No Ferrero Rocher at Brit ambassador Galway party

There was disappointment that there were no Ferrero Rocher at the British Ambassador to Ireland's charm offensive with city councillors in Glenlo Abbey recently.

placeholder image — There was disappointment that there were no Ferrero Rocher at the British Ambassador to Ireland's charm offensive with city councillors in Glenlo Abbey recently.

Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

The wrestle to be recognised as the party of real republicanism rumbles on. Fianna Fáil, the self-styled Republican Party, is concerned about the rise of the republicans in Sinn Féin (not to be confused with Republican Sinn Féin – they’re an entirely hardcore shower of Shinners altogether).

Everyone knows that to be a true modern-day republican, you have to hate the Brits.

And in order not to be outflanked, the Soldiers of Destiny must show they hate the Brits as much as the Shinners.

And so that may explain why there were no Fianna Fáil or Sinn Féin representatives in attendance when Robin Barrett, the new British Ambassador to Ireland, visited Galway.

The city’s mayor, and each of the party whips on the Council, were invited to a soiree at the Glenlo Abbey Hotel to break bread with the Queen’s man in Eire. All at the expense of the Great British Empire, obviously.

Though Peter Keane (Fianna Fáil) and Mairéad Farrell (Sinn Féin) were no-shows, the other parties had no qualms about attending the five-course feast laid on by the visiting dignitary.

Present were: the city’s mayor, Noel Larkin; Pádraig Conneely, representing Fine Gael (The Blueshirts are quite fond of the Brits and he’s never one to turn his nose up at free fodder); Niall McNelis, whip of the West Brit Labour Party; and Mike Cubbard, who was representing the Independents.

Present from the Council executive were Directors of Services, Joe O’Neill and Eileen Ruane.

Reports that there were no Ferrero Rocher at the formal get-together did disappoint, although we’re assured the fillet of beef was exquisite, and it was all washed down by the finest of fine wines.

The courtesy call by the Ambassador is all part of his charm offensive since being appointed in August – apparently, he’s doing the rounds and buttering up city councillors all over the country.

The Ambassador is an “eccentric” character and the meal, we hear, was at times quite uncomfortable for the invited Paddy guests, who are more accustomed to Supermac’s than silver service.

Although in fairness, his love of Manchester United Football Club did endear him to some, particularly Cubbard who is a regular at Old Trafford.

Our spies say that none of our lads let themselves down; nobody mentioned ‘the war’; and, apart from the two no-shows and the lack of Ferrero Rocher, the evening passed off without diplomatic incident.

Robin Barrett will not be insulted too much by Farrell’s snub. The career diplomat has a keen interest in history and so he’ll be well aware that she is a niece of her namesake, Maireád Farrell, the IRA volunteer who was killed by SAS soldiers during a British operation in Gibraltar in 1988.

Now that would have made for an awkward dinner-table topic.

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.