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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > Irish presidential race is getting dirtier by the day ---latest media sex allegations mark a new low

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Irish presidential race is getting dirtier by the day ---latest media sex allegations mark a new low

Posted on Monday, October 17, 2011 at 06:31 AM

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If you think American politics is dirty consider some of what happened in Ireland's presidential race this weekend.

The Irish Mail ran a story splashed across its front page reporting that a forced sexual encounter had been reported involving one of the main candidates.

The alleged incident was reported to a police station last week.

When you read the fine print however, it turned out to be something else entirely.

The person reporting the 'crime' admitted he had only 'third hand' knowledge of the encounter.

Not even second hand mind you, but third hand, someone told someone who told him.

Probably while they were all sitting on bar stools.

And that it happened over 25 years ago but he was only reporting it now.

The police, rightfully, dismissed the allegation out of hand and stated they were taking no action.

Yet it ended up as the main story in one of the top selling newspapers.

How insane is that?

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The other main story involved whether also-ran candidate Dana knew or did not know whether her Iowa-based niece had been sexually assaulted by her brother, who is now her campaign manager.

Dana bore most of the responsibility for that but the media coverage was wall to wall and it was very hard to distinguish what it had to do with the presidential campaign.

We have already waded knee deep through the sexual proclivities of David Norris, the Dublin senator who was accused of being supportive of pedophilia at a time when he was leading the race.

No candidate seems immune. Martin McGuinness has been portrayed as Hannibal Lecter in much of the media, ignoring totally his massive role in ending the Northern Irish conflict .

The Vichy version of history being peddled has the IRA as the sole instigator and purveyor of violence in Northern Ireland.

It is no wonder that the one candidate who has not been smeared ---yet, -- Sean Gallagher, is comfortably leading the race.

No doubt that will change in the ten days or so left.

It is an incredible turn of events for an office that symbolizes dignity and patriotism, as exemplified by its last two occupants, Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese.

We think it can sink no lower --- but let's watch this space.

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Pittsburghkid | Oct 22, 2011, 12:05 AM EDT

If you go to bat for a pediphile then you support pediphila. His lover is a pediphile, and Morris when to bat for him. So Morris supports pediphila. I know you can not understand this, but look at it this way. Just pretend that Morris is a Catholic Priest, then you would condemn him.

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seanomelbourne | Oct 19, 2011, 06:56 PM EDT

euphemisms my man loosen up.

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DanOLoingsigh | Oct 19, 2011, 11:25 AM EDT

Seano - references to people you disagree with as vegetables is not a debating point...calling people 'Devils' ditto...a candidate who was in an organisation that executed fellow Irish citizens cannot expect a 'clear run' in any election, so let's debate that issue?

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seanomelbourne | Oct 18, 2011, 07:20 PM EDT

Dan extrapolates the insults and refers to them as debate and refuses to refer the arguments presented.

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cusack2 | Oct 18, 2011, 07:46 AM EDT

What happened to my comment - posted Oct.17? Michael D. needs to grow up. He may have reached the dignified age of 70 but his comments about McGuinness and his involvement in the 'violence' in the north are just childish. It was a war. Michael D. would do well to remember the American Indian adage that exhorts us not to condemn our neighbour until we have walked the trail of life in his moccasins.

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DanOLoingsigh | Oct 18, 2011, 02:20 AM EDT

Brit devils and/or West Brits? Good to see mature debate and arguments are still alive here?

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sirpeter | Oct 17, 2011, 08:22 PM EDT

@cillowen & Fintanoflaois.Excellent comments.I also believe and always have believed the media is dominated by tiny cliques.They are beginning to bare their teeth now.These same cliques have ruled far to long and badly.It's time for a new Ireland.It's time for a real change.It's time to put our best Irishmen/women on the job.It's time we put a stop to these cliques who are continually willing every 20 years to export our children to the four corners of the Earth.

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seanomelbourne | Oct 17, 2011, 05:58 PM EDT

Miriam O'Callaghan is just another vegetable in the west brit stew.Then villification of anyone who stands up and puts Ireland first is disappointing to say the least.Good articles cillowen/fintanofloais

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cillowen | Oct 17, 2011, 03:56 PM EDT

SF councillor makes 'hate campaign' claim A Sinn Féin councillor in Waterford has said there is a hate campaign going on against Martin McGuinness "ike there was against African-Americans in Alabama in the 1960s. Pat Fitzgerald said that after reading yesterday's Sunday Independent, he believes Martin McGuinness, Sinn Féin members and supporters should be proud of themselves. "We have forced the Indo into producing blatant black propaganda slating Martin McGuinness; not since the paper called for the execution/murder of James Connolly has been been such a hate campaign against an Irish republican leader. "And RTÉ are just as bad with scurrilous attacks on the superb Presidential candidate," said Cllr Fitzgerald. "With the rise of democracy, you can almost smell the dirty underwear between the lines," he added.

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cillowen | Oct 17, 2011, 02:45 PM EDT

will you look at the fine cut of a man that McGuinness is, on that picture. A man who is Ireland, known far and wide for his courage to confront and willingness to shake hands with the come around Brit devils. Such a flexability demonstrated, that dear old Erin is in short supply of.

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Brolaur | Oct 17, 2011, 02:13 PM EDT

We have TWO Referendums as well as the election of the next President, on election day. I would like to draw your attention to the one giving Sweeping Powers to a Dáil Committee.It appears to me to be a carbon copy of "The Patriot Act" in the US. I urge all readers to read it carefully and to vote No! I will be voting No. It's a question that should be asked of each candidate. Be warned! Vote No!

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Fintanoflaois | Oct 17, 2011, 01:50 PM EDT

@RedBranch: "I don't recall reading a reference to cannibalism regarding Mr.McGuinness yet." LOL. But it's only a matter of time before you do. And, of course, they are sure to claim that he not only killed Bambi's mother, but ate her raw as well.

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RedBranch | Oct 17, 2011, 12:52 PM EDT

I don't recall reading a reference to cannibalism regarding Mr.McGuinness yet.

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Fintanoflaois | Oct 17, 2011, 11:51 AM EDT

An excellent analysis, Mr. O'Dowd. I suppose part of the explanation is the long history of bad government, cronyism and abuse of power that has characterised Ireland for so long. For decades, gross instances of child sex abuse and savage ill-treatment of children in homes run by religious orders were completely ignored by our media and politicians. Now the pendulum has swung the other way and things like that are being seen even where they may not exist. The common denominator is that the media are still dominated by tiny cliques of essentially mediocre people and the ordinary man in the street has little or no say in anything. The vested interests that run Ireland are terrified of principled people like Martin McGuinness, who has an impressive record of getting things done and working for reconciliation with our Unionist fellow-citizens (who likewise deserve to be lauded for what they have done). People like him reveal the total dead-lossness of national cringe-to-the-British clowns like Eoghan Harris, that fool Deadly Edwards and "journalists" like Miriam O'Callaghan, who is way, way past her "sell by" date. It was significant that the web site Politics.ie, whose owner David Cochrane actually believes and sometimes boasts, quite without reason, that the site has any impact whatsoever, banned posters who even referred to the Dana-related scandal when you - laudably - reported it and prohibited links to your web site. It is not so long since a comment calling for all Traveller women to be sterilised remained on Politics.ie for several days, but any mention of Dana brought instant action. So absurd and fear-inspiring are the libel laws that shield the powerful in Ireland from scrutiny or criticism. And so spineless are those who just might be able to challenge the system and bring about change in it. How ghastly that we in Ireland have to look to you in America

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citizen69 | Oct 17, 2011, 11:26 AM EDT

The campaign may be notable for the amount dirty tactics & allegations but media outlets like IrishCentral.com certainly aren't taking the moral high ground by refusing to publish these stories are they!?

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