Taoiseach. Year 1994. Gifts (Loans) from friends.

international | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis Wednesday September 27, 2006 23:41 by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics

The cost of Separation; Financial; but also highly emotional

All I feel at this time is about the adage ' walking in the moccasins' of another.

Do many of us really remember the 1980's? I do. I emigrated with my then husband to England (we hadn't the qualifications for the US. Both he and I worked in the building industry, for large companies - M.F.N. (liquiddation) but one of the big 9 in the 1970's. Then the Gallagher's Abbey. It was rough one day to see all staff lose their jobs as the construction marketed faltered further in the early 1980's. Land banks existed but planning permission for sites in places like Yellow Walls in Portmarnock were at log jam as Governments changed.

I am forever grateful to people like Michael O'Leary and their foresight for Ryanair. It meant we had left Ireland but it was possible to come home and frequently. We brought new friends home. This would not have been possible in the Monopolised Aer Lingus challenged by O'Leary.

Building game was booming in the UK in 1998......Stansted Airport was being constructed; the RAF base in Alconbury was a large construction project with 12 high spec. overground bunker for top of the range military planes. All was good for the Irish in England while at home those with the landbanks looked on and waited. Then came the hit for the building game in the UK......it was bad........negative equity was in place. Things were so bad that quite a few Irish people who had bought property just put the keys through the letter box and left for home.

Meantime....out of work in England, away from Family, the effect began to wear us down. Some came home but others took what they could get and in our case Sisks provided the indentured job in Zimbabwe. We met many Irish like us there in the early 1990's.

Weekly I got the Times - all I wanted to see is the Financial Services up and running; Blanchardsown Shopping Centre in place for the population that needed it so.

Zimbabwe dealt the strange deck to me.......a broken marriage (15) years, Brain injury etc. I returned 1996.........thereafter I have little memory......Except............................the hell of going through 4 years to get divorced. I would not wish it on my worst enemy. So I feel for Mr. Ahern and can understand the input of friends......
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The door bell rings, and it is night time chat and a review by Jack Russell of what I have just written.

I am very bemused at the above article. The man of our people Bertie Ahern has given 40 years of his life to the progress and evolution of the Irish people. The last two days, we have heard all but negativity - I ask why.

Who stole those files? Who leaked the story?

Mary Harney's sudden resignation from the PD's two weeks ago - what is going on?

The answer lies in O'Connell Street. There are 4 large bronze rabbits.

Bertie dealt in cash all his life - other great men like Ray Burke, Pee Flynn, the Bailey Boys donated Euros22 m. to the Irish economy - all friends of our crying taoiseach.

On a recent survey done by the Irish Famers Association in North Dublin 1000 men were asked the question - would they be offended if Bertie screwed their wife, 890 men said they would be honoured and privileged. The remain, like Enda Kenny said, they would have Grave reservations. Even McDowell is speechless on this report - no talk for 2 days.

Jackie Healy Rae - the infamous Kerry TD in his 70's some years ago stood on a platform in Killarney shouting - "I was the first man to have a mistress in Kerry' - he topped the poll ahead of Minister Baa Baa O'Donoghue.

Tonight was we speak Tony Soprano is on the phone to Bertie, wishing him well. The Gotti family in New York have sent best wishes.

Also tonight in the North of Itally, there is a candlelight vigil organised by the heads of Mafia chiefs. Castro in Cuba is in bed all day with pains for his socialist friend Bertie. Bill Clinton, in his bubble bath is saying - what a Guy!!! This guy has a wife, a mistress, he conned the tax payer and there ain't no talk of impeachment - what a Guy!!! He might talk funny like ET, but I respect a guy like Bertie.

Morally now what should people really be thinking. Bertie flies to Manchester, gets Stg8,000 for a speech on his condemnation of the use of condoms and abortion!!!! Withdrawal is not a problem for Bertie - McQuaid is his idol but now Bertie it is time to hand the reigns over. But now I am stuck - To Who?

The only person I would trust between man and the animal kingdom, is Mr. Ed the Talking Horse - sadly he died 28 years ago.

Michelle back.......two different extremes yet we can agree to disagree. Our experiences over that time have been also very different........

Quotation:
Male Divinity: 'If God is male, the male is God'...Bertie is male, the divine Patriarch castrates women as long as he is allowed to live on in the human imagination.
Mary Daly 1928 US writer, theologican and Radical Feminist. Author of many books including Pure Lust, elmental feminist philosophy and believe it or not grand-aunt of Minister McDowell!!!! (Boys - we are all living in Groundhog Day and we are all f.........d)
Taken from the 'Little Book of Rebels N. Internatinal (Amnesty shop)

Bon nuit

Michelle and Jack Russell