Callely only followed FF’s example

FIANNA Fáil should have a read of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, based on the Salem witch trials, before they complete the “trial” of Ivor Callely.

At many points in history, during times of great upheaval, the simplest of peasant folk would turn on their own clan for scapegoats, and sacrifice them in a vein attempt to escape their collective fate.

This is exactly what is occurring as a result of the unedifying process of “ethical cleansing” we are watching in Fianna Fáil. It is hard to defend Ivor Callely, so I won’t.

His mistake was to have the misfortune of being a mere senator. If he were a TD, the Fianna Fáil machine would defend him like a mother protects her baby. Instead, we have to listen to people like Gerry Beads of the Fianna Fáil national executive lecture Callely on the need to do the decent thing and go.

I bet that somewhere in the world there are rats departing a sinking ship behaving with more dignity that this collapsing government. We must never forget politicians like Callely have only ever followed the example of leaders in his party. This is the true scandal here. When Callely was forced to resign as a junior minister, for getting the HSE to paint his house, where was the clamour for him to be thrown out of Fianna Fáil?

At that time he had committed only the Spartan offence of being caught. There was no talk then of “ethics”, or acting in a manner unbecoming of a Fianna Fáil member.

Please Fianna Fáil, spare us the crocodile tears, you are only fooling a dwindling number of die-hards. The history books will show that Ivor Callely has only ever behaved in a manner entirely consistent with being a Fianna Fáil member.

Declan Doyle

Lisdowey

Kilkenny