Letter to the Taoiseach

BARRY McELDUFF

I listened to your interview with Gerald Barry on Sunday. I was fortunate to catch you as I had just abandoned BBC Radio Ulster’s Seven Days in favour of RTE’s This Week.  A listener’s patience tends to be stretched if he or she has to put up with a radio presenter, sitting in Belfast, talking ad nauseum about “Lincolnshire” and “the rest of the UK.”

I’m a bit compulsive myself in this regard and RTE can become a bit of a sanctuary.  I suppose I didn’t pick this trait up off the street. “Crackling towards Athlone” was my mother’s poetic description always of my father trying to locate Raidió Telefís Éireann on a Sunday afternoon.  Her own father, Frank McGurk was blind and was, according to her, among the first in the townland of Sultin to acquire a radio.

My grandfather was listening to the words of a Protestant Minister one Sunday in the early 1960’s when a particular priest walked in and asked him if he had nothing better to be doing with his time.

Your time is precious, Taoiseach, so I shouldn’t digress too much.

From listening to Gerald Barry’s interview, to your own words and to Martin McGuiness who came on after you, it appears that your eye is not on the ball at the moment.  Some might say that your are barely on the field of play at present, that you are disengaged.

Whatever about Martin’s description of your current contribution as that of a ‘commentator,’ you do need to rediscover your touch.  Martin’s words are always chosen judiciously in my experience.

The bottom line is that you appear to be relying far too much on telephone briefings from the British Prime Minister. How long is it now since you last spoke meaningfully to Ian Paisley?  I know that Gerry Adams is not impressed.  I hinted at this a week ago but it now appears that either you have your mobile switched off or it is on ‘silent’ mode all of the time.  Either way, there is a very bad reception.  Find enclosed Gerry’s mobile number if you can come up from those Fianna Fáil constituency conventions even for a moment.

Martin wants you to act out the role of An Taoiseach. You see, Sinn Féin is well outside your comfort zone at this time.  I was once told that missing a training session or feigning injury during the white heat of the Championship was a great indicator of character.

Your daughter Cecilia tells us in her new book A Place Called Here that the Ahern family motto is ‘Per ardua Surgo’, Latin for ‘I rise through difficulties.’

Everyone knows that this week is an absolutely critical time for the peace initiative and for political progress.

Put to the one side, Taoiseach, what you are going to do once you reach your 60th birthday.  There is so much to play for in the here and now.  Of course, the Leinster House elections are important. Sure, aren’t we directly involved ourselves.

But bear in mind at all times that the responsibilities of Taoiseach transcend that of a party leader.  You really do need to stand up and be counted, in my opinion.  Albert Einstein once said that “the significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.”  I am nearly sure that Albert was the oldest of the Einstein lads.

To end on a separate note, didn’t Micko get off to a flier in the O’Byrne Cup?  Stephen O’Neill red carded, eh?  Chífidh me roimh I bhfad thú.  Per ardua Surgo.

Is mise le meas

Barry McElduff

NB - Bertie Ahern can be contacted on (00353) 1 6194020 or email [email protected].  Address: Office of the Taoiseach, Government Buildings, Dublin 2