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DCU

What's he up to?: What to make of the Bertie Ahern revival roadshow

The former Taoiseach says being president is not on his agenda.

LAST UPDATE | 2 Mar 2023

THE BERTIE AHERN revival roadshow has been hard to miss. 

You’ve most likely been made aware of his new podcast in collaboration with Newstalk, or heard the news about him officially rejoining Fianna Fáil after his resignation from the party in 2012.

You may have heard soundbites from his appearance alongside Alistair Campbell at an Ibec event in the Mansion House, or his stint as a talking head on popular British current affairs podcast The News Agents

Today, you might have seen pictures of him donning a tasseled mortarboard as he received an honorary doctorate from DCU for his “part in forging the Good Friday Agreement” alongside Monica McWilliams.

“The island of Ireland is lucky to have a man of your patience, your persistence,” McWilliams said of her counterpart.

McWilliams, founder of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition, further described Bertie as having “the gift of humility” and a knack for “always being able to see the other’s perspective”. She told the audience that he had been her “rock” throughout the Good Friday Agreement negotiations. 

This is the kind of effusive praise that has followed him for the last few weeks. Introduced on The News Agents podcast for a discussion about the Windsor Framework, it was said that: “What he doesn’t know about negotiating these deals isn’t worth knowing.”

Business is booming for Bertie. But what exactly is he up to?

It might be that Ahern has simply reemerged as a sort of free-to-use primary source for the silver anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, but his current omnipresence has many wondering whether the Drumcondra man fancies a seven-year spell in Phoenix Park. 

Whether Ahern plans to run for president remains a mystery. The former Taoiseach has been coy when asked direct questions about the subject, though today he gave an answer that may offer some insight into his thinking. 

“That’s not on my agenda. If it ever arises, the first thing is to live that long. I’ve lost so many friends, even since Christmas,” he said. Ahern will be 73 in September and around 75 by the time of the next presidential election, five years older than Michael D Higgins was when he first took office in 2011.

Ahern also cited his role on the Council of State over the last 26 years as a reason to keep quiet. As a former Taoiseach, Ahern sits on the council which advises the president on the exercise of his powers, and said that it would be “disrespectful to our president” to talk about the presidency. Nevertheless, Ahern refuses to rule out a run. 

It is possible, of course, that Ahern has simply been missing the limelight. Ahern remains the longest-serving Taoiseach since Eamon De Valera, having served as Ireland’s head of government for just shy of 11 years.

A former foot soldier of Charlie Haughey’s, a finance minister at the outset of the Celtic Tiger and Taoiseach throughout its peak, a significant player in the Northern Ireland peace process, and a figure that was rarely out of the headlines, it is easy to speculate that Bertie might just miss the life that was once his day-to-day. 

It doesn’t seem too far-fetched to suggest he’s enjoying the adulation without the responsibility that comes with holding public office. The chance to hold forth, shake hands and rub shoulders with little danger of hearing the words “Mahon tribunal” – two words that would surely resurface with a vengeance should he announce any intention to represent the public once more. 

As it stands, Ahern is free to enjoy the kind of rose-tinted tributes usually reserved for those who are not planning a comeback. Even current Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has walked back his 2008 criticism of Ahern, wherein he said Ahern had “essentially given the John Gilligan defence — that he won the money on the horses” to the tribunal.

“This is a defence for drug dealers and pimps and not the kind of thing that should be tolerated from a former Taoiseach and member of this house,” Varadkar said in 2008.

Asked about the comments a few weeks ago, Varadkar said those remarks were made at a “particular point in time” and switched the focus to Ahern’s role in the Northern Ireland peace process. 

To a certain kind of mind, it looks like Bertie is campaigning for something, and at a pace that could not possibly kept up for the next two-and-a-half years. 

A protest staged during today’s ceremony by the Connolly Youth Movement, who labelled Ahern “the architect of the financial crisis which ruined the lives of so many young people”, gives some sense of the resistance that Ahern could face if he is to re-enter public life. 

Asked by The Journal about the protest, Ahern said: “I always like to see students doing their bit. I’m glad they had nothing better to do this morning, it was nice of them to come along and say hello to me.”

As unbothered as Ahern seemed by the protest, it could offer some insight into the purpose of the Bertie Ahern revival roadshow. He might not be campaigning for president, but he’s certainly campaigning for his own legacy. 

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    Mute David G
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    Jun 18th 2015, 9:59 PM

    The only question is, would the water turn yellow or brown.

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    Mute Richard O'Callaghan
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    Jun 18th 2015, 10:20 PM

    Double incontinence would unquestionably ensure.

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    Mute Pauliebhoy
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    Jun 18th 2015, 10:25 PM

    Red

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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Jun 18th 2015, 10:30 PM

    Ahh once it didn’t turn red that’s the main thing

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    Mute Ms Sims
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    Jun 18th 2015, 10:51 PM

    Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. Lol.

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    Mute David Carino
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    Jun 19th 2015, 9:32 AM

    Surely that’s a better question in regards to their wetsuits

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    Mute ChocSaltyBallz
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    Jun 19th 2015, 10:18 PM

    how the Huck does she speak so well under water with a scuba mask on breathing app etc

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    Mute david garland
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    Jun 18th 2015, 9:54 PM

    It’s all fun and games till ‘Jaws’ shows up..

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    Mute Kitty Prendergast
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    Jun 18th 2015, 10:24 PM

    Diving with great whites is the height of stupidity. I do not know how more people are not eaten.

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    Mute whereisspace
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    Jun 19th 2015, 6:52 AM

    You should try it sometime, it’s pretty cool in fairness. Amazing beasts up close.

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    Mute kieran fitzgerald
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    Jun 19th 2015, 1:45 PM

    Might be something to do with the big steel cage kitty.

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    Mute tonymcc
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    Jun 18th 2015, 10:00 PM

    classic Sharky and George double team

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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Jun 18th 2015, 9:56 PM

    Suprise suckers

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    Mute Beano
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    Jun 18th 2015, 9:57 PM

    Feck that sh*t!

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    Mute Kaz
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    Jun 18th 2015, 10:20 PM

    @ ALAN Not everyone is on social media!

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    Mute The whistler
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    Jun 18th 2015, 10:55 PM

    sharks just going: “any chance you could keep the bleedin’ noise down luv? Some of us have to live here you know”

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    Mute John Reese
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    Jun 18th 2015, 10:32 PM

    Some believe sharks are as if not more intelligent than chimps….that’s how close they are too us. They learn and hunt in packs…best admired from afar

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    Mute Robbie Curran
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    Jun 18th 2015, 11:36 PM

    Yeah far enough away to be able to put the feet up on a recliner. :)

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    Mute Jimmy Murphy
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    Jun 18th 2015, 11:29 PM

    Karl Pilkington would have been proud of that one! Although contrary to what the movies will tell you shark attacks on humans are quite rare overall & scientists believe it’s usually because they mistake humans for something else. Other than that, I have to say this underwater footage is fantastic overall, beats the shit out of snorkeling anyway

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    Mute Emma Higgins
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    Jun 18th 2015, 10:32 PM

    Reminds me of that episode of Friends with the dog in the window of Phoebes taxi

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    Mute Alan
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    Jun 18th 2015, 10:09 PM

    The journal should really stick to news. It can’t quite keep up with social media. Seen this yesterday.

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Jun 18th 2015, 11:05 PM

    maybe you shouldn’t spend so much time on the computer Alan?

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    Mute Paul Reid
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    Jun 18th 2015, 11:00 PM

    Shark bait!!!

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    Mute Joey Gee
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    Jun 19th 2015, 9:18 AM

    It’s just a curious big fish, these folk were in it’s territory.

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    Mute Barry Doyle
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    Jun 19th 2015, 2:44 AM

    just when you thought it was safe to go back in the cage

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    Mute Brian
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    Jun 18th 2015, 9:54 PM

    Noah’s shark

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    Mute Trev
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    Jun 19th 2015, 11:38 AM

    then suddenly a brown trout appeared.

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    Mute Richard O'Callaghan
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    Jun 19th 2015, 8:06 AM

    We’re gonna need a better cage.

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Jun 18th 2015, 11:04 PM

    Well yeah I’ll go diving where sharks are. Check the stupidity level….

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    Mute Fisics
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    Jun 19th 2015, 8:51 AM

    It reminds me of the velociraptors in the first Jurassic park movie. One took the attention of the people, while the other one crept up behind them to eat them.

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    Mute ChocSaltyBallz
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    Jun 19th 2015, 10:16 PM

    flanked by a clever girl !

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