It wasn’t Cowen complaining…
Posted by Maman Poulet on 26 Mar 2009 at 03:00 am | Tagged as: Irish Media, Irish Politics
From oops that nearly came out as knicker twister ala Miriam Lord).
But RTE say that their senior management had already decided to remove the piece from the website and apologise before the complaint was made.
Positively Pavlovian! I wonder how morale in the newsroom is?
So who are the powers that be who have the Gardai in Pearse Street going to Today FM studios, interviewing the artist (an investigation referred to in The Examiner by Charlie Flanagan Fine Gael TD as ’sinister’) and the artist handing over 5 pieces of his work?
The Garda Press Office refused to comment on the approaches to the Ray Darcy Show. Conor Pope points to blogs and the internet as ‘hopping’ with news and criticism on the controversy.
Thats sums up the domestic mainstream print coverage until the Irish Independent comes online.
Mmmm…I love the smell of plausible deniability in the morning.
In terms of the Guards, wasn’t it reported in the Sunday papers that it was the National Gallery who had gotten them involved?
After the Maire Hoctor Prime Time debacle I don’t believe a word that comes out of RTE. And shouldn’t Eoghan O’Neachtain now resign? He has generated so much bad publicity for Cowen his position is untenable.
I have to go now and step over all these banana skins.
[...] begins another day of picturegate. So what have we learned today in the Newspapers. GOVERNMENT PRESS secretary Eoghan Ó Neachtain has said [...]
The FF Pubic Relations debacle, just gets better!! I don’t buy the ’solo run’ story… but…
So if a Press Officer did a solo run on this scale, does it merit dismissal as it surely has done something ‘unpatriotic’. Interesting use of the term solo run… but silly me: This is FF… nobody gets fired, not now, not ever. It raises the question for me as to what a FF’er would *have to do* to get fired. Blair did get rid of his spin master when he got loose…
Moving on from that, my main question is who nudged RTE’s testicles to make them flinch and apologise and who called in the Gards.
The Indo’s report on this is very interesting. The Gov. Press Office are building firewalls up between themselves and the story.
Nope – wasn’t them who sicced the Gardai on Casby or TodayFM – it was the galleries.
Obviously the Director of the National Gallery has more pull than we give him credit for. Not a man to be crossed, clearly if we can get the Gardai to hop to it like that. He’s obviously wasted in the NG. Are the Fraud Squad or CAB hiring?
And the managing director of RTE News, Ed Mulhall, decided on his own the story was in poor taste and pulled it. Nope – nothing to do with the Gov. Press Office, no sir. I wonder if that’s actually true?
Of course, the question now is – having brought RTE News independence into such ill-repute, how can Mulhall justifiably hold onto his job?
So the story now is – is it true that the Gov. Press Office really had nothing to do with this?
Because, having said that they didn’t, if it were shown that they did – then that would be a lie and a possible cover up – and we all know that it’s the lie that always gets you.
Mark, I’ve read it reported that the National Gallery did report the incident to An Garda – when it happened, three weeks ago. Yet it’s only this week, on Tuesday and Wednesday – after the Sunday Tribune’s article – that the Gardaí are pursuing this issue as though a serious headline offence had been committed.
Coincidence?
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click here, You are most likely right. I think the Tribune reported that the Guards initially took the approach that no crime had been committed and now they are suddenly very interested.
[...] got around to throwing my oar in on the Cowen portraits saga (or #picturegate, as it’s become [...]
Hmmmm *Sits back and waits for explanations and stories to develop*
In a small community you don’t need to do any more than let it be known by one person that you’re displeased…
My take is that “Follow the leader” culture ensures the sheep move into action.
As for what should happen next, may I suggest:
(1) Conor Casby let it be know that you need a legal team to sue for invasion of privacy / gross abuse of state power: there will be plenty of pro bono lawyers keen to be associated with your righteous pursuit of damages.
(2) The paintings be bought for the nation by the consortium I’ve put together today. [Please contact me if you'd like to become a shareholder]. The sole purpose of this consortium is to pay the painter for his work, and make a long term investment.
(3) That we lobby the President to make a special award to Conor Casby for brightening up our lives and making us proud to be Irish again. National life has not had such humour for ages.
(4) That a vehicle be found for channeling the outrage felt by citizens at their country being turned into a totalitarian laughing stock. This, more than any other screw-up or corruption, is the straw that broke the camel’s back. Cowen & Lenihan to go before there isn’t a golf club in Ireland brave enough to accept them as members.
(5) That we appeal to Mr Cowen on behalf of his wife and children to do the honourable thing.
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