An Old Folk’s Outing
So our Prez, Michael D is dropping over to visit the Queer Queen?
At least Dame Enda has the whole affair in perspective ..
The forthcoming visit of President Michael D Higgins to Britain opens up “limitless and endless opportunities” for Ireland, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.
Wow!
Limitless and endless?
At least he can't be accused of using hyperbole?
He says the visit will "showcase" Ireland which presumably means he thinks the Brits have never heard of us? I suppose it is feasible that the population of the UK is unaware that there is an island off their west coast beyond Anglesey and the Isle of Man, but I would think it unlikely given that half the population [the half that isn't Asian, Oriental or Eastern European] is probably of Irish descent.
I can't help but wonder what Michael D is going to do to make these limitless and endless opportunities. Is he going to give everyone in the UK a free travel pass to Ireland? Is he going to issue free shares in Irish companies? Or is he just going to remind them that we do in fact exist?
I suppose I don't blame Dame Enda for his drop of over-optimism. After all, he has been saying for years that Ireland is out of the recession. I think he started saying that even before we went into recession in the first place, so we're used to his rhetoric now and we just ignore him.
I wonder if there are any spare tickets going for this bash?
I'd like to toddle over and watch the Old Folks enjoying themselves.
So, previous visits were a waste of time then!
Oh right, of course, this one has been endorsed by Gerry Adams!
Must be better then!
Ah, but they were just "visits". This is an "official visit", which presumably means it's official or something? I don't know what that makes the previous visits?
Unofficial?
Illegal?
Maybe when Prez Mary Robinson was there, she was an illegal immigrant?
HM will hire a teacher from Gaelinn to coach her how to greet Presidente Higgins, who speaks Spanish incidentally, with the historic words: "Ta na mile failte romhat a Uachtarain na h-Eireann." Great caution will be taken to avoid addressing him as Uachtar Reoite. At the end of the historic and convivial meeting the President will sing: "Thank you for your gracious tea." In reply HM will say charmingly: "We hope that you enjoyed the Kerrygold butter on our homebaked Bucks scones." Political scientists writing about it in twenty years time will describe the encounter as Kerrygold diplomacy. Which will be an improvement on the teapot diplomacy Charles Haughey tried on Maggie Thatcher in the 1980s.
At least this time we won't have Mary McAleese mouthing "WOW" at every utterance?
Maybe Michael D should insist on speaking Irish all the time, with a couple of badly enunciated English phrases thrown in to please the crowd?
And maybe it will be known as The Ice Cream Visit in future years? 😉
Around 1975 President Cearbhall O'Dalaigh made an official visit to France. During his stay he spoke two languages only in public, Gaelic and French.
"The Ice Cream Visit" ??
You what? Too subtle for me!
"Great caution will be taken to avoid addressing him as Uachtar Reoite."
Uachtar Reoite = Ice cream. *sigh*
Sorry about the Gaelic pun, Mossy. Uachtarain = vocative case of President; uachtar = cream, hence uachtar reoite = ice cream. Does Mr. Whippy cruise his bell ringing ice cream van around your neighbourhood?
Mr Whippy does not have any vans in Tunisia!!
Maybe he could do the public drive around in an open top ice cream van escorted by police motorcycles? To top it off, so to speak, they could even play that irritating ice cream van music along the way.
Weasel words, as ever.
"the proposed three-day visit" so it might happen but the again it might not.
Moronic cock waffle
"I think it’s a brilliant opportunity to showcase Ireland in its modernity"
As opposed to what?
"and the new level (of influence) with which we operate in Britain"
Is there an underground Irish black market here no fucker knows about?
“the first out of the traps to assist Ireland monies on loan”
What does this mean?
Mr Kenny said there are now 50,000 Irish people on the boards of British companies.
Does the Dame have the slightest clue about how deep in the shit the British economy is?
This sort of statement is just the sort of thing the rags over here would leap on and pass the buck onto the 50,000 Irish thus letting the real villains exit quietly stage left dragging their payoffs begind them.
Still they are all old farts and the planned maybe maybe not visit isn't until April so there's a good chance some clogs may be popped prior.
All becomes clear when you realise that Dame Enda hasn't a fucking clue about the real world in Ireland. The only time he seems to set foot in the country is when there is a good photo opportunity. The rest of the time he's over brown nosing in Brussels.