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EACH WEEKDAY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you a comprehensive guide to what’s happening in the political world.
Everyone’s talking about…
The remarkable staying power of The John McNulty Affair (we’re going to start describing it as an ‘omnishambles‘ — but we’re happy to switch to a stronger term, should one become available).
Fine Gael, of course, had hoped to draw a line under the issue earlier this week, but there are further twists in the tale emerging this morning…
Photo: Fine Gael
As a result of the rumbling controversy, McNulty had asked TDs and senators, who make up the electorate, NOT to vote for him.
But it turned out many in Fine Gael had already had cast their ballots in his favour by the time he made that announcement, on Tuesday afternoon.
It’s now emerged, according to RTÉ, that that those ballots were retained by officials so the party could examine whether it was possible for members to vote again for another candidate.
Meanwhile, Today FM News reports that a source close to the withdrawn nominee said that he has been flooded with calls from colleagues asking him to re-enter the race — and that, if elected, he would consider taking the seat.
The agenda…
We’ve a Friday sitting in the Dáil to deal with the Garda Bill, which is aimed at granting extra powers to GSOC (10am).
Ongoing political problems at Stormont will be on the agenda as the North South Ministerial Council meets in Dublin Castle.
What the others are saying…
Another unwelcome headline for Heather Humphreys, the embattled Arts Minister, in the Irish Independent this morning. It’s emerged she appointed a second FG member to the board of IMMA, as well as John McNulty.
‘Cool your jets,’ Brendan Howlin has told his ministerial colleagues… Alright, he probably didn’t actually use that term — but the public expenditure minister is telling his fellow Cabinet members to rein in their Budget spending demands, The Irish Times reports.
On the international front, the BBC reports that pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong have accepted an offer of talks from the Government.
In case you missed it…
The much-trumpeted challenge from Matt Carthy and Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan fell flat in Brussels yesterday, as Phil Hogan (above) put in an assured performance in his EU Commission confirmation hearing.
Experts appointed by the HSE have concluded that it’s not possible to identify medical conditions to be considered when determining if someone is eligible for a medical card.
And whistleblower Maurice McCabe told TDs that his treatment, as a result of speaking out, “destroyed me, my career and my family” according to a PAC report.
On the Twitter machine…
Ming’s moving on.
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Bahahahahahahahahahaha
@Whatever:
Must have shared some herb one time.
Was Bono telling porkies
@Seán O’Loughlin: ahh now come on… ya can’t blame him for this one. There’s a chance that JBJ might actually believe in leprechauns, bless him
@Whatever: this comment is all there is for this
@Whatever: Bono’s upbringing was far more dangerous, if you believe him it was ballymun.
But honestly it was more Glasnevin/finglas east
And now they have an orange man running the country.
@Paula T Nolan: You got to love the confidence of the yanks. I mean they know little about Fu#k all concerning anyone else but if it sounds good the hey!!
@Tom Collins: give him a break he got it wrong. After all his country is been run by an orange man.
Jovi and Bono,hmmm. could we just have another covid article instead
@RJ: Maybe The Journal could fact check this…?
I was pretty upset after hearing about Eddie Van Halen but how could this not cheer you up somewhat.
@JC: same!!!
Bono’s a complete spoofer? Now who’d have thunk it?!
Finally something that made me laugh out loud this year!
Was that in Ballymun or Glasnevin?
@Pauliebhoy: It sounds like the carry on of the Ballymun King Billy Lodge to me
Ah bless his cotton Armani socks
Sounds about as likely as Mings Twitter account getting hacked.
Orangemen, …… in Finglas……..
@June Kennedy: thankfully he had his fellow Catholics The Edge and Adam Clayton to stand up for him.
@Alex Marquis:
Edge and Adam are both Protestants
@dublinguide.ie:
@dublinguide.ie: sarcasamguide.ie
@Alex Marquis: his dad catholic and his mum protestant.
@June Kennedy: yes. This is right. He was raised CoI, as was his wife and their children.
@dublinguide.ie: Wooosh!!
@June Kennedy: we have a few orangewoman in Finglas but that’s another story all together
One with a massive ego decides to spill the beans with regards to his buddy with a similar ego. We have enough going on ffs
it’s plausible, Where the Streets have No Name
Pretty sure Bono is some kind of protestant.
@Adam Conroy: correct
@Adam Conroy: Ah would yeh shtop with yer facts, while there’s a story being told…
I think he meant he wasn’t beaten enough as a child.
@Joe Browne: lack of wooden spoon evident indeed
Never heard.such s…e in all my life!!!. A pair of them in it!
Bono the prodestant telling his American friends porkies
Bono grew up in Cedarwood Rd… an area that used to come under the postcode of Ballymun until residents got that changed.. even the Ballymuners didn’t want to claim the fkr!
@Babs McMahon: correct – now glasnevin north/finglas & more confusing
Must have been Oompa-Loompas roaming Dublin that time. Poor Bono what he must have went through.
Seems like both are full of BS
oh dear, that is very funny reading. Thanks for the laugh.
Finally, a bit of positive news ;p
Now Now Journal. ie don’t be spreading ” Fake News”
Sure didn’t Conor Mcgregor grow up in the hood
If it’s not the nuns it’s the huns!
Typical Average American Response , says things without knowing facts…
@Paul Buckley: Níl ann ach scéal. Creid sé Bono, ceoltóir agus duine samhlaíoch. ;)
The hair spray has finally got to him after all these years
New album out this week so guessing he’s spouting shoite about something he has no idea about
funny thing is he was always agains the ra so the orange men mustn’t have been too hard on him;
Was that before or after he was chased down the road by a tank ?
Can yee all stop picking on the new God bono he’s trying to perform new miracles
LOL! (which stands for Loyal Orange Lodge)
@Alex Marquis: HaHa!
Get your facts right Journal. Larry formed the band that became U2.
Perhaps a small bit of research before giving your romanticised version of historical events in a country you merely visit, would be advisable in future Jon….
Between this and MHR telling meehole to “cop on a small bit” This has been my favourite news day in a long time.
If we can find those Orangmen I think we all owe them a few bob
Someone has been telling tall stories around the camp fire
So there we have it ,proof at last, orange man bad.
What about the tanks chasing him? And the time he took out 2 regiments with a well aimed song or was it a speech? ‘Orange squashes Lemon ‘ was the headline
So is Bono a lying pox, or is JBJ just uneducated?
@Maria Hickey-Fagan: Both
From a guy who plays and supports Israeli settlements on West Bank in Palestine where those invaders are doing exactly that to the indigenous peoples of that land. Hypocrisy
The parades through Ballymun were brutal back in the day
@Carlin Ite: Shame Christy didn’t recall the event.
Are we really talking about Bono… Jaysus why… he’s an ar&ehole!!!
He’s been Tango’d
Seriously? Eddie Van Halen passed away and this is news?
Pure FANTAsy
Shane mc gown laugh!
You may as well continue with the doom and gloom Covid-19 articles, I lost a minute of my life reading this tripe lol
Bono loves the sound of his own voice, if this was true the whole world would know about it. Might even make it into a song
Imagining Bono telling naive Americans this story….
Bon Jovi needs a lesson in Geography :-)
@Alexander:
Yes, and plenty of fresh social upheaval material for JBJ’s future song writing now emerging from his own backyard in suburban USA all sparked off by a colorful character at The White House banging loudly a sort of Lambeg drum, and about to get louder still over next the four weeks.
I think he’s explaining that that a songwriter lyrics can be inspired by their background. He knows about the conflict in Ireland and certainly knows it was formative to U2″s music ( Sunday bloody Sunday) I don’t expect an Italian American to know the intricacies of 1970s Irish politics but I get his point. Always amazes me how thin skinned we are in Ireland. Like or loathe them, U2 have written some brilliantly evocative lyrics compared to a lot of the mumbo jumbo in pop
@Marius Wojlinski: ah this is a lovely kind summation of this hilarious article fair play I don’t know how ya managed it to be fair!
Gas Mount Temple.
A school where kids all go to thinking they will be the next Bono. Many even write Paul Hewson on the desk pretending Bono done it.
I’ll say one things for the protestants, they have natural rhythm
It must have been where the streets have no name
Ah shure, things could get a bit tense on the Malahide Road too, when the CB schools & Mount Temple/Mountjoy streamed onto the road at 4pm.
Fortunately, most of it was catcalling, & since they got the bus, & we had to walk, daily separation was routine.
Fuppin liar
What a lemon
What about the tanks chasing him? And the time he took out 2 regiments with a well aimed song or was it a speech? ‘Orange squashes Lemon ‘ was the headline
Funniest part of the article ‘bono could not be reached for comment’. Alright Cónal he’ll probably get back to you
Ya Mr Tayto, is he orange? Maybe not.
What complete horsesh##
They were oompa loompas.. Bono was trippin
Bono must has been smoking with trump having a ole natter
Im sure
Holy smoke never knew he was dub
Fun fact: his name isn’t Bon Jovi. It’s Jon Bongiovi. The band is called Bon Jovi.
@Bernard Sweeney: it’s not Jon Bon Jovi either. Like alice cooper ain’t real either.
Next candidate for President,
The American Dreamer.
Maybe it was a few orange ladies in Finglas who threaten him
Surely not a claim by Bono.. how ridiculous.
I like Bon Jovi’s music. I could listen to “Keep the faith” and move my head along to it and then I would hear “Lord we gotta keep the faith” and I would think “Wha?” and now I read this article and I think “Wha?” again.
Mr Jovi, along with so many Americans are so out of touch with Irish and many other foreign affairs! “Just keep singing your songs, John, That seems to be what you’re good at.”
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