The Cruiser dies

Rossfan · December 20, 2008, 02:37:12 PM

Quote from: Lar Naparka on December 19, 2008, 11:05:36 PM

One final prediction: Haughey reckoned there would be a major war in the Middle East over oil resources before 1990 arrived. He was to be out by just 15 days.

Meanwhile Cruiser spent the nineties and noughties telling us that
1- there would be a civil war in the North and
2- the Army would stage a coup in the 26 Cos.

I heard there was a cartoon in "An Phoblacht" after the 1977 election showing the Cruiser boarding a ship for England with the heading "Slán abhaile"

Zapatista · December 20, 2008, 03:24:30 PM

Quote from: Lar Naparka on December 19, 2008, 11:05:36 PM
Quote from: Rossfan on December 19, 2008, 08:56:14 PM
I have nothing good to say about this cnut so I wont go on a rant except for one item ---
in 1973 he was appointed Minister of Posts and Telegraphs at a time when the Irish telephone system was about 10 years behind the rest of the world.
In 1977 when he got his just reward the phones were 20 years behind the rest of the world.

The Cruiser was minister for Posts and Telegraphs and Labour spokesman for Norn Iron at the same time. He spent his entire time mouthing about the IRA and nationalist activists generally and devoted little or no time to his ministerial brief. Rossfan is right; he left the telephone service twice as bad as it was when he took up the job.
I remember a Fianna Fail spokesman (Brian Lenihan snr?) snapping at him one night on TV that if he had to use a public telephone box to phone in his comments we'd hear a lot less of his views on Northern Ireland.
About 18 months ago, I found myself sharing an ICU in Beaumont with him. I felt sorry for the old devil; if ever there was a dead man walking, it was him. He wasn't actually walking, if you follow me. It was plain to see that his walking days were well and truly over.
I'm more than surprised that he lasted so long.
Throughout his political career, he was fiercely hostile towards Charlie Haughey. Some political commentators have been reporting that it was a positive side to his character and that he deserved credit for tackling Haughey over, let us say, his unorthodox way of funding his lifestyle.
Maybe his reasons for hating Haughey weren't as altruistic as those commentators think.
The night before the '73 election I found myself having a quiet drink with the bould Charlie. It was an unplanned meeting and it as CJ was buying, Lar was prepared to pretend to be polite and listen. Haughey made some extremely accurate forecasts at that meeting.
Fianna Fail were going to lose the election the next day. That one was fair enough, although the pundits were predicting a close win for Jack Lynch. Haughey would top the poll in his constituency, thereby relegating the Cruiser to second place. (They obviously stood in the same constituency.)
Conor, sez CJ, was a complete egotist and would resent Haughey outpolling him for as long as he lived. Haughey went on to say the Cruiser would stop at nothing to do him down, as he put it.
He then went on to say that when he assumed leadership of Fianna Fail, he would have to contend with O'Brien's enmity ever step of the way. In his own words, he wouldn't give a f**k for the to**er but he would snap at his heels all along the way.

One final prediction: Haughey reckoned there would be a major war in the Middle East over oil resources before 1990 arrived. He was to be out by just 15 days.

When you talk of them two in the same story it's not hard to see we have been fucked from the start.

magickingdom · December 20, 2008, 09:29:50 PM

what i don't get is why the media and politicians today kept referring to cruiser as an intellectual when he was much closer to an idiot. an intellectual thro higher intelect is supposed to get it right more than anyone else but o'brien never missed an opportunity to call it wrong with his many predictions not too mention his party hopping. now he was an academic of sorts but an intellectual, not a hope so why has that moniker stuck?. as for serving his country? this was the guy that didn't declare his income from his rantings in the indo for income tax because he thought it was tax free under the artist exemption. of course he knew this was bull but was he pulled up on it by anyone? no. when it suited him he was a liar, the rest of the time he was deluded. i wont even pretend to miss the cnut..

carribbear · December 20, 2008, 10:42:56 PM

Quote from: magickingdom on December 20, 2008, 09:29:50 PM
what i don't get is why the media and politicians today kept referring to cruiser as an intellectual when he was much closer to an idiot. an intellectual thro higher intelect is supposed to get it right more than anyone else but o'brien never missed an opportunity to call it wrong with his many predictions not too mention his party hopping. now he was an academic of sorts but an intellectual, not a hope so why has that moniker stuck?. as for serving his country? this was the guy that didn't declare his income from his rantings in the indo for income tax because he thought it was tax free under the artist exemption. of course he knew this was bull but was he pulled up on it by anyone? no. when it suited him he was a liar, the rest of the time he was deluded. i wont even pretend to miss the cnut..

Why don't you tell us what you really think?

Fear ón Srath Bán · December 21, 2008, 12:18:58 AM

The Cruiser, who so ostensibly was pacifist, was the individual who first authorised the UN to use lethal force (in the Congo), and saw no harm in State violence against those with whom he had issue. He was a bag of cats philosophically, but a very dangerous bag of philosophical cats.

under the bar · December 21, 2008, 12:21:03 AM

Only in Ireland would such a man get a political career.

magickingdom · December 21, 2008, 08:52:48 PM

Quote from: carribbear on December 20, 2008, 10:42:56 PM
Quote from: magickingdom on December 20, 2008, 09:29:50 PM
what i don't get is why the media and politicians today kept referring to cruiser as an intellectual when he was much closer to an idiot. an intellectual thro higher intelect is supposed to get it right more than anyone else but o'brien never missed an opportunity to call it wrong with his many predictions not too mention his party hopping. now he was an academic of sorts but an intellectual, not a hope so why has that moniker stuck?. as for serving his country? this was the guy that didn't declare his income from his rantings in the indo for income tax because he thought it was tax free under the artist exemption. of course he knew this was bull but was he pulled up on it by anyone? no. when it suited him he was a liar, the rest of the time he was deluded. i wont even pretend to miss the cnut..

Why don't you tell us what you really think?

cause i dont like speaking ill of the dead

armaghniac · January 20, 2009, 12:24:41 AM

Just watched the programme on RTE about O'Brien. A self important malign individual.

Main Street · January 20, 2009, 08:58:15 AM

I gave that program a miss.
Judging here by the mini mass break from tradition of not speaking ill of the dead, O'Brien was very successful at being what he was.

After listen to the sycophantic drivel from an Olivia O'Leary tribute on RTE radio, I can only say that my reasoning was severely provoked into having malign thoughts about him.