Death Notices

[orangeman]

Aussie cricketer Phil Hughes, aged 25, has died two days after being struck in the head with a ball. Tragic.

What a freak accident. The bowler will be in terrible shape.

[AZOffaly]

Marion Barry, former mayor of Chicago - got busted for doing crack among other things in his time.

He was mayor of DC. Only fine upstanding sons of the Déise are good enough to be mayor of the Windy City!

That was the Eddie Murphy skit wasn't it. "The Mayor is on CRACK!"

[ziggysego]

Jack Kyle has died aged 88. Helped Ireland to it's first rugby 5 Nations Grand Slam in 1948. RIP

[muppet]

Jack Kyle has died aged 88. Helped Ireland to it's first rugby 5 Nations Grand Slam in 1948. RIP

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/30244021

At least he lived to see another Grand Slam.

RIP.

[seafoid]

Jack Kyle has died aged 88. Helped Ireland to it's first rugby 5 Nations Grand Slam in 1948. RIP

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/30244021

At least he lived to see another Grand Slam.

RIP.

One of the all time greats
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MePJDG3wxxw

[Fiodoir Ard Mhacha]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30326401

If you were a Mod, or like this retro stuff (Itchycoo Park), then you'll know this guy's keyboard work in the Small Faces and Faces.

[seafoid]

Jeremy Thorpe, former Liberal leader in the UK who was involved in a case for conspiracy to murder

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/dec/04/jeremy-thorpe-former-liberal-party-leader-dies-aged-85

Two years after walking up Downing Street, Thorpe resigned as leader of the party after being accused of conspiracy to murder a former model, Norman Scott, who claimed to be a former lover. Scott had been out walking his great Dane, Rinka, and, though he survived, the animal was killed. Thorpe was acquitted on all charges in 1979, but had by then had lost his seat and his party.

It led to this classic Peter Cook sketch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kyos-M48B8U

[AZOffaly]

Jackie Healy-Rae has died in Tralee, aged 83.

http://www.thejournal.ie/jackie-healy-rae-dead-1817595-Dec2014/?utm_source=shortlink

[macdanger2]

Jackie Healy-Rae has died in Tralee, aged 83.

http://www.thejournal.ie/jackie-healy-rae-dead-1817595-Dec2014/?utm_source=shortlink

RIP

Represented everything that is wrong with irish politics though

[gallsman]

Jackie Healy-Rae has died in Tralee, aged 83.

http://www.thejournal.ie/jackie-healy-rae-dead-1817595-Dec2014/?utm_source=shortlink

RIP

Represented everything that is wrong with irish politics though

[orangeman]

Jackie Healy-Rae has died in Tralee, aged 83.

http://www.thejournal.ie/jackie-healy-rae-dead-1817595-Dec2014/?utm_source=shortlink

RIP

Represented everything that is wrong with irish politics though

Yes they looked after themselves but worked tirelessly for the people of Kerry. Their popularity at the polls time after time was proof of that.

A dynasty.

[stephenite]

Jackie Healy-Rae has died in Tralee, aged 83.

http://www.thejournal.ie/jackie-healy-rae-dead-1817595-Dec2014/?utm_source=shortlink

RIP

Represented everything that is wrong with irish politics though

I don't think that's quite fair, parish pump politics is something that is prevalent across most democracies - price we pay for democracy, all politics is local etc.

Did he screw the system to get a better deal for his constituents when it was in his gift to do so? Absolutely, and fair play to him. Your wan Fox from Wicklow was every bit as bad at the same time.

If you want representation of everything wrong with Irish politics we're not exactly short on candidates, but I wouldn't be starting with him.

[macdanger2]

Jackie Healy-Rae has died in Tralee, aged 83.

http://www.thejournal.ie/jackie-healy-rae-dead-1817595-Dec2014/?utm_source=shortlink

RIP

Represented everything that is wrong with irish politics though

Did he screw the system to get a better deal for his constituents when it was in his gift to do so? Absolutely, and fair play to him. Your wan Fox from Wicklow was every bit as bad at the same time.

When he was screwing the "system" though it was the rest of the country outside of south kerry who were being screwed. If everyone looked after only their own patch, then nothing would ever be done for the common good. The likes of him, Pee Flynn, Lowry, etc being lauded for feathering their own constituencies at the expense of the rest of the country is completely wrong imo.

[stephenite]

I don't necessarily disagree with the sentiment, point is that democracy by it's very nature rewards such behaviour.

Local representatives that deliver for their voters will get voted back in. Out of interest, how would you have expected him to behave?

There's a tendency on here to view this is as a particularly Irish trait, when it actually happens in all democracies. Calling out Healy-Rae as representative of ills of Irish politics is wrong in my view. Correct me if I'm wrong but he wasn't guilty of mass corruption like some of those others you've rightly mentioned.

[trileacman]

G'way ta fcuk would yis. The cheek of a Kerryman to extort a few bob for the people of the West, when it's Denis O'Brien or Tony O'Reilly milking the people dry sure they're f**king great men altogether. Fair fucks to Healy-Rae and his kind, spited by your West Brit media for being a bog-standard Mick ruffling a few feathers up in the Pale, he was a great man for the people that voted for him.

You hear this shite about "parish pump politics" as a derogatory comment, what's the f**king problem with local politicians looking after local people. Who the fcuk else is gonna give a fcuk about the people of rural Ireland, Angela Merkel? Ruari Quinn? Joan Burton? the D4 squadron in RTE? Dya think the Pat Kenny, Tubridy or the Irish Independent is gonna start looking after them? The non-Pale region of this country could be starving in the ditches and the Indo would still be writing about BOD's latest photo and the car park extension for Dundrum shopping centre.

Here's to Jackie, a man who stood up to the toffs and the bigwigs, was proud of his homeplace and his heritage and was slandered by the shites in Dublin because he bettered every last one of them. Fair fcuks ta ya Jackie.