Political candidates - Cynicism of worst kind

THOUGH the Irish electorate is world famous for being “sophisticated”, it seems that there are still those in our political system who think that celebrity candidates have a place in our future.

Packie Bonner, who hopes to stand for Fianna Fáil in the European elections, stopped a penalty from Romania’s Daniel Timofte in the 1990 World Cup.

For that he has earned our affection but what has he done in the intervening years to suggest that he is anything other than a trophy candidate?