Summer garden parties are a big thing on the Westminster political scene. The annual seasonal gathering in the Irish Embassy is one of the most popular.
This year’s event doubled as a leaving do for a number of staff members, including Michael Lonergan, the embassy’s popular political counsellor, who is leaving London for Brussels in advance of Ireland’s EU presidency in a year’s time.
While French president Emmanuel Macron meeting British prime minister Keir Starmer may have been the main topic of conversation among the Westminster set, the Irish contingent at Ambassador Martin Fraser’s bash was much more interested in the all-consuming question of who will be the next president of Ireland.
Or, more to the point, who will be the runners and riders when the race eventually begins?
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Former SDLP leader Colum Eastwood was among the guests. He previously expressed an interest in running and the word in Grosvenor Place was that he could be interested in running as an independent if Fianna Fáil decides not to put up a candidate and backs him instead.
With Mairead McGuinness seemingly nailed on as the Fine Gael choice at the moment and much of the Left coalescing around independent Galway TD Catherine Connolly, who has declared she wants to run, interest has turned to Fianna Fáil’s intentions.
Would a party politician get enough public support? Taoiseach Micheál Martin isn’t exactly pushing that idea. However, over at the Irish embassy, the name in the frame from the political chatterati was that of former Irish soccer international Niall Quinn, running with the blessing of Fianna Fáil.
Micheál is still sitting it out, apparently, waiting to see how the field fills out – with a particular eye to the Shinners. And Niall, it was being said on Thursday night, would not turn him down if an approach was made.
He has an interesting CV – Dublin lad but with Tipperary roots. Played minor hurling for the Dubs before starting his stellar professional football career across the water. He is a successful businessman but also returned to his studies, earning an MA in history from Dublin City University. His thesis was on the 1916 hero Oscar Traynor and he gave the oration this year at the annual 1916 Relatives Association commemoration in the Garden of Remembrance.
One of the most famous chants in the world of English soccer was about him. It was called Niall Quinn’s Disco Pants.
Then again. Micheál could always go for his backbencher Pat the Cope Gallagher (77) who said on Friday he is willing to volunteer for the Áras.
In years to come, Irish people will ask each other: “Where were you the day you heard that Pat the Cope was willing to run?”
As seismic moments go this week, it’s almost, but not quite, up there with “where were you when you heard MEP Sean Kelly announce on national radio that he will not be running for president?”
We asked a friend. She replied: “I was in the kitchen, but so overcome by emotion the moment is a blur.”
Also at the ambassador’s party was former Undertones frontman and now leading environmentalist Feargal Sharkey. The Irish guests behaved and didn’t ask him to sing “A Good President These Days Is Hard to Find”.
Also at the party was Fianna Fáil backbencher from Cork East James O’Connor, last seen celebrating his birthday in the Royal Enclosure at Ascot, no less. Punchestown chairman David Mongey was also among the invitees. No doubt James bent his ear.
Friends in Lithuania
We can’t get away from presidents. Will it ever stop?
The president of Lithuania, Gitanas Nauseda, was in town this week. One of the highlights of his busy itinerary was a meeting with TDs and Senators from the Oireachtas Ireland-Lithuania Parliamentary Friendship Group. Fianna Fáil TD Aisling Dempsey is the group convener.
They met off-campus in Matt the Thresher’s on Dublin’s Pembroke Street and we hear it was a convivial affair. Members were invited to say a few words. When Independent Senator Aubrey McCarthy was called upon to speak, Fianna Fáil’s Cormac Devlin pointed out to president Nauseda that Aubrey might be a candidate in our forthcoming presidential election. Aubrey, who seems keen on a nomination, replied that if he was ever elected president his first State visit would be to Lithuania.
He wondered if Cormac would act as his campaign manager. To laughter from his Leinster House colleagues, the TD for Dún Laoghaire regretfully informed Aubrey that he presumed party colleague Mary Hanafin will be expecting him to run her campaign.
The president also met political correspondent Gabija Gataveckaite, who was born in Vilnius and moved to Roscommon when she was eight. Wonder did Gabby tell him her news? She is moving from the Irish Independent to a new job as Dublin correspondent for BBC Northern Ireland.
Super juniors strike back
Government Chief Whip Mary Butler must have enjoyed a hearty breakfast last Wednesday morning because she was still full of beans when she arrived into the Dáil chamber bright and early for questions on topical issues.
As Chief Whip, Mary is no ordinary junior Minister. She is a Fianna Fáil super-junior Minister, allowed to sit in a high chair at the Cabinet table. But, along with the Cabinet’s other special children, she cannot present a memo at the meeting or vote.
Nonetheless, super juniors are both seen and heard at meetings. They have influence.
On Monday, Sinn Féin’s Pa Daly launched a High Court challenge to the attendance of souped-up ministers of state at cabinet meetings. He was followed near the end of the week by Paul Murphy of People Before Profit, who brought a similar action.
They say the Constitution limits the number of government ministers to 15 and binds them to confidentiality about their discussions, so admitting a select few juniors, no matter how super they are, is unconstitutional.
The TD for Kerry was in the chamber to ask Mary – Minister of State with responsibility for mental health – about proposals to move outpatient psychiatric services from Cahersiveen to Killorglin. He said this was a matter of serious concern in South Kerry.
“I’m hoping you will say that this is not going to happen,” said Pa.
Mary rose to respond to the man who thinks she shouldn’t be allowed a high chair at the Cabinet table. The man who was spending his week above in the High Court – joined by Mary Lou McDonald and Pearse Doherty on the first day (the photos came out lovely) – to argue that her job flies in the face of the Constitution.
“Deputy, I’m surprised you’re here, actually. I thought you’d be on your way to the High Court,” remarked Mary at the outset.
“I am, but this matter is so important. I’m going down straight after this,” replied a startled Pa.
Mary silenced him with a perfunctory “this is not a question-and-answer”.
He looked across, mouth agape.
She carried on. “You know, I was actually struck while I was walking across – I was thinking how ironic it was: I’m the first Minister ever to represent mental health at Cabinet and you’re trying to remove me.
“And here you are today asking me to come forward and find a solution for you. I was just struck at how ironic that is.”
“It’s not about you,” reposted Pa.
And then Mary, having got that off her chest on behalf of all the super juniors, gave a comprehensive reply.
Respect the super juniors.
In his evidence on Thursday, former high-chair holder Finian McGrath said he was always treated as “a full minister” during his time as a minister of state between 2016 and 2020. People like to “sneer” at the super juniors, shrugged the former Independent TD for Dublin Bay North.
Perish the thought. We’d never do that.
Finian thinks super juniors are great. They are certainly a cut above your bog standard aul’ ministers of state, that’s for sure.
“Please don’t say to me that super-junior ministers don’t have more authority than ministers of state.”
But while Finian might believe he had strategic and political influence at cabinet, in reality he was a mere super junior with significantly different and lesser powers than a senior government minister, argued the State.
Finian was crushed.
“You’re diminishing the office of the super junior minister and I don’t like that,” he quivered at Attorney General Rossa Fanning.
Judging by what she had to say in the Dáil, Mary Butler feels exactly the same way.
A century of Blaneys in Donegal
There was a big hooley in Lifford last Friday when Donegal County Council pulled out all the stops with a civic reception to mark the Blaney family’s record 100 years of unbroken service to the county.
A Blaney sat on the council when it was founded in 1925 and there has been a Blaney on it every year since.
Cathaoirleach Paul Canning (FF), welcomed a huge crowd to the municipal headquarters on “this joyous day” for Donegal. Guests of honour were Senator Niall Blaney, his brother Cllr Liam Blaney and their 85-year-old mother, Margaret.
Neal Blaney was the first generation of the political dynasty to hold local office. He was elected in 1925 as a Sinn Féin candidate and went on to serve in the Dáil and Seanad. His son Neil T Blaney – the controversial and colourful politician who became a Fianna Fáil minister – succeeded him in 1948.
His brother Harry, later a TD, was co-opted in 1957 after Neil was appointed to cabinet. Harry’s son Niall followed him on to the council in 1999 before his election to the Dáil in 2002. Brother Liam was then co-opted in 2003 and he has contested and won every local election since.
The Blaney family’s record of 100 years of unbroken representation was “an extraordinary achievement of truly historic proportions”, said Cllr Donal Coyle (FF), who originally proposed the idea of a civic reception for the Blaneys. It is the highest honour a council can bestow.
Brothers Liam and Niall both paid tribute to their mother, Margaret, who was married to their late father for 60 years.
“She was everything. Neil never had a constituency office at all. The house in Rosnakill was the epicentre,” Niall told us. “This honour is for all the family and our supporters down through the years. But it’s particularly nice for my mother.
“Without her I’m not sure that Neil and my father would have been as successful as they were.”
After the reception, guests carried on to the Silver Tassie Hotel outside Letterkenny to continue the celebrations.
