You know it’s panto season when the attention-seeking cage fighter, Conor McGregor, wants to be president of Ireland. Oh yes, he does...
And according to some media reports and social media listings, his supporters include Elon Musk, Andrew and Tristan Tate and Russell Brand. Remember what your gran used to say? “Show me your company and your character I will tell?” It was sound advice.
The garrulous sporting pundit, Joe Brolly, didn’t miss and hit the wall on his podcast, when he called the warrior wannabe “a moron”. If there was ever to be a staged verbal clash between those two, my money would be on barrister Joe.
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Brolly is a marmite a character but is more than capable of nailing down the big issues. McGregor is of course, milking, if not feeding the presidential speculation and the ensuing media hullabaloo. His handlers will love him for the publicity.
It’s unlikely McGregor would pass the nomination requirements for the Áras, but it’s worrying that newsprint is giving serious consideration to the notion.
Going by the avalanche of unfettered social media posts, McGregor’s supporters are legion. It’s not hard to conjure up an image of this army of keyboard tapping, white vest-wearing, perma-tanned macho misogynists with their peroxide blonde, waggish, body fascist bunny boilers as cheerleaders.
PICTURE: MAL MCCANN Joe Brolly has been highly critical of Conor McGregor's contributions to political commentary
In truth, Ireland has suffered enough without following the lunatic path of appetite-whetting, crowd-pleasing, right-wing rhetoric as espoused by Ukip/Reform and, unfortunately, the current Conservative government.
There’s been enough bad actors, rogues, fools and knaves in British politics without the Irish expanding the list.
Our nearest neighbour is edging towards the close of the longest running pantomime in European politics – the Tory party. Since the advent of the clownish Boris Johnson, this tragic comedy has gone from light hearted banter to downright full blown farce.
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The Covid inquiry makes for compulsive viewing as witnesses appear to lunge from one claim to another counterclaim, contradicting each other’s evidence and making a sinister mockery of the families of those whose lives were lost. Were there no adults in the cabinet room during the Covid crisis?
Johnson is a liar, charlatan and maverick who always appeared to put his own ego ahead of public service to his country. He surrounded himself with what now seems like backstabbing invertebrates and wilting cabbages.
If anyone deserved Arlene Foster’s jibe about ‘feeding crocodiles’, it would be the former PM. He fed off the carcasses of those he frequently threw under the bus to save his own skin.
The current government is in its death throes and is a painful watch. Over-promoted Braverman has gone to join the equally overrated Patel on the backbenches as the principal piranhas circling Sunak.
The most honourable contribution Patel and Braverman could now make to public life is to resign completely as members of parliament.
Ireland needs a sea border to keep rancid English nationalistic neo-fascist toxicity out of Irish politics.
The nation’s last four presidents have been outstanding ambassadors for the country in very different and contrasting ways. The courteous Paddy Hillery was a distinguished public servant. The eloquent Mary Robinson broke the glass ceiling for women in public office. The loquacious Mary McAleese brought a sense of energy – even breathlessness – to the post. And the current incumbent, Michael D, poet and veteran politician, is like a grandfather to the nation.
Each one brought a sense of dignity to the office. Ireland won’t lower the bar to this privileged position of trust.
There are those looking to exploit some of the civil unrest in the Republic. They are sometimes aided and abetted by self-serving, pygmy parish pump politicians and a reactionary media.
Ireland is no inward nation. As the the great Irish social campaigner of our age, Sr Stanislaus Kennedy wrote: “Generosity is the source of all richness.” I’d take that over any McGregor tweets on bravado.
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