So what if our Brian likes his pint, a fag, and a singsong that lasts into the early hours. Nothing criminal in any of that, in fact it just makes him like many of the rest of us. The question is would we be more relieved if Brian was tucked in with his blankie and teddy before 12 o’clock every night? Not at all. In fact I have always distrusted those who can leave an early morning singsong when it’s still in full swing, they’re a bit too disciplined, self obsessed, and single minded for my liking. Yes Brian sounded a bit hoarse but he wasn’t incoherent or blotto, in fact his answers were typically political: woolly, vague, and saying very little, but sure what’s unusual about that?
What is far more sinister about this whole story is the way so much is being made about what was just an under par performance. As always there is something more to this story. The truth is that what we are witnessing is a war against what is second nature to us Irish by a west Brit media who are characterless, boring, image obsessed killjoys. We Irish are renowned the world over for our likin’ for the craic and havin’ a singsong, and so what if we’re all a bit tired and hoarse in the morning, who cares? At least we now know that Brian Cowen does stand up comedy and by all accounts is some performer, fair play. Don’t let the craic police get to you Brian. As for that Cork tweeter Coveney, sure he even backed the wrong horse in the two horse race that was the Fine Gael leadership race.
Anyway there’s more to this story. This story has also a lot to do with the arrogance of journalists and the perceived sacred cow that is Morning Ireland, I mean how dare the Taoiseach treat Morning Ireland in such a cavalier manner. Fintan no Tool and all the other humourless analysts dictate that the Taoiseach should be in bed by 12 or up half the night brickin’ it, but certainly not havin’ a few pints and singing ‘The Lakes of Ponchartrain’.
Well Fintan, I know whose party I would like to go to and if the Galway think-in becomes an annual event and Brian is still MC next year I will certainly be looking for a ticket. I’m not the only one, young Marty Murphy chair of the local cumann has been flat out dealing with enquiries about how to get tickets for next year’s event.
Look, everyone is entitled to let their hair down, you too Enda, in fact it might do you some good. So let’s get over this nonsense and start thinking about how we are going to work our way through the recession and help each other. Laughter is the essential ingredient to get us through the doom and gloom, not the terminal seriousness, nauseous whining and the attempt by ‘official Ireland’ to legislate for people’s lifestyles.
In Italy they have Berlusconi with the women and the lifestyle: how very Italian. In Ireland we have Brian fond of a pint, the craic and the late night singsong: how very Irish and part of what we are.
You’re one of our own Brian, so don’t be listening to the toffs in the media. Keep on rockin’ Brian and sure even if the killjoys win there’s no doubt that the last few days have guaranteed you a bigger advance for the memoir. Feck the begrudgers and all those eejits that don’t know how to enjoy themselves, they’re the ones to be pitied. When all’s said and done a hangover only lasts a few hours, being a boring, joyless, self-obsessed, killjoy is a life sentence.
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