This reminds me of the Scrap Charlie sketch where PJ Mara relentlessly drags Haughey around Ireland on the chicken and chips circuit to press the flesh of the little people. To places like sunny Tubbercurry sur Mer.
“Mao’s long march in the land of the Chinese people? My long march in the land of the Chinese take away.”
Simon Harris I think has perversely benefitted from everybody’s first impression of him being that he is an Irish equivalent of the Harry Enfield “Tory Boy” character. Any further impression you make after that can’t really be any worse, only better.
People assumed he was Lord Snooty of Blackrock. Then they found out he didn’t come from Blackrock, but from Greystones. A small win in terms of impression.
Then they found out he didn’t go to a fee paying school. A bigger win in terms of impression.
Then they found out he did French and Leisure Management or whatever he did, in DIT Aungier Street, and dropped out after a year. Another small win. He’s now becoming Mammy’s Mixed Up Son.
But by far the biggest impression improver he made was during the abortion referendum. He took off his cheap, ill fitting blazer, rolled up his shirt sleeves, tousled his hair and became a Warrior For Women. He became The Listener. He became Beto O’Rourke. He became “Mr. I Care”.
That was a very smart move and Mammy and her daughters haven’t forgotten it.
He’s now attending Munster hurling championship matches and I’ve no doubt he’ll turn up at the Little All-Ireland. That’s a smart move too.
We were all wrong about him. Until we’re proven right, which will inevitably happen.
Nobody really knows what scoliosis is so nobody cares. Until a scoliosis parent makes a heart rending appearance on Katie Hannon Live some dark night late November and it gets TRACTION, without most people having seen it.