Cowen advised: Beware of Greeks bearing gifts

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen was warned to “beware of Greeks bearing gifts” after Libertas leader Declan Ganley paid the Taoiseach glowing tribute for the Yes side’s victory.

Mr Ganley, a Fianna Fáil donor in the past, conceded victory at 11am on Saturday morning and proceeded to acclaim Mr Cowen’s “masterful” campaign.

While stressing his belief that the Yes campaign had been “dishonest,” Mr Ganley added: “I politically admire a masterful campaign from a masterful politician who has made absolute glove puppets out of the opposition.

“And this reminds us all why Fianna Fáil are the natural party of government in this country – they know how to win campaigns and overturn results that don’t suit them.”

Responding to the remarks, Fine Gael TD Alan Shatter quipped: “I would simply say to Brian Cowen: ‘Beware of Greeks bearing gifts’.”

But Mr Ganley, speaking at the count centre at the RDS, insisted the vote was a “huge endorsement” for the struggling Taoiseach. “It is a mandate of sorts, and I wish him the best of luck.”

On the subject of his own future, Mr Ganley revealed he had received a text message from a “senior Fine Gael operative” early on Saturday morning urging him to “go quietly”.

“I’ll reflect on whether or not I should go quietly and whether I should take that advice,” Mr Ganley said. “I’m proud of the campaign that we ran... We have not succeeded, but we did tell the truth and that’s something I’ll stand behind and stand over and I’m proud of.”

Mr Ganley came out of nowhere to establish Libertas and help defeat the treaty in the first referendum last year. He then ran unsuccessfully for the European Parliament earlier this year, following which he declared that he was quitting politics. Despite that pledge, he returned with Libertas for this campaign – and hinted over the weekend that the Government had not seen the last of him.

“The Irish people have vested their trust in the political establishment in this country who have promised them jobs for a Yes vote . . . So I’ve suggested perhaps I’ll come back here to the RDS next year with some of those ‘Yes for Jobs’ posters and we’ll see how we’re all doing.”