Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

Bertie Ahern had the Fianna Fáil faithful in stitches at Éamon Ó Cuív’s retirement gig last weekend – with a tongue-in-cheek lament for the good old days of the Galway Races!

“Bertie was very funny. He did make reference to the Galway Races – ‘it’s not like the way it used to be’ – and everyone erupted. It was totally inappropriate, but he said it . . . it was that kind of night, and he was in a safe room,” said one guest who attended the Galway Bay Hotel celebration.

Ó Cuív was never into ‘The Galway Tent’ but “there were plenty there who were. He (Bertie Ahern) had a good audience for that gag”, said our mole.

The former Taoiseach – synonymous with the days of fundraising at the Galway Races during the boom years – also joked about Ó Cuív’s rivalry with fellow Galway West Fianna Fáil TD and former Minister, Frank Fahey.

“Bertie said ‘isn’t it great to see two good friends, Frank and Éamon, in the one room together – they got on so well like the constituency colleagues you’d expect!’ It was good craic,” the source said.

Ó Cuív was elected in every Dáil contest since 1992, up until his retirement last November. A career highlight was serving as Minister in the Department of Rural, Gaeltacht and Community Affairs, where he developed an aversion to red tape.

He was convinced civil servants in his department were deliberately making grant forms difficult to fill out – so they didn’t have to pay out to applicants.

Bertie and others recalled one occasion when Ó Cuív invited civil servants from other departments to fill out one of these grant forms.

“It was 24 pages. They couldn’t fill it out. Éamon said ‘you know what you do now. Go back and find us a form people are able to fill out. If ye can’t do it, how does the ordinary Joe Soap do it?’,” said our source, recalling Bertie’s anecdote about Éamon.

In another nod to tradition, before they broke bread, Ó Cuív’s son Éamon Óg said Grace Before Meals, as Gaeilge.

“It was as traditional as that,” said an attendee, who added the protagonist’s wife Áine was praised for oiling the Ó Cuív electoral machine.

Bertie has been touted as a potential presidential candidate and so too has MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, who was prominent at the party.

“Cynthia did not deny she was interested in the Áras, but Bertie shook hands with everyone in the room – make of that what you will! He was well up for the night,” said the source.

Pictured: Some of the Fianna Fáil members and friends who gathered for Éamon Ó Cuív’s retirement.