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Why was Richie Kavanagh pressing the flesh at the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis?

He’s out on the campaign trail.

Fianna Fail Ard Fheis Brian Lawless / PA Wire Brian Lawless / PA Wire / PA Wire

HUNDREDS OF FIANNA Fáil members have descended on the Citywest Hotel today for the party’s one-day conference.

You’re likely to spot a few familiar faces among the crowd, including a certain former taoiseach who is due to make an appearance, but one was attracting particular attention earlier today – the behemoth of Irish culture Richie Kavanagh.

The Aon Focal Eile star was seen meeting and greeting several delegates.

This ranged from sitting TDs…

… and councillors…

… to the garda public order unit who are on standby at the hotel today.

He even found time to pop into the 1916 Corner.

An unusual sight at a party ard fheis, but he explained he wasn’t just there to meet and greet.

“I’ve always been a big supporter of Fianna Fáil, and of Charles Haughey,” he told TheJournal.ie. ”There was great craic back in the day putting up posters.”

Kavanagh said he has been involved in the election campaign of  Councillor Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, who is running in the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency.

16/01/2016.77u Fianna Fail Ard Fheis. Pictured Lea Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

The singer, who is now battling Parkinson’s disease but has vowed that it will not affect his performances, said the area “badly needs” a Fianna Fáil TD to take a seat in the general election.

We’ve been out canvassing with her. We even went up the side of Mount Leinster in a jeep. We’re going places no TD has ever gone before.

“There’s plenty of votes up on the top of Mount Leinster.”

Follow @TJ_Politics on Twitter for all the latest from the Ard Fheis.

Poll: Will you vote for Fianna Fáil? >

More: Catch all of our election coverage over at TheJournal.ie Election Centre >

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66 Comments
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    Mute Paul Mc
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    Jan 16th 2016, 4:35 PM

    Is the public order unit there to arrest Richie Kavanagh for offences against the Irish Public.

    248
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    Mute Fr. Billy O'Dwyer
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    Jan 16th 2016, 4:45 PM

    When they arrested him he was told he didn’t have to say anything but anything he did say would be given as evidence. He said “I’ve no focal at all”. I’ll get me coat

    46
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    Mute J
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:25 PM

    Sounds like you never got your whole….never got your whole…..never got your whole weeks wages.

    66
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    Mute Rasputin
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:36 PM

    You can be sure Mehole got his whole, Mehole got his whole, Mehole got his whole weeks wages……

    69
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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:57 PM

    “I wonder what we’ll do to get a seat in Dublin seeing as we have none at the moment”

    “I know, lets invite superstar Richie Kavanagh to our Ard Fheis”

    Overheard at a Fianna Fail think-tank get together.

    71
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    Mute Peadar Ó Gréacháin
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    Jan 16th 2016, 6:12 PM

    A bit of a drop down from the thousands quoted in an earlier article.

    26
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    Mute B-Egan
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    Jan 16th 2016, 6:12 PM

    That place was like a barndance from the De Valera days today . SouthFork then when Top Up Mickey rolled in with the ten gallon hat on. Yeehaww.

    27
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    Mute gregory
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    Jan 16th 2016, 6:45 PM

    All I want to know is: how much will FF charge us for water. Under legislation passed Dec2014 the current rates end Dec2018. And per jan2019 we pay €3.70 per m3. With avg use at 45m3 per person per year that’s €166 p.p per year. And that is steep.

    6
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    Mute gregory
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    Jan 16th 2016, 6:53 PM

    Just checked: FF have said on their website that (1) irish water will be abolished and (2) water charges will be suspended. Good.

    9
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    Mute Joe Bloggs
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    Jan 16th 2016, 7:26 PM

    @gregory: You have WAY to much time on your hands…..yawn….zzzzzzz

    14
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    Mute John Ryan
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    Jan 16th 2016, 7:59 PM

    This comment section is full of trolls from all political parties. Sinn Fein decided a few years back to target all the online debate & comment sections and social media. The other parties realized this started to send trolls onto all online media outlets, but Sinn Fein have had a head start and seem to have it wrapped up.

    19
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    Mute Al Ca
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    Jan 16th 2016, 8:00 PM

    Which one are you from John?

    7
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    Mute prop joe
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    Jan 17th 2016, 12:36 AM

    Frank he’s hip with all the voters in Dublin. Don’t you know anything.

    1
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    Mute Yanuary Dry
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    Jan 17th 2016, 2:21 AM

    @gregory because they never tell lies??

    3
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    Mute pjm
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    Jan 16th 2016, 4:45 PM

    This article sums up what FF as a party have now become – a rural conservative party for older generations populated with clowns like Richie himself!

    125
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:31 PM

    FG aren’t much better. How I wish for a party that reflects Ireland now.

    39
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    Mute Spoddgy
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:35 PM

    It would probably be sitting in Westminster seeing as how people on go on about their politics

    5
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    Mute Tom Harpur
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    Jan 16th 2016, 6:24 PM

    Any suggestions on a party that’ll reflect ireland at the end of the day no matter who gets in they’ll all amount to the same.

    11
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    Mute James Delaney
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    Jan 17th 2016, 12:42 AM

    A party living in the past. I’m sure Mehole must ave been cringing when that clown turned up – his attendence really says where FF are – Living in the Past.

    13
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    Mute Al Ca
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    Jan 16th 2016, 4:47 PM

    Standard FF supporter is Richie.

    107
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    Mute Prince of Burren
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:34 PM

    He is probably brought in to work the crowd like a Fianna failer said of pj. Mara in the good old days

    21
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    Mute James Delaney
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    Jan 17th 2016, 12:39 AM

    @AlCa. Yes Richie epitomises the typical FFer – A cute hoare looking for an envelope. Non educated who cannot temember pre 2011.

    11
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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Jan 16th 2016, 4:55 PM

    Barry Cowen is not a member of government and hopefully never will be

    96
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    Mute Anthony Halpin
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    Jan 16th 2016, 4:45 PM

    “I’ve always been a big supporter of Fianna Fáil, and of Charles Haughey,” Always knew he was a bright fella.

    68
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    Mute Donal O'Brien
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    Jan 16th 2016, 4:50 PM

    Haughey was the best Taoiseach we had in the last fifty years.

    38
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    Mute Anthony Halpin
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    Jan 16th 2016, 4:51 PM

    Really?

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    Mute Donal O'Brien
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:13 PM

    Lynch, Fitzgerald, Reynolds, Bruton, Ahern, Cowan and Kenny. Which was more effective than Haughey?

    20
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    Mute Al Ca
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:21 PM

    He had a better taste in shirts….that’s about it.

    48
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:35 PM

    Haughey was a bad one to be sure but he had a vision for Ireland and created the IFSC. The lot we have today are all about themselves and what they can get from us. I would love a visionary rather than this lot.

    18
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    Mute Spoddgy
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:37 PM

    Which one had a better effect? I think the question rephrased to ‘which one did the least damage to Ireland?’

    30
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    Mute Spoddgy
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:38 PM

    Anyways Lemass is the best Taoiseach we’ve had and even then there were major problems in Ireland!

    23
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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:47 PM

    and charlie didn’t care about enriching himself Deborah.

    21
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    Mute Joe Bloggs
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    Jan 16th 2016, 7:29 PM

    Yea…lovely shirts which were paid for by Ben Dunne and the gobs hite Irish taxpayer. Haughey was a c u next Thursday.

    20
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    Mute Joe Bloggs
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    Jan 16th 2016, 7:31 PM

    Ha ha…Haughey was NOT all about himself? Grow up, smell coffee, kop on….in that order.

    5
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    Mute von
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    Jan 16th 2016, 7:45 PM

    Donal. You like rotten traitors hmmm

    9
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    Mute Donal O'Brien
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    Jan 16th 2016, 8:08 PM

    Nobody able to tell me who was a better Taoiseach than Haughey in the last fifty years. I rest my case.

    4
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    Mute Bren MC
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    Jan 17th 2016, 3:38 AM

    Haughey had nicer kennels for his dogs than the majority of the people residences.

    7
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jan 16th 2016, 4:48 PM

    Some people are sick to death of this merkel government…

    52
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    Mute Tom Harpur
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    Jan 16th 2016, 6:28 PM

    @Michael sands any party that gets in will have to bow to Merkel and the EU regardless if its FF FG SF LB GR etc. That’s how it is and how it will be as the end of the day we are a island that needs mainland Europe.

    9
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jan 17th 2016, 12:30 AM

    Tom that is a lie that the E.U. spreads to create fear to control, look at the U.K. now wanting to leave…
    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100241300/whats-the-point-of-a-trade-mission-when-britain-cant-sign-a-trade-agreement/
    China, Africa, Middle East, India, Russia, U.S. South America as they aren’t controlled by the E.U., It was Merkel who banned E.U. goods going to Russia thanks to Obama. Obama has more say over the E.U. than its own citizens?
    The E.U. is riddled with ex Goldman Sachs employees, the E.U. looks now more like a branch of Goldman Sachs than anything else, the E.E.C. was a good idea but it has turned into a greedy nightmare where Merkel turned bank debt into tax payers debt. Does that not kill the E.U. spirit and what the E.E.C. was about?

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Jan 17th 2016, 12:36 AM

    There are many Islands outside the E.U. that do well for themselves, Ireland has changed itself to fit into what the Troika, Brussels, Frankfurt and Berlin wants. We have not taken proper care of ourselves and did what was good for us because we have lost our sovereignty thanks mainly to the Euro. What is next will be a federation to create a political union as promised by Professor Sinn who is Merkel’s right hand man and you can see that for yourself with his interview. An united states of Europe with Berlin as its political capital…
    https://www.rt.com/shows/sophieco/320457-eu-currency-economy-crises/
    A political union of the E.U. is the death of democracy…

    5
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    Mute LesBehan
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    Jan 16th 2016, 6:04 PM

    Richie Kavanagh : The prodigal Healy-Rae,

    28
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    Mute Padraig Piarais Mac AnTsaoir
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    Jan 16th 2016, 8:33 PM

    I can’t stand that idiot. Richie Kavanagh is a tool also.

    24
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    Mute Cupid Stunt
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:02 PM

    Ah sure they’ll just get the taxpayers to foot the bill for their knees up, and get to tell themselves how great they are while they’re at it. Meanwhile people sleeping on the streets and cancelled operations for sick kids due to a lack of money are the norm now in so called modern Ireland.

    21
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    Mute MK76
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:13 PM

    So I assume you believe all political parties should not be allowed spend money on their annual “knees up” as you call it?

    14
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    Mute Cupid Stunt
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    Jan 16th 2016, 6:20 PM

    Not at my expense, let them pay for there own drinks, why should they rely on welfare from Irish citizens for their get togethers, they still haven’t cleared the beer and whiskey bill in the dail, sure small cheese to them at thirty thousand Euro, hardly worth the fuss, is it. These parasites are a drain on the rest of us, but you think it’s perfectly fine for financial abuse of our hard earned cash to be spent on expensive wines for our ruling elite, do us a favour and send them a cheque on your behalf to clear the bill so that taxpayers money can be spent on housing children living in b and b’s and to help clear the backlog for children living with crippling illnesses.

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    Mute von
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    Jan 16th 2016, 7:50 PM

    MK76 they can spend their money but not ours.

    8
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    Mute Cupid Stunt
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    Jan 16th 2016, 8:03 PM

    Von. Mk76 tough on everyone but politicians, always on here bleating about spongers but remarkably quiet when it comes tackling political fraud and crime.

    11
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    Mute MK76
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    Jan 16th 2016, 9:34 PM

    Change the lot Stupid, not just the ones you dislike.

    1
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    Mute Mindfulirish
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:25 PM

    Who the hell is Richie Kavanagh ? Have a poll to see how many people ever heard oh him. The journal is getting worse. Bad news day?

    17
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    Mute Luke Campbell
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:34 PM

    a rare talent such as Ritchie should be treasured, theres only one born every minute they reckon.

    15
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    Mute Michael O'Connor
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    Jan 16th 2016, 6:56 PM

    The 1916 Corner. Just about sums up the ‘republican party’. Is kavanagh the new intellectual guru of ff?

    11
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    Mute Al Ca
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    Jan 16th 2016, 7:45 PM

    Yes, Richie will be their director of elections and as his first act, he will force FF to be honest with the public and so all FF TD’s will wear clown suits similar to his own.

    10
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    Mute Rumpelstiltskin
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    Jan 16th 2016, 7:06 PM

    Is it just me or does Richie have a slight look of Jimmy Saville about him.

    8
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:24 PM

    At the last election Fine Gael mopped up Fine Fails voters, it won’t be the case this time. It’s really unknown what’s going to happen this time around. I really fear what voters will do. I won’t be voting for either. But who will I vote for????

    5
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    Mute Spoddgy
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:39 PM

    Fianna failure with Sinn Fein!

    9
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    Mute von
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    Jan 16th 2016, 7:53 PM

    Independents the way to go to seperate the rot in Government and maybe in 50 years we will have a half honest Government that care for the Country.

    10
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    Mute Joe Bloggs
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    Jan 16th 2016, 7:24 PM

    Charlie Hockey’s (sic) doppelganger….

    4
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    Mute Redforever
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    Jan 16th 2016, 5:07 PM

    Was it not rumoured that the national anthem was being changed . . ..yer man from westlide is too busy

    4
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    Mute Jean Jacques Le Griff
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    Jan 17th 2016, 2:42 AM

    I’d love to see that gombeen Kavanagh get tarred, feathered and strung up. The man makes my skin crawl

    3
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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Jan 18th 2016, 2:32 PM

    A gathering of parasites, Mickey Martain,s speech ,would have gone down well at a mafia convention. Very forgetful about criminality and corruption in his own party,

    1
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