LOTS OF SERIOUS things happen in Leinster House and the political world, but there is also a lot of daft stuff that goes on every week.
With that in mind it’s important to remember that when they’re not deciding and voting on important pieces of legislation or debating matters of State our politicians are up to all sorts, some of it good, some of it bad, some of it just kind of silly.
So here are our not-so-serious political awards for 2014…
The ‘Lost the Complete Run of Ourselves’ Award
Remember when the whole country was convulsed by the Garth Brooks saga? That extended into Leinster House and we had bizarre and unprecedented tweets like this…
The ‘Stand-off of the Year’ Award
No doubts about this one as Mary Lou McDonald’s four-hour Dáil sit-in saw her refuse to leave the Dáil with the Ceann Comhairle refusing to continue the day’s business.
The ‘Accidentally Posing Beside an Object You Shouldn’t Pose Beside’ award
Spliffs are stealthy. One minute there’s none around. The next? There’s a giant one RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE.
Winning this accolade will surely come second only to taking over the Labour leadership when Tánaiste Joan Burton reflects on her highlights of 2014.
The ‘That’s Not a Graph, THIS is a Graph’ award
A Twitter spat between Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell and a voter got graph-ic (sorry) last month. David Kenny described a graph posted by Farrell to highlight falling unemployment as “nonsense”. Farrell responded by calling Kenny a “moron”.
Kenny then made his own graph:
The ‘Na na na na na na, I’m not listening to you’ award
Children’s Minister James Reilly won this hands down for choosing headphones over Richard Boyd Barrett when debating the Budget.
The ‘Compliment of the Year’ Award
Former Fine Gael strategist Frank Flannery was full of praise for Health Minister Leo Varadkar, describing him as ‘tall and good-looking with a certain exotic feel’.
The ‘Best Use of the Word Anti-Christ’ award
Michael Healy-Rae had some choice words for whoever cut down the cross at the summit of Carrauntoohil.
The ‘Wedding Crasher of the Year’ award
The Taoiseach, em, made a bride’s day while out canvassing in Carlow.
We always knew Enda Kenny had a bit of Owen Wilson about him.
The ‘Best Promotion of Recycling’ Award
This one goes to Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy, for tearing up his Irish Water registration form in the Dáil.
The ‘Least Expected BFFs’ award
Kiss frontman Gene Simmons rocked up to the Dáil earlier this month. Because he’s good friends with Fine Gael Deputy Pat Breen. Duh.
Sadly, Simmons is not in the running to be a celebrity candidate for the party. Opportunity lost.
The ‘Best Post-Election’ Speech
New MEP Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan kept it short and sweet.
The ‘Worst Comparison of the Year’ award
Fine Gael TD Noel Coonan warned that the country faced “an ISIS situation” if the more extreme elements of water charge protests were not “nipped in the bud”. *facepalm*
He later withdrew the comments.
The ‘Mick Wallace Sartorial Elegance’ Award
For the second year in a row the independent TD comfortably wins this one.
The ‘Having a Great Time in My New Job’ Award
Former Environment Minister Phil Hogan got to leave his water woes behind when he took up the position of EU Agriculture Commissioner. He’s been having great fun in Brussels ever since.
The ‘Best Throwback to the 1980s’ Award
Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Ruth Coppinger revealed her nostalgic TV preferences when describing Government ministers promoting the new water charges package as being “like Del Boy trying to sell discounted goods from the back of a truck”.
The ‘Technology Fail’ Award
Fine Gael’s Andrew Doyle tweeted that he was attempting to download the ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ charity single … before it was recorded. He meant well.
The ‘Worst Spelling Mistake’ Award
The Department of Transport got Green party councillor Roderic O’Gorman’s name hopelessly wrong. The incorrect moniker has a nice ring to it, though.
The ‘Letting Off Steam’ Award
Fine Gael Councillor Kenneth Egan was the only real contender for the title here. (Did you see what we did there? You did? Brilliant.)
The ‘Hamlet Award for Indecision’
This prize is shared equally between former Fine Gaeler Lucinda Creighton and Independent Shane Ross. Will there be a Reform Alliance party? An alliance of Independents? Anything? Nothing? Oh right.
With contribution from Hugh O’Connell
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