Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh interested in Presidency

Clareboy

We need a president who is young and dynamic to represent a country with one of the youngest populations in Europe. There was a time when Aras an Uachtarain was just a glorified rest home for aging policitians. Mary Robinson got rid of the cobwebs and the shrouds out of the Aras and let in some light and fresh air. Lets not go back to the days of the white gaunt faces and the long black coats.

randylonghorn

filthymcnasty wrote: »

My issue is not so much with Micheal running, I just don't see how being a sports commentator would make you a good candidiate for a President.

Why would it make you a worse candidate than a teacher or a farmer or, God help us, a former politician?

The President needs to be above all a very good "people person", diplomatic, an excellent mixer, a good ambassador both within and outside the country, well able to talk, preferably intelligent but there really isn't any "specialist" knowledge required. While there is a very, very limited role in conjunction with the Council of State with regard to referring bills re: constitutionality checks to the Supreme Court, and this has been played up with regard to both Robinson and McAleese, it's a very minor part of the role and the Council is deliberately seeded with senior legal minds to back the President up on this one, so intelligence rather than specific legal training I would see as the essential bit.

filthymcnasty wrote: »

Regarding his intellectual prowess over Hamilton and Canning, how can you know this- have they debated before?! Although I reckon MO'M probably would get the upper hand

In fairness, that may have been slightly unfair ... I have had many enjoyable and thought-provoking conversations with Micheál, perhaps if I had had the same opportunity with Canning and Hamilton, my opinion of them would rise too.

filthymcnasty wrote: »

I have no doubt or argument that MO'M comes from a bright family, is down to earth and has relatives in high positions- this is all moot as it could be said of thousands throughout Ireland whether in the public eye or not.

Relatives in "high positions" is totally irrelevant ... I simply mentioned that he was a highly intelligent man from a (proven) highly intelligent family. And yes, of course he's not the only one.

filthymcnasty wrote: »

To me Micheal running makes as much sense as Jimmy McGee or Ryle Nugent :eek: going for Aras

You would prefer Dana?

Again I would say that I don't think it's a brilliant idea, but mainly because of his age ... that said, I would still vote for him ahead of several of the possible contenders.

HellFireClub

No doubt this will ultimately be used by the country people to "put it up" to the Capital again by voting in one of their own, just like what happens down in the Healy-Rae constituency.

I'd shudder to think of any person who was ingratiated into the GAA culture to be representing our country. Keep sport and politics very far apart I think.

deise go deo

HellFireClub wrote: »

No doubt this will ultimately be used by the country people to "put it up" to the Capital again by voting in one of their own, just like what happens down in the Healy-Rae constituency.

I'd shudder to think of any person who was ingratiated into the GAA culture to be representing our country. Keep sport and politics very far apart I think.

Surely every constituency votes in 'one of their own'. Is that not the whole idea?

What do you think is wrong with someone involved in the GAA representing our country? Why do sport an politics need to be kept apart?

anymore

deise go deo wrote: »

Surely every constituency votes in 'one of their own'. Is that not the whole idea?

What do you think is wrong with someone involved in the GAA representing our country? Why do sport an politics need to be kept apart?

I am in Michael martin's constituency, I have met and briefly exchnged greetings with him at some social occasions but i could not in good conscience vote for him - and he is far from the worst of politicians. Were I living in South Kerry, I could not vote for any of the healy raes at all and clearly there are many in South Kerry who dont vote Healy Rae.

deise go deo

anymore wrote: »

I am in Michael martin's constituency, I have met and briefly exchnged greetings with him at some social occasions but i could not in good conscience vote for him - and he is far from the worst of politicians. Were I living in South Kerry, I could not vote for any of the healy raes at all and clearly there are many in South Kerry who dont vote Healy Rae.

I am not advocating that you vote for anyone, least of all Gombeen Healy Rae or his offspring. I was not suggesting that the point is to elect someone like Healy Rae to stick it to the government. I was saying that the point is that the constitutency, whether it be in the country, or in a city, elects someone, usually one of their own, to represent them on a national level.

The posters distaste that country people would elect 'one of their own' to represent them seamed silly to me, If not one of their own, then who? One of their betters from D4 perhaps?

HellFireClub

deise go deo wrote: »

Surely every constituency votes in 'one of their own'. Is that not the whole idea?

What do you think is wrong with someone involved in the GAA representing our country? Why do sport an politics need to be kept apart?

Because I think the GAA is a closed and clique like organisation that many people in Ireland have absolutely no affiliation with.

randylonghorn

HellFireClub wrote: »

Because I think the GAA is a closed and clique like organisation that many people in Ireland have absolutely no affiliation with.

Whether that is true or not, the same could be said of many organisations (at least to the same hypothetical extent) including all the political parties.

If we rule out anyone with an affiliation to any of them, we will be left with a very small pool of potential candidates.




I feel the need to again stress that I'm not a GAA-head!

anymore

I suppose you are more likely to find ' Little Irelanders' in the older section of the GAA.

n32

HellFireClub wrote: »

Because I think the GAA is a closed and clique like organisation that many people in Ireland have absolutely no affiliation with.

so instead of voting for someone immersed in the most socially inclusive organisation in the country we should vote for a member of the Dublin 4 elite who come from the top fee payng schools and mix in the elite golf clubs where you have to be recommended by a member and screened by a committee before you are let in.
I ve got news for you: the gaa has changed dramatically in the last 20 years. People from every social background are involved and kids from ethnic minorities are encouraged to join. Every juvenile tema in my club has at least one eastern european or african child playing. And my own adult team has fellas from very different social backgrounds, we have one doctor and one lad who knows what the inside of a jail cell looks like. So contrary to your beliefs the GAA is not a closed clique organisation.

doomed

ItsAWindUp wrote: »

I think Marty Whelan should run.

Hmmm .... do I want him to get off Lyric badly enough to vote for him as president - I'll get back to you.

Mind you it would be interesting. You go up to the Aras to present your credentials to the Irish President who giggles at your funny name and gives you a moustache fridge magnet to bring back to the embassy.

anymore

n32 wrote: »

so instead of voting for someone immersed in the most socially inclusive organisation in the country we should vote for a member of the Dublin 4 elite who come from the top fee payng schools and mix in the elite golf clubs where you have to be recommended by a member and screened by a committee before you are let in.
I ve got news for you: the gaa has changed dramatically in the last 20 years. People from every social background are involved and kids from ethnic minorities are encouraged to join. Every juvenile tema in my club has at least one eastern european or african child playing. And my own adult team has fellas from very different social backgrounds, we have one doctor and one lad who knows what the inside of a jail cell looks like. So contrary to your beliefs the GAA is not a closed clique organisation.

yes you
are right, but the same also applies to rugby - in fact more and more you have kids who are playing across the different field sports. The interesting thing about rugby is the number of clubs that have started in rural areas over the last twenty years so your comments regarding ' Dublin 4 elites are very much wide of the mark. And dont worry unemployment has hit the rugby world as well - not just members of the professions but guys working as electricians, plumbers and even labourers as well.

Iwasfrozen

anymore wrote: »

yes you
are right, but the same also applies to rugby - in fact more and more you have kids who are playing across the different field sports. The interesting thing about rugby is the number of clubs that have started in rural areas over the last twenty years so your comments regarding ' Dublin 4 elites are very much wide of the mark. And dont worry unemployment has hit the rugby world as well - not just members of the professions but guys working as electricians, plumbers and even labourers as well.

For feck sake, it's only a sport. Yes the GAA has been involved in political issues but mostly to do with reunification of of the country, hardly anything exclusive or malevolent.

lagente

Should we ask Derek Mooney if he wants to be president?