the Ulster Polytechnic which consciously takes a detached , outsider's ("two-nationist") view.
There is a danger that the latter may be taken as a Marxist analysis , on the superficial ground that Paul Bew has contributed to the London magazine , 'Marxism Today' , on Irish topics . It is anything but.
Kevin Boland , an unrepentant thirties Fianna Fáil man , makes a creditable attempt to chronicle how the rot set in. The 26th anniversary of Fianna Fáil (1951) was held with fanfares in the Capital Theatre , an oration from de Valera and publication of a souvenir brochure outlining the triumphal history - "....a record that enabled every member to see himself or herself in the gallant company of our heroic dead who had striven over the centuries to free Ireland from the tyrannical grip of the foreign enemy....."
(MORE LATER).
THE PETER BERRY PAPERS....... The Top Secret Memoirs of Ireland's Most Powerful Civil Servant : Dirty Tricks, Election '69/ Spying on a Unionist Politician/ Keeping the (State) Taoiseach informed/ The Garda Fallon Murder/ Advice to Jack Lynch- 'Fire the pair of them...'/ Vivion De Valera's advice to O'Malley/ Rumours of a Coup D'Etat/ The Internment Plot, November 1970/ Secret Meeting with William Craig.From 'MAGILL' magazine , June 1980.
" I was completely reassured when I heard of Mr Haughey , as when he was Minister for Justice (October 11th , 1961 to October 8th , 1964) he had taken very firm action in reactivating the 'Special Criminal Court' and in forcing the IRA to declare a cease-fire in February 1962. I had also in mind the action taken by him in September 1963 when the Minister for Home Affairs in Northern Ireland , Mr William Craig , was giving the IRA a new lease of life by ill-timed and ill-conceived statements to the press about IRA drilling in the Twenty-Six Counties , as to which there was very little indeed.
Later , I told the security forces that there seemed to be no truth in the story of a meeting between a Minister and the IRA Chief of Staff , Cathal Goulding. They repeated that their sources had proved reliable in the past , so I asked that they keep checking their sources...... "
(MORE LATER).
LEINSTER HOUSE SAYS 'YES!' TO 'NEW' ADMINISTRATION , OLD ADMINISTRATION SAYS 'YES!' TO GOLDEN HANDSHAKES AND PENSIONS FOR LIFE.....
Today , Wednesday 9th March 2011 , a 'new' political administration for this State will place itself in 'authority' in Leinster House and settle-in for the next few years. "Settle-in" , that is , for an opportunity to live the life of O'Donoghue.
However , it must surely be some comfort to know that if you fail to make it 'big' during your (part)term in Office , you will do so when your 'time' is up : politicians from the 'old' Leinster House administration have awarded themselves vast sums of money in compensation for losing their seats ie compo for losing the opportunity to award themselves vast sums of money !
The following is a list of 'Awards' which that out-going State administration gifted to itself :
* Mary Coughlan: €312,239.56 in the first year, €130,161.98 every year thereafter.
* John O’Donoghue: €310,370.98 in the first year, €128,293.40 every year thereafter.
* Mary O’Rourke: €310,370.98 in the first year, €128,293.40 every year thereafter.
* Dick Roche: €274,160.69 in the first year, €94,782.31 every year thereafter.
* Mary Hanafin: €250,986.98 in the first year, €102,364.91 every year thereafter.
* Pat Carey: €240,225.41 in the first year, €91,603.34 every year thereafter.
* Michael Ahern: €235,368.58 in the first year, €53,291 every year thereafter.
* Frank Fahey: €235,368.58 in the first year, €53,291 every year thereafter.
* Sean Power: €235,368.58 in the first year, €53,291 every year thereafter.
* Trevor Sargent : €230,164.88 in the first year, €57,410.49 every year thereafter.
* Seán Haughey: €220,289.42 in the first year, €57,893.93 every year thereafter.
* John Gormley: €212,274.07 in the first year, €63,652 every year thereafter.
* Conor Lenihan: €207,653.76 in the first year, €59,031.69 every year thereafter.
* Brendan Kenneally: €196,299.96 in the first year, €41,777.11 every year thereafter.
* Johnny Brady: €185,185.31 in the first year, €36,563.24 every year thereafter.
* John Moloney: €185,185.31 in the first year, €36,563.24 every year thereafter.
* Eamon Ryan: €164,014.75 in the first year, €49,074.55 every year thereafter.
* Barry Andrews: €146,218.33 in the first year, €31,278.13 every year thereafter.
* Tom McEllistrim: €146,164.51 in the first year, €31,224.31 every year thereafter.
* Peter Power: €146,164.51 in the first year, €31,224.31 every year thereafter.
* John Curran: €143,079.03 in the first year, €28,138.83 every year thereafter.
* Maire Hoctor: €142,890.67 in the first year, €27,950.47 every year thereafter.
* Ciarán Cuffe: €139,948.69 in the first year, €25,008.49 every year thereafter.
* Paul Gogarty: €136,925.99 in the first year, €21,985.79 every year thereafter.
* Peter Kelly: €136,925.99 in the first year, €21,985.79 every year thereafter.
* Michael Mulcahy: €136,925.99 in the first year, €21,985.79 every year thereafter.
* Charlie O’Connor: €136,925.99 in the first year, €21,985.79 every year thereafter.
* Martin Mansergh: €108,507.84 in the first year, €18,707.96 every year thereafter.
* Aine Brady: €105,368.54 in the first year, €15,568.66 every year thereafter.
* Seán Connick: €102,363.77 in the first year, €12,563.89 every year thereafter.
* Mary White: €101,960.15 in the first year, €12,160.27 every year thereafter.
* Chris Andrews: €99,215.50 in the first year, €9,415.62 every year thereafter.
* Bobby Aylward: €99,215.50 in the first year, €9,415.62 every year thereafter.
* Cyprian Brady: €99,215.50 in the first year, €9,415.62 every year thereafter.
* Thomas Byrne: €99,215.50 in the first year, €9,415.62 every year thereafter.
* Margaret Conlon: €99,215.50 in the first year, €9,415.62 every year thereafter.
* Michael Fitzpatrick: €99,215.50 in the first year, €9,415.62 every year thereafter.
* Michael Kennedy: €99,215.50 in the first year, €9,415.62 every year thereafter.
* Darragh O’Brien: €99,215.50 in the first year, €9,415.62 every year thereafter.
* Christy O’Sullivan: €99,215.50 in the first year, €9,415.62 every year thereafter.
* Eamon Scanlon: €99,215.50 in the first year, €9,415.62 every year thereafter.
TOTAL COST TO THE PUBLIC: €7,054,373.02 in the first year; €1,711,658.48 every year thereafter.
The 'new crowd' will do the same , when their time is up - they are living beyond our means , which is just one of the reasons we advised that they are not worthy of your vote.
Hopefully , more people will listen to us the next time... ?
Thanks,
Sharon.
