The Life and Times of Bertie and Charlie

national | crime and justice | opinion/analysis

Friday October 06, 2006 18:51

by K.T. Walsh

Mutuality. Shared Experiences and Perception. Attitudes.

C.J. Haughey lessons to Bertie Ahern

One Christmas Eve in Dublin, in the 1960's, a senior civil servant with a few drinks too many, in the Civil Service, stole a turkey in Moore Street, on his way home. He was caught, disgraced and his job was on the line. A file on the matter sat on the Minister for Finance's desk and who was the minister but Charlie Haughey.

His words were 'For jaysus sake, have a bit of common sense, anyone could steal a turkey coming up to Christmas if they got pissed enough'. Charlie himself was no stranger to a drink. He never stole a turkey but he pocketed circa 10 million euros from Ireland's rich and corrupt. Charlie illegally dodged the tax. He was lucky not to be sent to prison for perjury and obstruction of justice. He died a millionaie, passed on to his sons and daughter. He received a State funeral which cost the taxpayer over euros 100,000.

In 1961, in the IRA's border campaign which started in 1956. The Government were faltering in relation to the IRA campaign but Haughey helped end it quickly using both Stick and Carrot. On one hand he activated the Special Criminal Court to jail IRA members - on the other he announced an Amnesty for those surrendering their weapons. The strategy worked.

With the IRA out of the way for the time being, Charlie became the reformer. He took centre stage. He introduced a fair body of liberalising law. He stroke a blow with women's rights with the Succession Act - a law which forced husbands to include their wives' in their wills. Strange he failed to include mistresses!!!! He abolished the death penalty except for certain capital offences. He also introduced the Free Legal Aid Scheme. He may have been a 'gangster' but Bertie and the Mad Mullah are no Charlie Haughey.

The Dail is Haughey's young era was a comparatively sleepy arena but the young Haughey made his mark which will last until the grass turns from green to blue. An ageing Haughey stood in the Dail looked over at a young barrister who had just entered and said 'You are the nastiest piece of work to ever enter here' - McDowell, was he was looking at.

Today I ask who is the icon of Ethics and Accountability in Ireland? The fiasco of the last two weeks in the Dail makes us a laughing stock in Europe and probably globally. In the last 27 hours, McDowell has been like a Poodle - he flew in Dr. Ruth from New York, during the night, for counselling. While lying back on the couch hugging his Jack Russell - Dr. Ruth what is happening to me?' in relation to this gobshite from North Dublin called Bertie. After reading the files on both, Dr. Ruth replied - private school and state school - the difference is Michael, only fees. The rest is perception. You now realise that you are in a huff by not being asked for the last 8 years as a special guest to Bertie's tent at the Galway Races - you are both alike Michael, liars, in denial of ethics and accountability and also both of you realise you have to stay until May because of your pensions, full term means full pension. Now Michael, 'Hold your chest, my bill is Euros 10,000'. That's ok Dr. Ruth I will pay it on my PD credit card.

Many Years ago, Charlie Haughey visited a top psychiatrist in Dublin. The doctor asked 'Napoleon, when did you start thinking you were Charlie Haughey - you have a split personality and you will make a fine Taoiseach. Haughey left smiling. The Doctor was too afraid to ask Napoleon for his fee.

Bertie lies on a couch last night in Drumcondra - He has the same Psychiatrist. Bertie asked the Doctor - How could Celia leave me for a Cobbler in Castleknock. The Doctor replied. Did Haughey not teach you to keep your Mistress underground for a few years - now and again when she gets bored, fly her to Paris on the government jet and service her quietly and politely on taxpayers money .... by the way, try and make sure she is not the wife of a High Court Judge. Doctor, that is great says Bertie.....How much do I owe you. Euros 200 says the doctor - and Bertie says 'I just need to get my piggy bank'.

Haughey speaking to Miriam Lord, writer Irish Times, recalled a lift from Listowel. They stopped off at a pub - Mat the Threshers. 11.00 a.m. in the morning in a village of 45 people, Haughey orders champagne. Mr. Haughey, I have your special bottle here for you, says Matt. Miriam Lord says then she realised Napoleon loved power and being among people.

Bertie has lied 14 days in a row to the Irish people and yet McDowell will stay there until May because it is about money. As Haughey said once, Shirts in Dunnes Stores are for the working man - Mine are bought in Paris and Italy and all you idiots pay for them.

Similarity to Bertie's separation, Manchester and Dublin idiots paid for Bertie's separation.

Charlie was born, where, I will give you a hint. 'What do you call a nortthsider up before the tribunals ........ The Taoiseach.

Yes, we have two. We have Haughey and we have Bertie. Now also of having the similarity of having a mistress each, all dates financed by the f...ing taxpayer. Now I ask you all tonight, we have tribunals running at a cost of 240 million euros and running......corruption. In the last 2 weeks we have a Taoiseach allegedly evading his corrupt lifestyle and then we have McDowell gone like a sheep minus a Ba Ba except for him shouting May Ma May for the pensions (full term).

I close by saying with a question relating to the Corrib right now: What does the word accountability mean in Celtic (Septic) Ireland now?

K.T. Walsh

Quotation:
'An ego maniac.
If being an ego maniac means I believe in what I do and in my art or my music, then in that respect you can call me that, I believe in what I do and I will say it'
John Lennon British musician

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Comments (9 of 9)

Game Plan.....Outcome Legislation and Ethics

by Jack Russell - Social Justice and Ethics

Mon Oct 09, 2006 12:36

Interesting news...... What next can we expect.......Today's news is about Ethics and a Code of legislation.

A new Agenda today - the subject Northern Ireland..........and the deadline of November 24th......

I wonder what Mr. Paisley will say to the Archbishp/

Jack Russell

How much have the Tribunals collected for State Coffers?

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics

Thu Sep 13, 2007 20:19

How much has been ploughed back into Ireland to redress issues of poverty, social inclusion, gang crime, fraudulent crime, the drug crisis, the suicide crisis, deaths in custody, like the young Wheelock boy, and others.

The Barr Tribunal highlighted gross inadequacies leading to John Carthy being shot deat by the ERU. What has been done in relation to mental health since? We hear that are homeless situation has doubled and a number of these people have been released from psychiatric hospitals onto the streets while properties vacated have yielded vast sums to the HSE and Government.

The Criminal Assets Bureau established in 1996 likewise is raking in vast sums for state coffers. Surely, by now programmes for rehabilitation of drug users should be transparent.

Today, at last has arrived, it has arrived, in that it cannot be postponed yet again. Today, our Taoiseach Mr. Ahern addressed the Mahon Tribunal. He asked if he could address the tribunal with a statement and the concession was made. The impact of this is yet to unfurl.

Tribunals may yield money to the coffers of the state, directly and indirectly but how is this re-distributed to the social needs of society. Crime was never higher, young people have died in Custody, Aer Lingus Shannon loses access to Heathrow, gang warfare is a daily threat throughout Ireland, drugs are being imported into Ireland and a cocaine culture penetrating all classes is creating heartship and poverty of spirit. Health is a disgrace. There was a time when GP's had night surgeries whereas now we are negotiating to have them back again. Hospitals close down on a Thursday until Sunday forcing people to go to Accident and Emergency.

We are a nation of drinkers with no manners or decorum. They say as many as 60% of the admissions to A & E at weekends are alcohol related; then add to this the attempted suicides and overdoses from drink and drugs........I listened to a French man talking about the Irish approach to wine tonight. He made a really valid point. The Irish drink wine but not as the French do, they go neat, without the custom of a meal, and time.

Anybody can do something that is morally wrong but it is when they knowingly continue to flout the law, that this becomes a real issue. James Joyce referred to Mistakes as 'Portals of Discovery' which provides scope for the individual to explore and learn.

Michelle

Lewis Carroll (1832-78) British mathematician and author of Alices's Adverntures in Wonderland

Memory
'It's a poor sort of memory which only works backwards'

There is wisdom in this quotation surely as the Celtic Tiger goes pussy cat.....

What will be the outcome?

Geniis

by Penates

Thu Sep 13, 2007 21:15

Penates was a little figurine that was the god of larders in Roman times, the families
had many little icons in their homes, these were called the' lares'- there was one for the squeaky hinges
and one for the doorways. Many poets have written on their little household gods, such as
Hughes, who referred over his poetic life to his Lares and Penates.
They ensure that the larder was full and the occupants of the house had enough to eat and
clothe themselves with, this somehow transmogrified into technicolour Disneyland Genie in bottles
and the globalised industries that allow for the very rich to aid each other in having more than
they need, which essentially leads to a form of clientelism and corruption,or the abuse of office
to further politcal ends- Charlie Haughey had a Charvet shirt or two and Bertie had a businessman
or two...
I suppouse people who are just dealing with filling the larder and minding their kids are
better off outside these circles of corruption.

Mahon Trundles

by Lares

Fri Sep 14, 2007 18:03

interestingly Enda's suit is getting an airing as the little flies gather round the shite.
Prudence Cowen is becoming the kingmaker- and who gives a damn, most people
have accepted that a big mon like Bertie has a few skeltons in the closet, they were
secreted by the lawyers to further his political career, not the career is nearing end
the protections are gone- the manure is spreading deep and low (the Greens will
be investigating it for nitrates). The media time wasted on what we all know, or supposed we
knew- incomplete recollection-

FF have to tighten up to get the Reform Treaty through and of course be 'perceived' to be
untainted by scandal which is impossible, there a list as long as the arm of planning corruption
to face them.

The white phosphorus leak is over, at the Phoenix park. That occured during the Mahon Tribunal.

Justine Mac Carthy

Sun Sep 16, 2007 11:45

Justine Mac Carthy said on live radio today that it was not just Bertie being judged but
the moral code of the Irish people- I hazard the guess whether it is too much colonic
irrigation or a desire for the upstanding right-wing morality of the ever blond Mr
Kenny that lures respected commentators to make such idiotic and badly judged remarks.
[I however do not know if Ms Mac Carthy is respected, having never read a single thing
she has written, but when a Taoiseach is in the box it means one thing, the men who
put him there and hid the corruption for years are wanting him out now, I don't
think he will go with a whimper]

The Greens have finished the three month Baptism of fire- predicted by Dan Boyle
who in the interests of fairness in all aspects of political life is adding to his CV
by applying for the chairmanship of the green party, there being no suitably
qualiiied women for the post. The Greens really have shown themselves to be
right-wing, reactionary, cliquish and anti-eco- well done, lets hope there
isn't a snap election cos they have lost their grass-root.

Saving money

by Ennergy

Sun Sep 16, 2007 19:14

Don't know who MacCarthy is? I agree with you about the Greens though. Always were about increasing prices even kids chdeewinggum. What would The greens say if we put them wise to a few environment points: Save heating & lighting by building the house with West facing Gardens only to trap the sun. Have solar panel windows and get Grants for those. Houses in estastes built should have own private West facing garden, this way sun & kids can enjoy B.B.Qu in private, get free heat and what have ya, When they decide to put another taxc on petrol equally reduce the costs of Bicycles for us to travel on. This would be then fair and equal? Oh ya, Bicycle lane to be safe. just a few winnie thing
What doya think?

urban sprawl and petrol dependence

Sun Sep 16, 2007 19:37

The EU petitions committee published on Friday and found against the Poolbeg incinerator and the M3.

unsustainable.
Petrol Dependence.
Urban Sprawl.
Reduction in Quality of life.
Tolling.
Commuter times increased- creche fees.

This is what the Green party have agreed to in their programme for government.
John Gormley can put re-cycled toilet paper in DOE and get the oompa -Loompas
to wash the fecking windows in his Department, it does not change the fact that
failure is indicated in policy.

Two have lined up for the chairmanship of the Green Party Boyle and Gogarty.
They have lost the anti-war grassroot, the anti-incinerator grassroot, the quality
of life grassroot and the eco and GM grassroot, thats some work in 3 months.
ah sure if they solar power DOE should be a bit of fun for the rest of us.

Green Principles.....will they be dictated by FF; Policy

Thu Nov 08, 2007 00:15

the Greens, or by world market trends.

Yes, we have an urban sprawl, a high dependency on cars, a problem with the location of an incinerator at Poolbeg; the M3 and the Tara controversy.

However, 1973 may not be remember by many but if the oil prices keep rising towards Euros$100 and more..........necessity will determine need based on the factor of oil costs, we just cannot afford.

We have all heard about Stocks and Shares moving up and down but today I was listening to Eddie Hobbes - a seasoned investor, speculator and host of the Brendan Investment portfolio, on the Derek Mooney show.

He was talking about Funds and Switching. He mentioned that he has switched funds presumably from cash, stocks and shares, to Oil and Gold. I would suggest this is a shrewd move by one who is experienced in reading markets......

Based on this - big cars, large houses, business premises, public lighting, etc.......will be costing more and more. Unless oil is found or alternatives - we will all have to switch to alternative life styles.......

I note in the Papers today about the Corrib and the costs amounting to 3 billion........we need to watch out here. If the oil keeps rising, this will create its own paradox and Shell will become manna from heaven.

Michelle

The Charlie and Bertie Comparison: Let's not forget cost to Unity of Ireland. Tara and Corrib....

Sat Mar 22, 2008 14:23

Corruption - the pattern that appears to form a web that goes over the last four decades.

Then let's add the new term that is spoken about in EU circles called Briberization - this has a real sting to it.

What has been the real cost to the Island of Ireland, to its natural habitat and history, to its culture, to its potential wealth at the hands of less corruptible beings and organs of the State.

Well done to the people camped out at Tara yet again this weekend. These people are driven by passion, spirituality and a sense of what is right, not only for the people of this generation but for centuries ahead.

Tara is reconised internationally now as a World Heritage centre - yet ignorance prevails but then how do you expect people drawn to construction and development to be but bullies in favour of profits. It is all about profit. You get the plans, the lands, the land speculators and their greed, you .have the like of Opus Dei and St. Columbans willing to locate and make profit in the area and yet not speak out for they must know to be a Sense of Justice and Right.

Watch out you deverlopers without conscience for the folklore and pisheogs of Tara Hill and its surround. If you finding a Wish Tree, make sure to make a wish, just in case and if you can visualise the old road from Summerhill to Garlow Cross - there is a history here. The battle goes back to about the 16th century and continue to research from there.

Why are the troops driven forward by their Government? Is the cost too high now to assess the damages done and make change.....Maybe the funds in the kitty are a lot lower than we expected......Hedge Funds came to the Financial Services centre based on tax incentives......yet presently as the web unweaves, it is these parcels of mainly subprime debt that will determine the liquidity of the market or lack of it.

Michelle

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The Life and Times of Bertie and Charlie

Comments (9 of 9)