Did Late Late appearance badly misfire?
PEE FLYNN IMPOSED HIS PRESENCE ON THE NORMALLY COMMANDING 'GAYBO' BUT...By Mary Kate McCannPolitical savvy, physical stature and the financial acumen to manage a nine billion pound budget are among the attributes which make Padraig Flynn a successful Commissioner on a demanding European stage. At the end of a week in which mayhem over the mis-management of Budgets by some Commissioners were exposed and given world attention, our man, Pee Flynn, emerged squeaky clean and, according to himself, able to account for every Euro of an almost mind blowing financial sum. Unlike many of his Commission colleagues, Padraig is not simply a Euro technocrat. He's an accomplished politician well schooled in the art of survival, having graduated from the rough and tumble of Fianna Fail party manoeuverings for almost 4O years, Europe must seem almost too easy. Yet, when the Lord was handing out talents to the Castlebar man, an oversight must have occurred. How else can one explain the obvious lack of style or, more precisely, the lack a dress sense that the Commissioner now displays. CRINGEOn Friday last, as a nation, we could only collectively cringe when, in a black striped suit, a speckled, multi-coloured tie, and an inappropriately chosen shirt colour, the Commissioner was beamed into Irish homes as the guest of a somewhat overawed Gay Byrne. It was a rare sight to behold- one of the world's most able broadcasters inclined towards subservience as the towering Mayo giant imposed his formidable presence on the nation. Beneath the glare of studio lights, the Commissioner dominated, not with substance or well constructed points, but rather the manner in which he forced Gay Byrne and the audience to accept his viewpoint on complicated and serious allegations of fraud and corruption at home and abroad. Waving an imperious hand, the Commissioner repeatedly began his responses to sensitive questions with phrases like -"Well I want to tell you about that..." and then proceeded in giving his, unchallenged version of events in Europe and closer to home. When Padraig Flynn was asked by Gay about the allegation that Sligo born property developer Tom Gilmartin had given him £5O,OOO as a donation to Fianna Fail, the Commissioner launched into full, overbearing, overdrive. When the Commissioner was questioned by Gaybo on the allegation that Tom Gilmartin had given him £5O,OOO, Mr. Flynn started with his by now irritating opening response: "I want to tell you about that". The phrase was followed by an unequivocal denial in words to the effect-"I never asked or took money from anybody to do favours for anybody in my life". He went on to describe the whole controversy as "sensitive" and added that in respect to the Tribunal he had already spoke too much on the allegation and was not prepared to say much more. But "more" is precisely what he doled out over the next five minutes - words which already he surely regrets. "OUT OF SORTS"The Commissioner portrayed Tom Gilmartin as a man who had made a lot of money in England, who wanted to do business in Ireland, but had failed to do so. According to Mr. Flynn, neither Tom Gilmartin or his wife were that well, they were "out of sorts". Are we to take from these insinuations that Tom Gilmartin doesn't really know what he's talking about when he makes accusations about the Commissioner? During the course of the lengthy interview, Mr. Flynn expressed hurt over allegations made against his T.D. daughter, Beverley. Bev would leave her Dad standing in the background when it came to political ableness, according to her proud father, but she must be given the chance. There was an element of evasiveness in the Commissioner throughout Friday night's performance. A young Finglas man in the audience was loudly applauded when he remarked that to him and his peers, Mr. Flynn and his Commissioner colleagues are as big a crooks as those who wear balaclavas and wave guns in Finglas. The only difference between the Commissioners and the Finglas felons, according to the youth, was that the former are wearing suits and white collars. Padraig smiled at the criticism, gesticulated with another 'Police Stop' hand signal and began an irrelevant reply with the words: "I'll tell you this..." And Gay Byrne, not for the first time, nodded approvingly at our Goliath. |
