Mary Robinson for the European Presidency.

A campaign has started to have former Irish president Mary Robinson considered for the new post of president of the European Council which will be established under the Lisbon Treaty. You can sign a petition at http://www.maryrobinson.eu/petition.html and the campaign has a website www.maryrobinson.eu.

Mary Robinson was President of Ireland from 1990-1997. She then chaired the United Nations Commission for Human Rights from 1997-2002. She has always been an advocate for human rights and equality throughout her political career. Most importantly she has never had a problem challenging authority. In her political life she has challenged the dominant forces in Irish society and also internationally she challenged both the United States of America and the state of Israel.

She may not be perfect but if you need more convincing think about the other candidates in the field. Bertie Ahern's name was mentioned previously for this job. Luckily stores of unaccounted suitcases of money passing through St.Luke's may have tainted his reputation. The name being pushed by most commentators presently is Tony Blair. Blair's legacy to the world is the illegal invasion of Iraq. His appointment would be another sign that the EU is gearing up to be a military power in the future.Lets get behind someone who might actually listen to the people instead of conducting backroom deals with their political buddies.

Ten Things you didn’t know about Neil McManus

Neil McManus is a 29-year-old actor from Dublin. He has been an actor for two and half years and is currently studying in the Performance Theatre Company in the Gaiety School of Acting. He has appeared in two episodes of Garda An Lar and will be appearing alongside Colin Farrell in his new film Triage.

Q1.If you could meet one person alive or dead for dinner or a drink who would it be and why?

I have always wanted to meet Eric Cantona.He is passionate about many things and wasn’t afraid to experiment to get where he is today.

Q2.If you where an animal what type of animal would you be and why?

I would be a lion because it’s King of the Jungle. On the other hand, maybe a jaguar because of my reflexes and it’s a beautiful creature.

Q3.If you where stranded on a desert island what three things would you have to have?

A football, a sharp knife and some flint for lighting fires.

Q4.If you where granted three wishes what would they be?

(1) Eternal youth.
(2) Infinite money.
(3) The ability to return to the stage before I made the first two wishes if I got tired of eternal youth and infinite money.


Q5.What did you have for breakfast this morning?

I was with my football team so I had toast, scramble eggs, beans, glass of milk and a cup of tea.

Q6.Where in the world would you like to see before you die?

I have always wanted to go to the Arctic in an icebreaker ship.

Q7.What is your earliest childhood memory?

Maybe pretending to cry when you couldn’t get what your own way. Realizing that if you cried you could get your own way when you where out shopping with your ma in Crazy Prices. I also remember losing that power when I got a bit older.

Q8.Who is your idol?

That is a tough one. Let me think about that. Probably Ryan Giggs or David Beckham. They didn’t become scum when they got money. They have always wanted to achieve the best that they could. Wait a second my idol does not have to be someone famous so I think I will go for my Dad. I admire the way he has carried himself and the job he done rearing his family. Considering where he came from there are other roads he could have taken but he gave his time to his family.

Q9.If you where a cartoon character who would you be?

Bart Simpson because his is always scheming but never tries to intentionally hurt anyone.


Q10.What is your favourite saying?

Winners don’t quit and quitters don’t win.

Did you hear the one about Tommy Tiernan being an anti-Semitic goose-stepping Nazi?

Tommy Tiernan is no stranger to controversy. He has made comments throughout his comedic career which have offended various groups. I think the fact that he is very talented and for the most part very funny has saved him in the past. All the previous controversial incidents he has been involved in before have been dwarfed by the storm of outrage that has landed upon his doorstep in recent weeks.

The particular offensive comment was taken from an interview with Tommy Tiernan by Hot Press at Electirc Pinic and the quote is as follows:

"These fuckin’ JEW CUNTS come up to me! Fuckin’ Christ-killin’ bastards!!! Fuckin’ six million? I would have got 10 or 12 million out of that. No fuckin’ problem! Fuckin’ two at a time, they would have gone! Hold hands, get in there! Leave us your teeth and your glasses!!!"

Now I know what you are thinking when you look at it in print it looks pretty damning. Like everything that is said particularly by comedians we have to look at the context.So I got myself a copy of Hot Press and read the interview in full. First thing that I will say is that the interview was really funny. As someone who has not found Tommy Tiernan's recent material very funny I was pleasantly surprised at how funny he was. Secondly his answers in the interview were both humerous and intelligent.He had some interesting things to say about life in general and Irish society in particular. Then I came to the offending comment which was at the end of the interview. A member of the audience asked him:“Have you ever been accused of anti-Semitism?”. Tommy told a story about a Jewish couple cornering him after a gig and accusing him of being anti-Semitic. He described their indignation, their fanaticism and their inability to laugh at themselves. He then launched into the quote described above. It was clearly a joke in the context of the story he had told previously. He was not preaching these beliefs himself but rather ridiculing the anti-Semitic's that hold such beliefs and fanatics in general.

Criticism has followed from Alan Shatter Fine Gael TD, the Archbishop of Dublin and numerous Jewish groups. Tommy Tiernan has had to pull out of the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Canada. I have even heard George Hook on Newstalk calling for a boycott of Tommy Tiernan. Alan Shatter and George Hook two of Tiernan's biggest critics had something in common neither of them had bothered to read the article in full by there own admission. Tommy Tiernan is not Bernard Manning and he is certainly not Joseph Goebbels. He is comedian and I admit he does thread a fine line between edgy and offensive. His comment when taken in the context of his interview was not even close to being anti-Semitic. Anyone who is making this argument is wrong either due to ignorance of the full facts, or are being dishonest to increase there own profile. I would urge all fair minded people to read the article before you join the lynch mob out to crucify Tommy Tiernan.

Lisbon Treaty 2: A victory for fear.

So Ireland approved the Lisbon Treaty at the second time of asking. I would love to think the reason for this is because as citizens we were better informed this time around but sadly this does not seem to be the case. As I watched RTE news interviewing the voters emerging from the polling centres the same message emerged. People voted for jobs, for investment and to continue Ireland's membership of the EU. I found this all very confusing as I thought we were voting on the Lisbon Treaty. The treaty according to the Referendum Commission involved the changing of the rules that governed the EU to allow greater efficiency in an expanded Europe. Let's put aside the fact that we are in the EU and we still have 397,000 unemployed people and that this treaty was not about our membership of the EU. How did the Yes side manage to change the debate to everything except what was contained in the treaty.

To be fair some elements of the No side did not help. I don't think any sane person would be comfortable positioning themselves on the same side as COIR (the Germans are coming for your babies). Then again on the Yes side we had Michael (screw the workers) O'Leary so if people where looking for leaders it was a tough one.

So what about the issues. Surely a logical debate between the political class through the media would inform and enlighten us. Throughout what passed for a campaign the Yes side did everything they could to avoid discussing the treaty. The saner elements of the No campaign to be fair attempted to discuss elements of the treaty. There were important issues that needed to be debated. This campaign was an important chance to discuss the direction that the Lisbon Treaty was taking the EU. That debate never came I am afraid to say. The victory on the Yes side was built on lies. The failure of the Yes side to actually debate the treaty did a disservice to democracy. The most worrying part of the whole campaign was that the media became a cheerleader for the Yes side. Journalistic balance and fairness were put aside for the campaign (with a small number of exceptions)and we witnessed opinion masquerading as fact. In a democracy the vote of the public has to be respected (unless they say no) but this campaign was not a fair one. As citizens voting on an important issue we are entitled to a reasoned debate and a media to facilitate it. We know politicians will attempt to manipulate us and without balanced and fair coverage by the media it becomes an easy task.