TDs’ feud flares up in Battle of the Tearoom

THE battle will go down in history as The Battle of the Tearoom, the latest episode in the longstanding and poisonously bitter feud between two prominent Fianna Fáil TDs.

Junior minister Michael Ahern and former junior minister Ned O’Keeffe are ostensibly constituency colleagues in Cork East.

But the enmity between the two men is well catalogued. There have been a number of altercations, including one incident during the 2007 election campaign.

Constituency rivalries are one thing but as one other FF TD said yesterday, Ahern and O’Keeffe are involved in internecine warfare.

“These guys are the most bitter of rivals. There’s massive tension between the two characters. There’s nothing quite like it in Irish politics,” mused the TD.

The latest incident occurred yesterday morning, ironically around the same time as the Government was releasing its latest crime figures. The “action” happened near the door of the self-service restaurant when both men happened to arrive at the same time to get a cup of tea.

What is clear is that Michael Ahern addressed Ned O’Keeffe. The two men have not been on speaking terms for a long time and Mr O’Keeffe took exception to what Mr Ahern said. It led to an intense verbal altercation between the two men, a schemozzle of insults that lasted no more than 30 seconds, according to Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher who was also present.

What exactly occurred after that is open to dispute.

Ned O’Keeffe claimed that Michael Ahern pushed him. The Irish Examiner understands that that claim was strenuously denied by Mr Ahern. Mr Gallagher said that there was no physical dimension to it, other than one of the TDs (Mr Ahern) placing his hand on the shoulder of the other (Mr O’Keeffe).

The upshot was that Mr O’Keeffe made a complaint to the Superintendent of the Oireachtas, Commandment Paul Conway and also complained to Government Chief Whip Tom Kitt.

“I am formally of the view and my assessment is that all that was involved was an exchange of words,” said Mr Kitt.

Because he believed there was no physical aspect, he said he was not going to take the matter any further.

“I will advise both of them to avoid the possibility of such a situation arising again.”