Bertie Ahern rejoins Fianna Fail

AllForIt · 08-02-2023 11:56pm

I hahaha have today rejoined dadadada Fianna Fail papapapapa party.

YFlyer · 08-02-2023 11:56pm

Was he paid in cash directly as a TD, minister and Taoiseach?

fritzelly · 08-02-2023 11:59pm

He has the option of bitcoin now - he's finally got a good reason for not needing a bank account (well not one anyone needs to know about...)

evolvingtipperary101 · 09-02-2023 12:05am

Is he going to get a bank account too?

Dickie10 · 09-02-2023 12:09am

Here come the good times baby. next we will here Lillies bordello is open til 5 am

evolvingtipperary101 · 09-02-2023 12:12am

I never condemn wrongdoing in any area.

Bertie Ahern, 22 February, 2006, in the Dáil.

thebaz · 09-02-2023 12:13am

Whats the problem, Sh'rr he only won it on the horses, bring back the good old days of the FF tent at the Galway races - a run for President , he must be on the champagne again

retalivity · 09-02-2023 12:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120217993#Comment_120217993

"Sitting on the sidelines, cribbing and moaning is a lost opportunity. I don't know how people who engage in that don't commit suicide"

Mad_maxx · 09-02-2023 12:33am

Funny thing is,Bertie isn’t even in the top three of worst Taoiseach we’ve had since 2008

fritzelly · 09-02-2023 12:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120218232#Comment_120218232

Ahhhh who could forget Brian Cowen...such a great leader...

Mad_maxx · 09-02-2023 12:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120218261#Comment_120218261

Cowen is the third worst in the past fifteen years

MudSpud · 09-02-2023 12:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058283511/bertie-ahern-rejoins-fianna-fail

Needs to pay his tab in Fagan's. Cat & Cage and The Goose have long cut him off

HalloweenJack · 09-02-2023 8:07am

I think FF are banking on some kind of 90s nostalgia vote where those who enjoyed the fruits of the Celtic Tiger and an end to the Troubles are now in that category of elderly voter who nevwr miss an election.

His presidential campaign can only be about harking back to former glories and ignoring difficult questions (remember the Mahon tribunal or that time he stormed out of an interview with a German journalist who asked him about his role in the recession?). It will be gaslighting of the highest order.

Its disappointing (at the same time, reassuring) that FF folded and let him back in. Disappointing that they haven't learned anything, reassuring because it shows that they are still the same at the heart of it.

I hope he gets slaughtered innthe presidential elections but I fear he will get a decent amount of votes, especially if he's up against the likes of Sean Gallagher and Peter Casey; I reckon it'll be a case of the devil you know for a lot of people.

realitykeeper · 09-02-2023 9:38am

Bertie Ahern is the reason I stopped voting for Fianna Fail. Expelling him did not change that. Consequently, his re-admission does not concern me. It is a matter for Fianna Fail voters only.

Penn · 09-02-2023 9:46am

It's absolutely hilarious that FF allowed this. The utter f*cking contempt they have for everyone is supposed to be hidden, yet letting Bertie back in with a likely run for President is basically peacocking that contempt.

I hope that interview of Bertie being questioned by the German interviewer from Conflict Zone is just played on a loop for the entire next Presidential election. Never get tired of watching it.

https://twitter.com/paulodonoghue93/status/987647624567316480?s=20&t=xEARssqNY3zzoGR1nOGD2g

Cluedo Monopoly · 09-02-2023 9:50am

The timing is odd to me. The FFG government is wall-to-wall corruption and cronyism stories since the start of the year and they announce Bertie is back. Weird. What do all these advisors do??

howiya · 09-02-2023 9:58am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120218708#Comment_120218708

Saw this last night for the first time. I wonder does he think he'll be able to avoid these questions if he runs for election.

Cluedo Monopoly · 09-02-2023 10:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120218730#Comment_120218730

He'd be completely caught out in the debates sure. It won't happen.

Bishop of hope · 09-02-2023 10:04am

Is it a concern for FF, or any party, other than shouting about it? Its not as if the others are full of saints, or the Dail, loads of dodgy politicians elected election after election.

Just today's news really, probably won't be long till someone else takes the dodgy headlines.

Penn · 09-02-2023 10:04am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120218717#Comment_120218717

I think that's the point. Throw it in now when FG are in charge and there's already a bunch of FFG corruption/cronyism stories, and hope the dust settles on Bertie by the time the Presidential election and next General Election starts to take shape. Throw Bertie in front of any positive stories (opening of new buildings, commemorative events etc) in the next year or two for the photo ops then talk about how great he is now and hope enough people forget about the whole "absolutely corrupt to his f*cking core" thing.

Penn · 09-02-2023 10:11am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120218730#Comment_120218730

I'm sure he's been practising his carefully worded answers ever since that interview and knowing he wanted to make a comeback. He was caught on the hop in that interview, but getting him to crack if he runs for election will be dependent on how much Irish interviewers and other candidates push him on it. I don't have a lot of faith for most Irish interviewers and I'm sure the FF press gang will very carefully select where and when he does most of his interviews, and I'd say in debates he'll just repeat a few rehearsed answers over and over until the debate moderator is forced to move on.

FF/Bertie know whats coming down the line by bringing him back to run for President, and they're doing it anyway hoping they can just bull through it and ignore it. That's the contempt they have for the public.