Comments on: McDowell Resigns from Public Life Now with pic

By: Podge

Podge — Fri, 25 May 2007 22:16:48 +0000

Would AG be considered as being in public life?

By: Will Whelehan (Chicago)

Will Whelehan (Chicago) — Fri, 25 May 2007 21:13:12 +0000

First it was Hawkeye that was given the credit for the Celtic Tiger, then Charlie Mc, now it’s McDowell. If you want to know when the foundations of the current success were laid you might want to go back to Noel Browne in the 60s (social policy on health and education, and Garrent Firzgerald and Alan Dukes for having the courage to balance the budget in the early 80s after which the Bond markets took our little banana republic serious. Above all, it is the hard working Irish who did, and still are, make the country something to be proud of.

By: Will Whelehan (Chicago)

Will Whelehan (Chicago) — Fri, 25 May 2007 21:05:02 +0000

Frank Cluskey, Labour, lost his seat in the eighties and he may have been Tanaiste at the time, not sure.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 25 May 2007 21:04:08 +0000

Michael McDowell has served Ireland for over 20 years. He is a fantastic politician and legislator. As Minister for Justice he has undertaken the most comprehensive reform of Irish legislation ever. His parties policies have created the wealth the ireland now enjoys, and lifted thousands out of poverty. While he may sometimes come as aggressive or unlikable, he is not asking people to socialise with him, people shouldn’t vote for a candidate on the basis of hoe likable they are. If you want to analyse his charcter look at his intelligence, integrity and perseverance in politics. The party he co-founded has changed Irish politics by giving a real alternative to Irish voters: a progressive economic and social agenda. He is a great loss to Irish politics. That some revel in his misfortune reflects a petty, childish interest in politics as a soap opera. I wish him the best in the future.

By: Will Whelehan (Chicago)

Will Whelehan (Chicago) — Fri, 25 May 2007 21:00:42 +0000

It’s almost as good as when Conor Cruise O’Brien got walloped in ’77. But Bertie lads, how could you give him a third term? Say by by with Tony, I say.

By: Mark Dowling

Mark Dowling — Fri, 25 May 2007 20:35:24 +0000

Hardly Portilloish – McDowell’s seat has never been safe. Portillo’s loss was the sign of a collapse in one of Britain’s two major parties.

By: P O'Neill

P O'Neill — Fri, 25 May 2007 20:29:25 +0000

Is this the first time that a Tánaiste hasn’t been returned to the Dáil?

I have a very vague memory of it happening to Labour in one of the FG-Lab coalitions but can’t pin it down.

By: Martin

Martin — Fri, 25 May 2007 20:20:10 +0000

Great day for democracy, every vote does count, hopefully other politicians will take notice and respect the public and value our opinion more in future.

By: brian

brian — Fri, 25 May 2007 20:16:32 +0000

YIPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
I am soooooooo glad to see the back of you Herr McDowell !!

By: SeanR

SeanR — Fri, 25 May 2007 20:06:43 +0000

Yaaaaaaaaayyyyyy!

I was dancing in the corridor at home with my cat Cleo as I heard the news.

John Gormley more famous than Jesus…

Bye Mick! You won’t forget shooting down the Civil Union Bill in a hurry will you? If you’d been inclusive on this, you might be still there with your utterly irrelevant party.

Let’s do a victory dance for that alone!!