O Cuiv puts an end to “a mis-cartridge of justice”

The peerless Miriam Lord reckons Eamon O Cuiv is playing an old Fianna Fail game, but this time it’s Sinn Fein who will be relieved:

So is this the end? Not really. Young Dev was infuriatingly vague about his intentions. He won’t say whether he’ll be voting Yes or No in the referendum.

“You cross bridges when you come to them.” So for the foreseeable future, he will remain the loneliest backbencher in Ireland, eyes burning into Micheál’s shoulderblades as he agonises over septic tanks and the European question.

In fact, if Ó Cuív is particularly angry about an issue and speaks out at a parliamentary party meeting, it will amount to a total Fianna Fáil backbench revolt.

Ó Cuív even found the time before Micheál’s gentle nudge to speak from the back of a lorry on the scandal of the septic tank charge. Decades on from the turbulent foundation of the state, the Soldiers of Destiny now find themselves caught up in a new civil war. And now, Young Dev finds himself in the same position of his granddaddy: on the anti-treaty side.

Sinn Féin are so relieved to be out of the headlines that they can’t stop smiling. Off the hook on the inkgate printer saga. A good result for Aengus Ó Snodaigh.

Anything else would be a mis-cartridge of justice.

Mick Fealty

Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty