Eoghan Murphy book - Irish Times review

While I haven’t read the book, the commentary on Eoghan Murphy’s new book seem to point to a very human response to a failure to adequately address the housing crisis. It seems to be a very honest and revealing story and an insight into the difficulties individual politicians face in trying to pursue preferred policy options.

While the policy issue in this case was housing, it really could have been anything. It seems strange therefore that the IT asked SF housing spokesman Eoin O’Broin to review the book for its weekend edition.

I read the review. While it wasn’t outwardly nasty, the tone I got was a mock sympathy along the lines of “God love him, he wasn’t able for the pressure like I am”.

I felt it was a strange choice for a review of a human story of the difficulties of a life in politics, particularly with just weeks to go to the next election.

I wonder what others think.

Salvadore said:

While I haven’t read the book, the commentary on Eoghan Murphy’s new book seem to point to a very human response to a failure to adequately address the housing crisis. It seems to be a very honest and revealing story and an insight into the difficulties individual politicians face in trying to pursue preferred policy options.

While the policy issue in this case was housing, it really could have been anything. It seems strange therefore that the IT asked SF housing spokesman Eoin O’Broin to review the book for its weekend edition.

I read the review. While it wasn’t outwardly nasty, the tone I got was a mock sympathy along the lines of “God love him, he wasn’t able for the pressure like I am”.

I felt it was a strange choice for a review of a human story of the difficulties of a life in politics, particularly with just weeks to go to the next election.

I wonder what others think.

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I'm not surprised in the least that the Irish Times would do that. I find they have a strongly pro-Shinner bias.

The inverted snobbery shown by O'Broin is staggering. If a politician from a middle class background was as scathing of someone from a council estate purely because of their place of birth they would, rightly, be excoriated.

Ó Broin on Murphy here:

As a middle-class, privately-educated South County Dubliner, he exuded all the unchecked confidence that came with his socio-economic privilege.

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Dr Strangelove said:

Ó Broin on Murphy here:

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Isn't that a mirror-image description of O'Broin - a Cabinteely native I believe (though I've never seen him in The Horse & Hound.) And what the hell is "unchecked confidence?"

"As a middle-class, privately-educated South County Dubliner, he exuded all the unchecked confidence that came with his socio-economic privilege."

In fairness to O Broinn is that not a very true observation, in working class areas people are knocked back down by their peers whereas the same does not happen in upper class areas. the Ross O Carroll kelly character tapped into that psychology brilliantly

His own party leader is a privately-educated southsider. Is he putting her in the same box?

joe sod said:

"As a middle-class, privately-educated South County Dubliner, he exuded all the unchecked confidence that came with his socio-economic privilege."

In fairness to O Broinn is that not a very true observation?

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Well, whatever about Murphy, that description certainly applies to Blackrock College alumnus Eoin O'Broin!

So perhaps that comment in his condescending book review was, subconsciously, autobiographical!

joe sod said:

"As a middle-class, privately-educated South County Dubliner, he exuded all the unchecked confidence that came with his socio-economic privilege."

In fairness to O Broinn is that not a very true observation, in working class areas people are knocked back down by their peers whereas the same does not happen in upper class areas. the Ross O Carroll kelly character tapped into that psychology brilliantly

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That's such a sweeping generalisation that it is rendered meaningless.
If Ross O'Carroll Kelly is an accurate reflection of private school South Dublin then The Young Offenders is an accurate reflection of so-called working class Dublin.

I was born in what is a socially deprived area (welfare class) and grew up in a middle class area (where people worked, so really working class). My children went to private schools but the parents of those children work so they're also working class. I work in a socially deprived area where the average household derives most of their income from social transfers (social housing, HAP, Welfare etc) so welfare class. I really don't see much difference between any of those areas when it comes to the stupid lazy bigoted views expressed by Ó Broin.

From what I have seen if both parents are actively and positively engaged with the child then they have a better chance in life than if they are not. That, in my experience, is the single biggest environmental factor determining the outcomes for the child.