Left-wing Liverpudlian comic Alexei Sayle
Presidential hopeful on the rocks, David Norris
I noticed an uncanny resemblance between Irish presidential candidate and Joycean scholar David Norris (whose campaign has recently hit some trouble) and socialist Scouse comedian Alexei Sayle. I wonder if they’re related.
On arrival in Belfast on Christmas eve, having flown in from London that morning I had a bit of time to wait to catch the bus back to Omagh. So I ventured into WH Smiths for a browse. In such situations I generally make a point of looking at the Irish current affairs magazines which aren’t available in London. Hidden discreetly behind a stack of Economists or some similar such publication was the latest edition of the Dublin-based current affairs magazine The Village with a rather eye-catching front cover of the sort one would normally see on the top shelf. Is it just me or does the woman on the cover bear an uncanny resemblance to one of The Corrs?
So to mark an issue dedicated to the themes of sexual equality and gender (or more likely in a desperate attempt to boost flagging sales), the magazine has gone for this particular type of cover. Ironically, the staff at WH Smiths had decided to hide it away which was more likely to have the opposite effect. But in a further ironic twist I did end up buying it – so it did work.
In its monthly “Village idiot” section, the magazine has nominated foul-mouthed, attention-seeking Green Party TD Paul “Fuck you Deputy Stagg” Gogarty following his recent outburst in the Dáil involving the use of “most unparliamentary language” directed at a fellow member and “by constantly – tiresomely and hypocritically disagreeing with policies he then votes for”. The incident has become so famous that it even featured in a recent airing of the BBC TV satirical panel show Have I Got News For You. But for the benefit of anyone who hasn’t seen it, you can view it here:
There’s also an article by the senator, academic and gay rights campaigner David Norris on anti-gay discrimination in the Republic – the only article in the magazine on this particular topic. So does this mean that Norris is the only gay in “The Village”?
The Dreaming Armadillo 
