Thursday, June 15, 2006

Charlie Houdini’s Final Escape

I had to get around to this sooner or later. There’s been a largely mixed reaction in the blogosphere about the demise of former Tea-shuck (or Irish prime minister in English) Charles “Champagne Charlie” J. Haughey, the man known as Houdini after his inimitable talent for worming his way out of any number of sticky situations. In pre-Celtic Tiger Ireland a blind eye was generally turned to the large scale corruption that went on among the political establishment, as long as favours were done in return. As a result Charlie was allowed to get away with it for years, the multitude of subsequent tribunals notwithstanding.

I could say many things about the man – that he (allegedly) took more backhanders than Kournikova and more kickbacks than Ronaldinho, that he was as bent as a nine bob note – but since I don’t wish to speak ill of the dead, I won’t say any of these things.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think he will be remembered fondly ... but shouldn't be. He may have done some good things for the state but lined his own pockets in the process. Fecker.

CW said...

They say no man is an island - so Champagne Charlie did the next best thing and bought himself one.

Anonymous said...

Why did you say it then ?

Anonymous said...

Because he enjoys talking bollocks

David Todd said...

Maybe he hasn't really left.When you hear a donkey "He haw He haw" No! That was Dr Paisley all those years ago. Haughey he haw or he haw Haughey. Do you remember? :-)