KERRY TD MICHAEL Healy-Rae has hit out at being dubbed “Trumpian” by comedian and columnist Oliver Callan.
Writing in the Irish Times last week, Callan called the Kingdom’s political dynasty the “Irish Donald Trumps”.
“They too espouse anti-immigrant, climate-sceptical, barmy-policy, anti-PC ideas and resemble an Irish version of the Donald right down to reality TV appearances, crazed fans and attacks on the media,” Callan said.
“Their politics are tied up with Trumpian conflicts of interest too and they even built an expensive wall in Killorglin.”
In a statement issued today, Healy-Rae shot back, saying that he had never met Callan, meaning it was hard to understand how the impressionist has an opinion on him.
“Leaving aside for a moment his comments about myself and my brother Danny, I take grave exception to his comments about our late father Jackie Healy-Rae and his funeral to which thousands of people turned up to pay their last respects.
“Unfortunately my father is no longer around to stand up for his good record as a public representative for over 40 years. He proceeds to liken our reverence for our late father to Donald Trump’s ‘obsessive view’ of his late father Fred.
Well if holding your father in high regard is a crime, sure go ahead and shoot me now Mr Callan…
He went on to say that he had not “inherited” his father’s seat, saying that the “good people of South Kerry saw fit to elect me as one of their representatives in Dáil Éireann”
Populism
Healy-Rae goes on to invite Callan to “the Deep South” and wishes him success in his career, but says that he and his TD brother Danny are not populists or “freeloaders”.
Mr Callan states that “you cannot condemn those who elect the Healy-Raes”.
Well I am sure that the 30,369 people in Kerry who gave us their first preference votes in Election 2016 will breathe a sigh of relief and will be delighted to hear that they are not going to be ‘condemned’ for exercising their democratic vote.
“I have never met Mr Callan so I would not dare to venture or voice any ‘opinion’ on him. He is described as “an Irish vocal and performance satirist and impressionist” and as far as I know he is quite successful in his chosen field. I wish him every good luck in his future career.”
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