Ferghal Blaney - Down the Dail
Guess who's back, back again?
McSavage's back, tell a friend.
Apologies to Eminem, or Slim Shady as he was also called, for playing with his lyrics from his 2002 hit, Without Me, to hail the return of David McSavage, or David Andrews as he was also called, but probably by only his Mammy and Daddy.
Anyways, he’s back and with him we expect to see the return of more biting political satire.
The man who brought us the shocking but deliciously funny politically incorrect barman, Mick ‘the Bull’ Daly, and the hilarious sado-masochistic radio talk show presenter called John Duffy, that bore absolutely no resemblance to an RTE superstar, to vivid life in The Savage Eye is coming back to our screens.
Bumbling political characters were also a staple on a show that ruffled the feathers of establishment figures in the most caustic and comic way.
One scene that sticks out for me was the one with a press conference of suited politicians, all male of course, announcing they were introducing a new death tax, because they felt the dead were not paying their fair share and were involved in tax avoidance - google it, now.
It’s believed the straw that broke the camel’s back in getting the show finally cancelled after just three seasons was a sketch on ‘wild nuns’ that some thought pushed the envelope too far.
Either way, you can be sure politicians were delighted to see it disappear from our screens.
So, praise be to Amazon Prime for having the guts to bring back McSavage back to a primetime audience once more.
The comedian and political scion is back in a new stand-up show being hosted by Graham Norton called Last One Laughing (LOL) Ireland, joining other top Irish comedic talents like Aisling Bea and Jason Byrne in a kind of comedy joke-off.
David McSavage has the perfect background for political satire, the son of Fianna Fáil royalty, while at the same time one of the buccaneers at the vanguard of the Irish stand-up comedy scene in the early 2000s.
His father was David Andrews, a Fianna Fáil TD and Minister, his brother and McSavage’s uncle was Niall Andrews, another Fianna Fáil big-wig, whose son, the cousin, Chris Andrews is now a Sinn Fein TD.
And in case you wondered why he liked having a pop at RTE so much, his grandfather was Todd Andrews, former chief at RTE and another cousin is none other than Ryan Tubridy.
McSavage was at the height of his powers in the late 2000s, with the Savage Eye debuting in 2009 after McSavage had conquered the Irish comedy circuit.
He could be cutting, vicious and hilarious at times, exactly what proper angry comedy should be, or insightful and edgy, wish is what political satire should be.
Mr McSavage was the natural heir to Scrap Saturday, where the main mover was the late and great Dermot Morgan, who honed his skills on this radio show before famously introducing British audiences first, Irish audiences next and the world after to the iconic Father Ted.
It’s said that RTE chose to pass on this show first, but nobody in Montrose is ever going to admit not spotting that comedy gold.
This followed on from Hall’s Pictorial Weekly, where some of the regular performers sending up the pomposity of Ireland in the late 1970s included, of course, Frank Hall, Frank Kelly, that’s Father Jack from Father Ted to most of us today, and Eamon Morrissey.
We do have great political satire talents on our screens and bursting out of our radio in the forms of Mario Rosenstock and Oliver Callan.
But I’m sure both of them would not begrudge McSavage some time back in the spotlight.
Blooming politicians everywhere
You can’t really blame Michael D for ruining Bloom for everyone, but he did start it on Thursday when he became the first political head honcho to crash the Bloom garden party.
I think the last thing the foodie and garden enthusiasts who flocked to the magnificent pageant in Dublin all weekend wanted was politicians posing around the place.
In hindsight, we’ll let Michael D off, everyone loves the West of Ireland President and sure doesn’t he only live across the road from Bloom’s HQ in Phoenix Park in Aras an Uachtarain.
The problem was, that once President Higgins cut the ribbon, it opened the floodgates for the rest of them to traipse up to the Park.
I saw Green Minister Roderic O’Gorman there representing his Green party on Thursday, before Friday saw the big beasts, Fine Gael boss and Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, swanning around on Friday morning, followed less than an hour later by Fianna Fail chief and Tanaiste, Micheal Martin around noon.
Of course there was probably a plethora more of them grasping hands not so easily noticed as the two Coalition leaders.
And apologies to Eamon Ryan, our green-fingered Greens leader, who I’d no doubt was there at some stage too, but we can’t be everything, everywhere, all at once.
Honestly though, it’s going to be worse than the ploughing championships soon.
But, thank God for small mercies, at least they had in the main cleared off by the weekend so the rest of us could enjoy the wonderful festival and the beautiful weather in peace.
Dolly Parton politics would flourish
All roads lead to Listowel in just under three weeks’ time, because the little Kerry village is playing host to Dolly Day on June 24th.
The official reason for the gathering is to try and break a world record for having the most Dolly Parton impersonators (male or female) assembled in one place, with all the proceeds from the weekend of fun going to Kerry Hospice.
But this could become just the tonic some politicians need before the end of term as the sessions in Leinster House lengthen and begin to get rattier and rattier as the summer recess date looms into sight.
After working way in excess of ‘9 to 5’ on those days leading up to June 24th, they could do worse than reflect on Dolly’s 1977 classic, ‘It’s all wrong, but it’s alright.’
Quote of the Week
‘We live on a planet in peril, one that is facing catastrophic climate change and runaway biodiversity loss.’ President Michael D Higgins rages against the machine during his speech opening Bloom in Phoenix Park at the weekend.
ENDS
