Begrudgers Guide to Irish Politics-Brendan O'Heir

[spike]

Anyone any idea where I can get a copy of this masterpiece of Political Humor?

How could anyone not laugh at such chapter headings as the following

"We will in our arse have our own gentry"
"Letitia Harris' adventures with Paidini in the Snipe grass"
"DeValera, the gold watch and 20,000 gallons of whiskey"

Any help guys/gals?


Spike

[David Cochrane]

I've not heard of such a book, and nor has Amazon.

[spike]

I've tried all the web searches David...all else I can tell you is that it was published around 1986 in paperback.


Anyone with any other information?


Thanks


Spike

[padraig]

Try using his name properly its Breandán Ó Hehir

[Riadach]

Actually its Breandán Ó hEithir. Trust an sf acolyte to criticise someone else's lack of Irish and not have a proper command of it himself

[RBinge]

O ye of less than mature years. :wink:

It is one of the best books ever about Irish politics, and although it is grounded in the late 1980s at the end of the 1982-7 FG/Labour government it tackles a few timeless topics such as:

- Why FF will never have an overall majority again
- Why FG in the 1980s was at war between its Social Democrats/Modernisers and its Christian Democrats/Traditionalists
- Cute Hoorism and why "Vingince be Jayzuz" is the catch cry of rural politics
- Why Dev and Cosgrave had more in common than people think (hint: the absolute power of the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church)
- Why being at one end of a gun doesnt mean that you won't be at the other end in less than a decade
- Why being a teetoller or not being part of pub culture means that you will never be consistently in power in Ireland
- Why being a protestant in the early years of the State wasn't exactly an advantage (earlier point relates to this).

and many more.

It may be dated in some ways but it is a political education in the nuts and bolts of why Irish politics is its contrary and peculiar self.

[gaelach]

I've tried all the web searches David...all else I can tell you is that it was published around 1986 in paperback.


Anyone with any other information?


Thanks


Spike

I have it at home,i`ll get it 2morow and I`ll get back to ya.

[hughj]

ah that is a great book i have an old copy of it here,its a masterpiece to say the least,slightly outdated now but still vert funny