Miriam Lord: Song and dance merchants of the Oireachtas can’t help themselves when Michael Flatley pays a visit

Michael Flatley faced strong competition when he paid a flying visit to Leinster House on Wednesday.

He might be one hell of a hoofer, but he would be hard pressed to compete with the consummate song and dance merchants on show in the Dáil and Seanad.

Star-struck politicians and staffers rushed for selfies with the Lord of the Dance, who was there as a guest of Fianna Fáil Senator Aidan Davitt. Aidan got to know him through their mutual friend, publican Stephen Rooney of the Thomas Moore Inn on Dublin’s Aungier Street.

When Michael, in town for the launch of his new Flatley Irish Whiskey label, told Aidan that his wife Niamh, a Meath woman, had never visited Leinster House, the Mullingar-based Senator invited them to Kildare Street for the afternoon.

“He’s a good character and a nice guy. I took him to the Dáil bar where he signed a bottle of his whiskey and it went up on a shelf behind the bar,” Aidan said. “Loads of people were asking for selfies with Michael and he obliged them all. He even sang a song – charmed everyone.”

The multimillionaire dance impresario shot to fame with Riverdance in 1994 and went on to stage his own sell-out productions around the world.

The most famous would be Feet of Flames, not to be confused with that long running Dáil Éireann production: Pants on Fire.

Billy Fox finally gets portrait

A large contingent from Monaghan is expected in Leinster House on Wednesday for the unveiling of a portrait of the late senator Billy Fox, the Fine Gael politician murdered by the IRA in 1974.

Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris and Cathaoirleach of the Seanad Jerry Buttimer will do the honours at a reception in Leinster House 2000, with Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys leading the Monaghan contingent.

“On the day I became Cathaoirleach I said that one of my key priorities would be to commission a portrait to commemorate Billy’s life and commitment to public service,” Jerry told us this week. “I was determined to do it and, to be fair, I got no resistance from anywhere in the Oireachtas.”

The portrait, by artist Nina Ruminska, was commissioned after the Oireachtas Arts and Portrait committee, chaired by Seanad Leas Cathaoirleach Mark Daly, gave the go-ahead.

Billy Fox was a Fine Gael TD for Monaghan from 1969 to 1973 and a senator from 1973 until his death at the age of 35. He was the only serving Oireachtas member killed during the Troubles and was one of the few members from the Protestant community.

He was visiting his girlfriend when the IRA raided her family’s farmhouse. Fox was chased across fields by gang members and shot.

“When John Bruton first became a TD in 1969 he shared an office with Billy Fox. They were good friends and John often said that his own views on paramilitary violence and the Troubles were permanently affected by his murder,” Jerry said. “He died this year on the 50th anniversary of Billy’s death. It’s a pity he won’t be there to see his portrait hanging in the Oireachtas.”

Our very own Gomez and Morticia

It will come as no surprise to hear that the Taoiseach is going to the Olympics the week after next. Simon Harris is representing Ireland in the 100 metre doorstep sprint, the 400 handshake hurdles and the fast-talking marathon. He is travelling with Minister for Sport Catherine Martin.

On Tuesday, the duo visited the set of Netflix’s hit teen-horror series Wednesday. They met the series director Tim Burton and a number of the Irish creatives working on the production.

There is no truth in the rumour that they were really there to audition for the roles of Gomez and Morticia, though acclaimed director Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands, Frankenweenie) was said to have been eyeing them up with unusual interest.

Chambers puts his foot in it

Here’s a few paragraphs from the end of a piece we wrote on Tuesday, the day former Social Democrat co-leaders Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall announced they would not be contesting the next general election:

Last year, when they stepped down from the leadership, the women said they did not intend retiring from politics at the next election.

“That’s the plan,” they said firmly in response to the many media questions about their intentions.

“Which is not the same as saying they will run again,” a veteran TD told us at the time. “We all plan to do things but it doesn’t always happen.”

Something to bear in mind whenever Simon, Micheál et al insist there will be no general election until next year at the earliest.

And here’s Taoiseach Simon Harris two days later, insisting yet again that there will no general election in 2023:

“We’re going to have an election next year,” he robustly declared after Minister for Finance Jack Chambers announced that the budget is being brought forward by a week to October 1st, fuelling speculation that a November poll is on the cards.

But Simon was unanimous with himself on this.

“That’s the plan, I’ve said it many, many times it’s my intention for this Government to run its full term.”

That’s the plan. And the best laid plans of mice, men and ministers…

By the way, a number of Government politicians are telling us that Chambers of Commerce got a bit ahead of himself when he disclosed the new date during a Morning Ireland interview. We hear more than a few rashers were spat out around breakfast tables when he casually revealed the change and the reason for it (the original date clashes with an important meeting of EU finance ministers).

“Sure he wasn’t supposed to say that at all. He kinda put his foot in it there,” sighed one former minister. “God knows when they will call it now but it won’t be next year.”

Exit poll party

There was a Fourth of July bash in the British ambassador’s residence on Thursday evening.

No. That doesn’t make sense.

Fourth of July? It must have been at the US ambassador’s residence.

It’s confusing, but Claire Cronin’s Fourth of July celebrations are happening on July 8th at her stately pile in the Phoenix Park and Paul Johnston’s soirée at his Victorian pile in South Dublin was held to mark UK election night.

Johnston and his wife Nicola entertained guests in the conservatory in the grounds of Glencairn before everyone went inside to await the 10pm release of the exit poll.

While this was a party and politics was very clearly on the menu, His Excellency had to be very diplomatic when referring to the reason everybody was present in case he inadvertently indicated a preference as to the outcome.

Seasonal Pimms was the tipple of choice but there was no English sparkling wine to toast the occasion because uncorking the bubbly when the winner was a foregone conclusion would have caused a major incident.

Among the guests were Brian Murphy, the former taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s chief of staff who now has more time to attend nice relaxed events like this. Freshly minted MEP Michael McNamara joined Ministers of State Neale Richmond and James Lawless while Senator Malcolm Byrne arrived from the Maori new year celebrations at the New Zealand ambassador’s residence in Ballsbridge.

[ Miriam Lord: Another crime added to long list by GAAGo ]

Charlie Flanagan, the former minister for foreign affairs who is bowing out of national politics at the next election, chatted to former minister of state Paul Kehoe, who has also announced he won’t be running again. They didn’t say how many more of their colleagues they expect to see at the departure doors before the balloon goes up.

Celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin and broadcaster and comedian Oliver Callan added a touch of showbiz to the usual cast of politicians and media suspects.

And speaking of exit polls, people were asking Fianna Fáil TD for Dún Laoghaire Cormac Devlin if there is going to be an exit poll before the results of Fine Gael’s hotly contested selection convention in the constituency on Monday night.

He couldn’t say but he’ll be keen to find out who will be on the ticket. Sitting TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill is nailed on and then Senator Barry Ward and councillors Marie Baker and Lorraine Hall will duke it out for the remaining place on the ticket. It is highly unlikely the party will field three runners.

Ó Fearghaíl’s perfect pavlova

Back at the Matariki celebrations in Shrewsbury Road, the Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl addressed guests at the Maoiri new year shindig.

Ambassador Trevor Mallard and his wife Jane Clifton hosted a barbecue and garden party to mark New Zealand’s day of remembrance, joy and community.

“Once again we are holding a Best Pavlova competition,” said the invitation. Pavlova is huge in the Antipodes with both Australia and New Zealand claiming to have invented the meringue-based dessert. It is the traditional celebration cake of choice with the NZ version usually decorated with kiwi fruit.

A pavlova competition, you say?

“Hold me gown!” cries the Ceann Comhairle, who knows his way around a good pudding.

He arrived at the barbecue with an exquisitely baked and decorated pavlova under his oxter and presented it for judging.

The Ceann won the contest.

He swears he told his hosts that he submitted the confection on behalf of the Oireachtas head chef, Julie Lyons, who is a terrific baker. “I think it was the extra sweet Kiwi that clinched it,” Seán said.

It’s been a busy week for the Ceann Comhairle. He addressed the AGM of the association of former Oireachtas members on Friday and he had an interesting take on the continuing focus on the election date.

“The first thing I want to say is that I am very conscious of the fact that I am coming to the end of my term,” he said.

“Lots of people are speculating about a general election. I want to say something on a general election because it’s something being talked about here today, every day and everywhere I go…. and people are ‘ah look it has to be an early election’, ‘they have to have the budget and then the election in October or November or at least before Christmas,’ or whatever…

“I say to you, the by-election writs must be moved by January 15th, the Dáil must be dissolved by February 20th. It is perfectly reasonable to expect that writs would be moved on the 15th and a week or two later the Dáil would be dissolved.

“The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the leader of the Green Party, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure have all said the Government is going to go the full term and you know what we’re saying, we’re saying ‘ah no they don’t mean it’; ‘you can’t believe them’.

“There is a serious point in this,” he said.

“If you can’t believe the most senior politicians in the land when they say something to you; how can you blame the public for being cynical about us? How can you expect the public to believe anything we say? When they say something so important we dare suggest ‘ah sure, they’re only going through the motions’. So I’d ask you to please, please reflect on that.”

Is Jack Chambers ready for Finance?