The fine art of politics and the ties that bind

Those familiar with the memory of Mick Wallace’s sartorial style on the floor of the Dáil or the European Parliament might well wonder why there would ever have been a furore over a TD’s failure to wear a tie.

But the late Tony Gregory caused consternation when he first entered Leinster House back in 1982, because he had the temerity to take his seat in an open necked shirt.

The Dublin inner city TD defended his stance, saying he wouldn’t wear a tie because many of his constituents couldn’t afford one.

And of course that was a distant second in terms of what he was famous for in political circles, because the Gregory Deal – his shopping list to support Charlie Haughey’s Government – went down in history.

In fairness to Gregory, the deal was a masterstroke for his aforementioned constituents who were trapped in the vicious circle of heroin dealers on every corner, mass unemployment, social deprivation and a lack of proper housing.

Haughey’s motivation wasn’t to make their lives any better; it was to cling to power – and he was prepared to spend £80 million of our money a year to achieve that.

And yet, ironically, it was Haughey, shaking hands with Gregory on the deal, who remarked: "As the Mafia say, it is a pleasure to do business with you."

It’s hard to believe that Tony Gregory was only 61 when he died after a long battle with cancer, but he wrote his name into the political history books in a career that lasted right up to his death in 2009.

In fairness to him, his dress code was what we might term smart-casual, as opposed to Wallace’s, which always suggested he’d just taken a short break from bringing in turf or painting the outside of the house.

Wallace also donned a succession of Italian club football jerseys in the Dáil Chamber, which was insulting by any measure – but also inappropriate, because football jerseys should only be worn by people who look like they might be playing or on their way to play football.

He hasn’t been the only one; Richard Boyd-Barrett is a man who loves his jeans; Ming Flanagan famously wore a tee-shirt bearing the legend of Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street. And Jackie Healy Rae was never seen indoors or outdoors without his cap.