Donnybrook: Potato Western

The term “Spaghetti Western” is familiar, but viewers of Liam Neeson’s Land of Saints and Sinners may feel the need to coin the term Potato Western. While set and filmed in the stunning County Donegal countryside, Finbar Murphy (Neeson) echoes the themes of a classic Western. Of course, themes of lone ranger justice, protecting the homestead, a moral code beyond the law, searching soulfulness, bandits, true grit, and riding off into the sunset are ultimately universal.

The title is a play on the traditional description of Ireland as the Land of Saints and Scholars. Here the gimme line, by actor Jack Gleeson (Jeffrey Baratheon from Game of Thrones) is “ya gotta be a sinner before becoming a Saint.”

Set in 1974, with The Troubles as the backdrop of the story, this fantastic ensemble of actors produces an entertaining thriller. In addition to Neeson and Gleeson, Kerry Condon (Angela’s Ashes, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Oscar-nominated for Banshees); great character actor Ciaran Hinds (Oscar-nominated for Belfast); and the always enjoyable Colm Meaney round out a bevy of talent. Popcorn worthy.

Nice Party

Or so I thought. President Joseph Robinette Biden’s White House St. Patrick’s Day Reception was a grand affair, with great Irish music, plenty of refreshments, The Taoiseach, Sinn Fein, and Unionist pols, and a boatload of Kennedy’s.

Biden later took a pic in the Rose Garden with over 50 members of the Kennedy family, a not-so-subtle message to their brother and cousin, RFK Jr., that THE family is with the Scranton Irish candidate in the 2024 Presidential race. President Biden was most happy to celebrate the High Holy Day with an ‘A’ list of Irish Americans (I snuck in with the band), and seemingly most of Ireland’s political establishment.

He shared many yarns that we have heard and fondly recalled his trip to the Emerald Isle last year, including his ancestral homeland in Mayo and Louth. I joined Ohioans such as AOH President Danny O’Connell from Y-Town, LAOH President Marilyn Madigan from Cleveland, St. Edwards Alum Carl Hughes, and Washington Post columnist Mary Jordan and her husband Kevin Sullivan.

All was great fun, but little did I know that after my brief conversations with the Taoiseach and with Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, DUP Party Leader, they both would be gone from their leadership posts within the week. Two political bombshells on the Island of Ireland in one week. The fallout will continue to evolve.

TikTok Taoiseach

Upon the unexpected resignation of Leo Varadkar, Simon Harris won over his fellow Fine Gael TDs (members of the Irish Parliament) to assume the role of party leader and thus Taoiseach (Prime Minister). Assumingly, he also won over Fine Gael’s parliamentary coalition partner, Fianna Fail.

Harris, proficient in the use of social media and as the youngest Taoiseach in the State’s history (Varadkar was 38 when first became Taoiseach), earned the moniker of “Tiktok Taoiseach.” He is a mere 37 years old and hails from Greystones, a coastal community in County Wicklow, just south of Dublin. He grew up in a modest home and is married (Caoimhe Wade) with two children. Immediately before assuming Fine Gael leadership, he was the education minister, and before that, the Health Minister. He has a steep hill to climb with Euro and local elections scheduled in June and a national election likely this year, with his party at the bottom of the polls. He will have an equally hard road to climb to explain his lackluster tenure as Health Minister, one of the policy areas of the largest public complaint.

S.F. Responds

Not unexpectedly, opposition leader, Sinn Fein’s Mary Lou McDonald, is calling for an immediate election, as Harris has no mandate from the public. McDonald was not shy in her comments regarding the new Fine Gael leader: “Simon Harris wants to be the Taoiseach and if Micheal Martin and Eamon Ryan believe their government commands the support of the public, they should have no problem putting that to the people in a general election. I not only believe the people want a general election, but I believe they would relish a general election and the chance to call time on a tired government, out of touch, and out of ideas.

It’s now friends, a time for a new government with energy and determination, a government of change that will roll up its sleeves and get the work done to sort out health, to ensure that young people can build a good life and a prosperous life here at home instead of being forced out by the repeated failures of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail. We need a government that will finish the business of 1916 and make the promise of the proclamation real in the lives of ordinary people. Our message is simple, call a general election and let the people decide.”

Dodger Donaldson

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson played the character of the Artful Dodger in his high school drama production of Oliver. It may have been foreshadowing as Donaldson, MP Lagan Valley, and his wife Eleanor faces 11 criminal charges of non-recent historical sexual offenses, including rape. His wife was charged with aiding and abetting additional offenses.

Donaldson was removed as DUP Party Leader but remains a member of the U.K. parliament (MP) in London. Donaldson 61, has served in the Parliament in London for over 25 years. He and his wife have been married for over thirty years and have two adult daughters.

Police say they acted upon a tip from March 7^th, 2024. Interestingly, this was just after the Northern Ireland Assembly returned after a two-year hiatus called by Donaldson. The DUPsters were deeply divided over the return to Stormont. Odds are good that some very angry fellow Unionist was the one who dropped the dime.

Sir Jeffrey is a member of the Orange Order and was knighted by the Queen in 2016 for his service to the Empire. With local elections looming and a U.K. General election anticipated this Fall, the timing was not good for the already divided Democratic Unionist Party.

Gavin Robinson, Deputy DUP leader, is expected to assume the Party Leader position and attempt to reach out to the Unionist voters. Sinn Fein, Dublin, and Westminster all expressed (nervously) confidence that Stormont would motor on.

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