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TRIBUTES ARE BEING paid to former Fianna Fáil minister Joe Walsh, who has died at the age of 71.
Walsh, who ran a dairy company before becoming a politician, was first elected to the Dáil in 1977.
He served as Agriculture Minister in two Fianna Fáil-led governments, from 1994 to 94, and again between 1997 and 2004.
The Cork man won widespread praise for his handling of the Foot & Mouth crisis in 2001, when he oversaw a series of strict control measures to ensure Ireland’s exposure to the disease was limited.
“I would like to send my deepest sympathy to Joe’s wife, Marie, to his family and to the Fianna Fáil party,” Taoiseach Enda Kenny said in a statement.
“I knew Joe well throughout his career in the Oireachtas. He was a dedicated representative of the people of Cork South West and a hard-working and committed Minister.
He will be remembered in particular for his decisive and successful management of the foot and mouth crisis of 2001. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said Walsh’s death came “as a shock to me and his many friends and admirers across the country”.
Joe was Ireland’s key negotiator during the 1992 and 2003 CAP reforms, he established Bord Bia and facilitated a transformation in the marketing and export strategy for Ireland’s food industry.
“Indeed, his brilliant leadership in responding the Foot and Mouth Disease crisis was instrumental in mitigating a disaster that had the potential to wipe out a way of life.
“Joe’s leadership during the Foot and Mouth crisis was recognised internationally, with the French Government honouring him with the Legion d’Honneur and the King of Spain presenting him with the Grand Cross of the Agricultural Order of Merit for his service to agriculture.”
Funeral details are yet to be confirmed.
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If anything the last few weeks have shown us is that there is a sizeable population in the UK that does not view Ireland as an equal.
We are fine as long as we are not causing trouble for them – i.e. know our place.
@Sean: nah, just the daily mail/Sun readers
@oh i dunno: which is a sizeable portion of the UK population.
@Sean: Sky Newsh is always very low brow so this ignorance from presenter is to be expected. Im just glad Michael Martin is not Taoiseach as FF would have bowed and scraped to the British. Ive never voted FG but Leo and his team played an absolute blinder
@Michael Hayden: sizeable enough as it was these readers who voted for Brexit in the main.
@Sean: Ireland isn’t an equal. It’s smaller than Yorkshire.
@Sean: SkyNews, pfft. Where their political editor is under the impression that Sinn Fein are the minority party making up the government. UK are welcome to travel back to the 1800′s. Good luck to them.
@Damocles: ironically, it shows the slight arrogance and aloofness that some nationalists in Ireland have that they viewed themselves as equal to a global financial and political superpower. We are only able to get any sort of all Ireland deal due to the backing of the eu, of which we are pawns. English nationalists and elites are, of course, completely arrogant, but I would say we have the same proportion here.
@Gulliver Foyle: it’s only arrogance when someone you don’t like is doing it. When the UK tries to get the best deal for themselves it’s arrogance. When the EU and Ireland do the same thing it’s completely fair and reasonable.
@Sean: Another problem is that far too many people don’t even understand that Ireland isn’t part of the UK.
@Sean Flaherty: part of Ireland is part of the UK.
@Damocles: Not for long!
@Sean: Ireland isn’t an equal. It’s smaller than Yorkshire.
@Damocles: Ireland is a sovereign state whose rights and concerns are as valid as any the UK has.
The idea consistently expressed in a lot of UK media is that the Irish are causing trouble, when the opposite is clearly the case.
It’s a situation of their making.
@Damocles: Correct. But we are a sovereign partner with the UK in the EU.
@frank murphy: back in your box now Frank-we’ll give ye this one but yere performance on health homelessness housing etc leaves a lot to be desired.
@TheBluffmaster2: Don’t feed the troll
@Michael Hayden: about 100%
@Damocles: I do hope by your example, you mean the difference between the populations of Ireland and Yorkshire….
@Damocles:Ireland isn’t an equal. It’s smaller than Yorkshire.
And the Great Britain is the size of a gnat compared to Russia, whats your point exactly? Also, no part of Ireland is part of the UK, you must mean part of the island of Ireland. Honestly no one does hubris quite as well as the British!
@Paul Linehan: population wise, Ireland is smaller than Yorkshire.
@Shane McGettrick: Ireland is not equal to the UK. Russia is not equal to the UK. Great. Glad we’ve got that sorted.
@Damocles: I asked you what your point was, were you comparing population, landmass, GDP, average IQ, median income? I’d guess you were just going off on one, as Brexiteers are so wont to do. Glad we’ve got that sorted.
@Sean: The fact that the question was put in this way does indicate that there is an element in the UK that is angered by our audacity in seeking to limit the damage that Brexit will have on us. Coveney deserves kudos for not reacting to the hyperbole from the DUP.The only group claiming any kind of victory in all of this is the DUP but if it placates their extremists, fine.
@frank murphy: Bad move ye made not choosing Coveney as leader. That’ll bite ye in the arse.I see Enda Kenny is still correcting the Dail record. He claimed in one of his stories (presented as fact at the time) that some poor woman who was kidnapped by isis converted to Islam. She didn’t.The question is if Leo’s corrections of the Dail record ( Frances Fitzgerald ) presages more of the same. Flannagans hanging on in there by the short and curlies.
And How would FF bow to the brits Siobhan
@Damocles: Some countries may have power of another but all men are made equal.
@frank murphy: …….>Orange< troll alert!
@frank murphy: Man, you are way over the top. tone it down. You are not doing FG any favours. Your support makes you look like an obvious troll or completely deranged.
@Damocles: No it isn’t!
@frank murphy: WHAT?
@Sean: its true sean. Quite an eye opener this week. Disappointing. Feel like I had my head up my ar** on this.
@frank murphy: gas man
@frank murphy: Thought that was Adams!
@Shane McGettrick: number of sheep
@Shane McGettrick: Or maybe education standards. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/global-school-rankings-interactive-map-shows-standards-of-education-across-the-world-10247405.html
@Dave May: .have you got inside information about this?
Does Simon Coveney and Ireland feel guilty? Did he vote for a ludicrous Brexit at the behest of the Daily Mail? Did he do so knowing full well it could set Northern Ireland back decades? Is his party critically divided and causing mayhem in the negotiation process? Did his Government neglect to do an impact study? No? Then shut up Boulton and look at your own team first.
@@angrymanwithissues:
“Brexit at the behest of the Daily Mail? ”
What simplistic, juvenile nonsense. You sound like a student council amateur marxist.
@Denis Bán: “You sound like a student council amateur Marxist”.
What simplistic juvenile nonsense.
@Denis Bán: I do apologise, Denis. Knowing I’ll encounter the likes of you on here, I do try to dumb my commentary down so you can understand what I’m saying. If they add a video function on here, I’ll post some videos with sock puppets explaining the issues of the day – that will probably help you out.
@Denis Bán:
I hope your a troll account because I would hope someone whos posted the amount of nonsense you have today cant actually exist, from sticking up for this guys ridiculous questions to hoping Palestinian protesters get fired on by the IDF.
@Denis Bán: “marxist.”?? – then explain the stance by the City of London (by that I mean the financial institutions).
@Donal O’Leary: Denis Ban is a white supremacist troll
@Denis Bán: How much of part do you think the right wing press has played in the achievement of Brexit, the tabloid readers have been fed a constant anti EU diet for years, this question asked of our Taniste was for their benefit, keep repeating it, couching it in questions or “quotes” and hey presto it’s a “fact”, a way of deflecting the ongoing cock up, do you think he asked any DUP member to clarify the lie by Arlene about the Irish government stopping them seeing Monday’s proposals? ,
Brexit could lead to the end of the UK. We must position ourselves to pick up the pieces. The government has done well in representing our interests.
@Sandra O’Fucáif: I would wait and see what the final outcome will be before we start doing cartwheels. This is the first battle, its the war we need to win.
@Sandra O’Fucáif: I agree completely Sandra. Fair play to all involved. Good fair & balanced comment from you.
Sky news and its rightwing aganda
@Paul Maguire: God forbid Irish politicians would be asked tough but fair questions.
@Denis Bán: the question should have being asked off arlene and not Coveny! There was agreement last Monday until the battle axe that is arlene threw her toys outta the pram
@Paddy: good jeysus, I wouldn’t get up on her to open the curtains
This dismissive attitude on the other side shows that we were right to draw the line where we did and stick to it.
There will be more of this to come, of course.
@Danny Rafferty:
Adam Bolton doesn’t represent the “other side”
He’s just a shock jock who likes to think his opinion matters.
@Stephen Griffith: OK. You probably have a point there.
Boultan is not the brightest ,simple answer to his question was, we did not call a referendum on leaving the european union ,we did not allow a right wing anti europe press delude the british public with fake news and lies ,we did not have a prime minister who cowardly promised a referendum to keep peace within his own party and use the politics of the european union to distract from his own political weakness.
Typical Sky reporting everything is good as long as it’s the British leading the way. A bit like when someone looses in sport or any other field they are Welsh, Scottish and Irish but as soon as they win and get any type of accolades they’re British they don’t know their bum from their elbow you know what I mean
Michael Collins would be proud of yas lads!
@Colin Savage: proud of a country saddled with private banking debt by those in charge, a housing crisis caused on purpose, a health system not fit for purpose, politicians openly following their own agendas and lieing to the public, referendums delayed due to concern about voter bases, cans kicked down the road over and over, corruption investigated by tribunals but never acted upon and the list goes on….
We have 100 years experience in our governments making bad decisions and abusing positions and the public do nothing about it so I don’t think brexit will affect that.
@Shane Carroll: we paid 200+ billion to banks?
@lavbeer: 64 billion to bail out banks, 100 billion due to the economy collapsing. 8 billion a year interest on the 200 billion debt.
http://www.ntma.ie/business-areas/funding-and-debt-management/debt-profile/historical-debt/
Irish tax payers paid 44% of the EU banking crisis despite the Irish making up only 1% of its population so I wouldn’t trust the EU to act in Ireland’s best interests during brexit negotiations.
Éire innit
“Leo and Simon did such an amazing job this week, they should be joint-Taoiseach forever!”
What did they do exactly, apart from let the DUP and Conservatives make fools of themselves in front of Tusk?
“Shut up, they’re great!”
@Franklin Roosevelt: If it had gone to shite, you’d be one of the first online warriors to criticize them.
Like I keep saying, the mob is a brainless entity.
@MK76: no, I would blame the stupid British imperialist mindset that got them into this situation in the first place.
They still think they have an empire.
They’re a smaller country now on the world stage than the state of California
@Franklin Roosevelt: yet still one of the largest economies in the world
@MK76: Jesus, imagine if I actually criticized Leo and Simon!
All I did was make fun of the effusive praise they’ve been getting the last few days, despite not doing a thing.
Maybe you belong to the weird right wing mob.
@Franklin Roosevelt: Yeah, fair enough and I don’t believe they are due anything other than a “decent job done, thus far”.
You can’t say that there isnt a significant “sentiment” on these forums who are only willing to criticize, but too blinded by political bias to admit a job well done.
@MK76: the mob … yeah anyone who pipes up is the mob !!!!the FG mob want Leo to take the credit for this, yet the same idiots claim it’s outside pressures etc that are responsible for his failures ( of which he has many )… mob indeed.
@Ian Kavanagh: exactly Ian.
Of course, they are blue shirts. Fascists have a hard time dealing with any type of critique or reality.
@Franklin Roosevelt: Ha. You try to take a reasonable approach (see my 2nd post above), but when one of the LLA warrior buddies come in to support, true colours are quickly revealed.
I don’t suppose you get the delicious hypocrisy of castigating others for labelling you, while at the same time calling them “blue shirts” and “fascists”.
Like I said, the mob is a brainless entity.
@Franklin Roosevelt: Did you get your nappy changed yet? You are very cranky.
@MK76: the mob … how old are you again ? I didn’t think Leo is allowed to employee kiddies in his 5 million media spin machine … I can’t believe a grown person would fall back to the mob phrase at every possible opportunity… the mob. lolĺ
@MK76: repeatedly calling a single person makes no sense.
And I said nothing factually incorrect when I called Fine Gael supporters blue shirts. They have their roots in fascism.
Would you prefer to be called communists?
@Franklin Roosevelt: as Dean Acheson said in 1962 “Great Britain has lost an empire and has not yet found role”
The Brits are just making trouble because they lost. A bit petty isn’t it really…
Well done Simon, answered an offensive question with class. Leo and Simon have done great work with the brexit talks so far, credit where credit is due.
The award winning my news showing a nationalist view without really doing any fact checking in the timeline of the talks breakdown during the week. Our representatives did extremely well this week and showed themselves to be far more competent than their British counterparts. Thank god it wasn’t Enda in the hot seat
Well answered!
Sure Sky never have a good word to say about us!
@Maire: ___ It probably stems from their attempt at setting up an Irish Sky News channel, the channel that soon disappeared into oblivion because no one here watched it.
What this past few weeks has shown is just how dysfunctional the current UK Government actually is. The Conservatives are in the midst of a civil war over Brexit. And to be honest I doubt Labour would be in any better state if they were in Government. With Corbyn and much of his front bench who are anti EU at odds with the majority of the Labour back benches who are in favour of the EU and remain. Brexit is probably the most divisive event to happen to the English since the English Civil War. With thed country split the way it is the Conservative Government are terrified of allowing a second referendum simply because they fear it would rip the party apart.
@Mick Jordan: you mean rip the country apart .
@Mick Jordan: spot on.
Adam Boulton is Kay Burley in trousers, he’s like a big kid.
Fantastic work by Leo and Simon and don’t forget all the diplomats etc working hard behind the scenes also. Did Sky ask Arlene the same question I wonder?
Well done Simon. Great performance
@Michael Carty: He can do performance in the theater. He did nothing as he did for resolving housing crisis. In private company he would have been fired already. Oh yes, he loves supporting palestinian terrorists. Let him put more palestinian flags on the buildings :D
@Michael Carty: He can do his performances in the theatre. He did nothing now but EU did and previously being housing minister to solve housing crisis his party created. In private sector he would have been fired already. Oh yes, he has success in putting palestinian flag on the building xD More terrorists welcomed.
Adam Boulton knows little about ireland and certainly about the DUP and brexit
Talk is cheap, time will tell a tale about this so call agreement though hopefully we are heading towards an all Ireland solution. Its unlikely ever loses a nights sleep over anything considering how quick he was to get out of housing.
Si and Leo have forced Theresa to agree to what she was offering.
This is a massive victory.
Well done lads.
@Damocles: Ireland went in prepared the UK didn’t. UK are now the small fish against the EU27.
@Damocles: this is and will be a great deal for this country one which may not have being agreed with out the efforts of Simon and Leo. Whether you like them or not they done good!
@deise: ok. You keep shoaling in your tank and maybe playing in the plastic sunken ship feature.
We have oceans to chart.
@Paddy: I’m sure they’re not going anywhere.
@Damocles: great comeback. Are you Borris Johnson?
@Damocles: It’s more like the Brits are shoaling in their tank and playing with the sunken plastic ship while Ireland and the EU are charting the oceans…
@deise: I haven’t got the hair to be Boris Johnson.
@Ken Loughman: the UK would be one fish. A fish can’t shoal on its own. Your comment makes no sense.
Just wait til Brexit is hailed a success and Coveney suddenly becomes a ‘British’ politician…
Sarky individual Boulton.
The Brits again thought they were going to walk all over us and it did not happen.
There should be not let up because they will come back at us.Its not over by a long shot
FG don’t do guilt. Its all about portraying false images, and trying to keep the false charade going. That’s what FG is all about.
Can’t fix it, best solution to FG is make like it doesn’t exist!
@Adrian: FG do what FG do best … kick the can down the road.
Well its really petty from the Sky broadcaster, just because they lost. I guess the Brits will just have to lump it.
The kerfuffle was caused by the UK leave vote, nothing else.
If the UK cabinet and negotiators were portrayed in a season of “Yes Prime Minister” in the manner that they have behaved over the last 18 months the public would have rejected it as over the top.
I’m British and I am appalled at the dismissive arrogance much of the British Government and people have shown with regards to this issue. We chose to exit the EU and the onus is on us to provide solutions to the inflammation we are causing in doing so. Ireland is standing up for themselves and quite rightly. The British media has conveniently cherry-picked angles to spoon feed the British public with outrage. I believe this debate has exposed severe shortfalls with respect to the British public’s understanding of Irish & British history. I can certainly say that the education we provide to our children in Britain is censored to avoid stains on the nation’s character. This must be addressed.
Surprised at Bolton. He’s usually good. Still I suppose if you want to scramble an Englishman’s brain mention Ireland.
As a Brit here in Ireland I truly find the anti-UK verbal diatribe many of you are throwing at us as distasteful. Do you really dislike us so much ?, what have we done in these last 80 years to deserve such hatred ?, did we not try and help the State during the financial crisis ?, did some of our heavy contribution to the EU coffers not find its way into the Republic ?, did we not consistently support you in Brussels when the larger states dismissed you ?, I could go on. Anyway, best of luck with your friends in Brussels, I’m sure they won’t ever dream of treating you with the same contempt they thrust on Greece when next the economic cycle is downwards, _ no, surely not. They don’t have a track record of ever imposing life changing austerity conditions for borrowers do they.
Saw it today and the lad did very well in fairness.
It was between the EU and the UK, Sky trying to drum up anti Irish hatred…
Once all this ganging up to extort even more money out of UK is over and the UK is finally free from the freeloaders, Ireland can sit and feel proud of there position in EU as the dogs that they treat you as. Then you will vote to leave. You nearly had the bottle twice but got bullied and surrendered I don’t see Michael Collins being proud of any Irish politicians who willingly handed over the sovereignty that was so hard fought for. Didn’t even make the 100th centenary. Shame on you. This is how they are treating the biggest net contributor and you think that’s fair game. Well Ireland is a net contributor now, enjoy your rise in contributions and don’t forget the main meal of Irish fish you will serving your masters.
@De Mad Hoor: totally agree with you. Great Briton will have independence back. English politicians will make rules and regulations for its people. Ireland is finished as we knew it, our politicians did hand over our sovereignty that as you rightly say was fought so hard for. We might get the right to vote for our so called politicians, but its not our voice they will answer to, because they do not work for the people of Ireland.
Who writes Adam Boukton’s script?? Guilt? Does he understand the meaning of political negotiation? Does he understand the Good Friday Agreement? Does he understand there is a cost to the UK leaving the EU? But “guilt”? Hardly an appropriate term .. no one died!
Stupid ignorant question by Boulton but fair play to Coveney he gave a very good detailed response.
@Joe Johnson: His next question was, do you have a pig under your arm and can you riverdance for us now?
Time now to reclaim the seas & oceans & the assets that lie there-in !! #notonukewaste Irish sea >>> Legalities of Shannon Stopovers ned to be questioned also ?
>>
He could of said “we’re actually trying to save yiz brits from your own stupidity but your to dumb to notice, you’ll thank us some day”
@Franklin Roosevelt: as Dean Acheson said in 1962 “Great Britain has lost an empire and has not yet found a role”
Huge Coveney?
have to say I think teamfinngael have done great McEntee, Varadcar and Coveney came across as young dynamic europeans. very polished performance we should be proud. Have the shinners made a decision about anything yet?
have your say