Wet T Shirt Competition

Statesmen and Women always stand the risk, from being under constant scrutiny by the media, of saying something rash, unqualified, unwise or just plain stupid. 

There has been controversy in recent years over supposed off microphone mumblings, late night social media comments, the dredging up of matters from an early stage in careers which would it not be for celebrity be long since forgotten as well as the usual indiscretions and misjudgements or morality and public sensitivity. 

I can think of a good half dozen and more politicians worldwide who have attained the status of being relied upon to drop a clanger. 

In most cases this is unfortunate as otherwise good work, ethics, philanthropy and a sense of social justice can be overshadowed by the scenario where the mouth engages but yet the brain is not quite in gear. 

I am concentrating today on the rich vein of quotes that are attributable to one individual, Bertie Ahearn, former Irish Taoiseach (anglicised pronunciation Tee-Shaw). 

Bertie hangs out with a few mates (middle of picture- not in the hat)

I am not picking on him as I could as easily have delved into the wordy outputs of Presidents Bush and Trump or the crazy world of Sarah Palin amongst others. 

In context Bertie Ahearn was in the top office from 1997 to 2008 during which time there was the balancing act of the Peace Process, the boom and bust of the Irish economy as well as testing day to day social, political and global issues. 

I will not get involved in the rumblings of the darker side of that high office which were a bit of a distraction. 

Instead just take in and enjoy the wisdom, wit and confusing logic of the man himself.

Wonderful word pictures;

I don’t think it helps people to start throwing white elephants and red herrings at each other.

It’s all smoke and daggers

At present I have my hand in a whole lot of dykes trying to keep them in and keep people together

There are kebabs out there plotting against us

There have been disputes between fractions

We’re not going to hang anyone on the guillotine

We shouldn’t upset the apple tart

Delusions of invincibility

I could certainly drink a fair few pints of Bass and be capable of driving

I never condemn wrongdoing in any area

For legal and professional reasons, neither myself nor my advisors have been in a position to respond to any of the accuracy and completeness of the reports about those issues so it is not correct, if I said so I wasn’t correct, so I, I can’t recall if I did say, but I did not say, if I did say it I didn’t mean to say it that these issues could not be dealt with,

A Sort of wise words

In actual fact, the reason it’s on the rise is because probably the boom times are getting even more boomer.

Lehmans was a world investment bank, They had testicles everywhere.

The cynics may point to the past but we live in the future

The grass roots, or the rank and file, are now made of fibre optics

With hindsight we all have 50/50 vision

It took Ireland thirty years to become an overnight success.

Bertie’s big regret?

We haven’t been able to do all that we can.