The Rise and Fall of Fianna Fáil

[culloty82]

First of a three-parter on TV3 tonight at 10 p.m. . Should be entertaining to see the backstabbing, RTÉ will have a similar series before Christmas.

[legendz]

I've no interest in watching anything about that party.

[Eminence Grise]

Watched 10 to 15 minutes of it. Nothing new, or of note. Apparently, we are to believe the revelation that FF were a bad lot from the beginning. Who wudda thunk it?

Don't have much time for Ursula Halligan.

[mypost]

First attempt by TV3 at doing Irish political documentaries.

Dreadful low-budget, low-cast production. No in-depth analysis. Tough questions not asked. Poor chronology of events. Whole decades skipped on weighty issues. It's the biggest political machine in this country they're profiling, not the Green Party. There's plenty of material available, so they should use it.

And there's still another 2 programmes to go.

[Spudulika]

Did they do the DeV Irish Times deal? Or links with gunrunning etc in the 60's-70's?

Should be a major amount for them in it.

[Angus]

Sorry to say I agree - not very promising start - Charlie was able but corrupt ? wow

[superfrank]

Did they do the DeV Irish Times deal?

You mean the Irish Press. I wouldn't go near the Irish Times if Dev had had his hands all over it.

[Macy]

Didn't watch it - far too early to be making judgements. I expect RTE's one will turn in to a rallying call to try and save the party, especially if it's another Mint Productions, eh, production. Look at the perspective that, for example, the recent UK programmes on the Miners Strike provide that they wouldn't have been able if they'd been done in 1986.

[freewheel30]

It does seem like a bit of a publicity boon for the party at a time when they could desperately do with one. I'm sure most people just want to say, "Goodbye, good riddance", rather than have something like this on the box.

[mypost]

Second show last week was an improvement in content, but no in-depth examinations on any issue. Despite the reams and reams of IMF/Government Handover footage from their own resources available, both were stuffed into two 5-minute segments at the end of the show. The Bank Guarantee was given 4 minutes, the Lisbon Treaty all of precisely 60 seconds. These were momentous times in Irish politics, and deserve adequate coverage on such a show.

[Macy]

I actually watched most of the last one. The delusion and sense of entitlement of O'Donoghue, O'Dee etc was a sight to behold. Whatever they may have gained in the first two, was surely wiped out by the attitudes displayed in the last one. O'Donoghue in particular was laughable - still thinks he was hard done by over the expenses. Pity they didn't show his speech in the defeat in the leisure centre "he" built...

[mypost]

As a documentary, the third one was the best effort. Actually went into detail on issues, even though the show could easily have called it quits after the first 15 minutes. Instead, too much time was spent on the possibility of a name change.

The whole documentary served as a propaganda tool for FF, but it's hard to see the public having too much sympathy for the sob stories, or respect for the task Martin has in front of him.

[Eminence Grise]

Gather your flaming torches, holy water, bulbs of garlic and stakes and meet me at the crossroads at the dead of night... the beast is rising!

Red C has FF at its highest level for over a year: http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/1203/politics.html

The mind boggles...

[culloty82]

Thing is, though, because FF will get minimal transfers, they wind up in a dead-heat with Sinn Féin:

FG 67
Lab 30
FF 24
SF 24
Oth 21

So, the only alternative to the Rainbow would be a Labour/FF/SF coalition supported by independents - anyone?

[Macy]

Gather your flaming torches, holy water, bulbs of garlic and stakes and meet me at the crossroads at the dead of night... the beast is rising!

Red C has FF at its highest level for over a year: http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/1203/politics.html

The mind boggles...

Margin of error to their general election result, and on the back of a revisionist two part "documentary", where they tried to hang everything on a dead man... I still haven't given up hope that 40% aren't that thick not to see through the crap cone head is coming out with now (i.e. opposing the terms of the bailout that he help bloody negotiate!).

[mypost]

In the above seat figures, SF would win 10 seats and win double the amount of current FF seats.

SF are the only credible opposition now, FF are redundant, and have no positive alternative to offer the electorate. SF have, but also have zero chance of ever entering government.

First major test this week, of what has been in the circumstances, a good government so far, that has already achieved a fair bit in it's limited time in office. Enda's speech last night was clear, concise, considerate, and optimistic. Some of his cabinet would do well to learn a lesson or two.