Here is an edited selection of online reaction to yesterday’s article by Des O’Malley. The full series, and readers’ reactions, may be read on our website
Declan J Foley:Desmond O'Malley hits the nail on the head about the path FF has taken since Haughey took control and the carpet baggers joined... Thinking brings maturity; and maturity won't accept the immature behaviour of a selfish golden circle, inside or outside a tent.
Roger Rafferty:Whatever the future holds for Ireland, about the only comforting thought is that any renewal which might take place will not involve the PDs.
Pope Epopt:Now let me see - let's apply the PD/Thatcherite solution to our problems. Deregulate and leave it invisible hand of the market. Erm... didn't we already try that?
Vinny: There are many lessons to be learned from the squandered opportunity years of the dreadful Ahern era – one of which is we have a selfish, lazily uninformed and largely thoughtless electorate who respond to soundbite and spin with the re-election of poor calibre candidates...
qwerty51: Before criticising the people of Kerry for their moral failings, Des O'Malley might have looked at what role, if any, he and his Limerick PD colleagues played in allowing parts of Limerick to deteriorate and become synonymous with violent drug gangs.
tony: It was not the market that caused the problems. It was the corruption of the few at the top of the pyramid of power... The people who did most to cause the problem are still in control...
Sean Ryan: Des O'Malley and the PDs stood for integrity in public office, fiscal responsibility by government, promotional of enterprise and improving the lot of Ireland's citizens. They corrected many of the mistakes of the 70s and 80s and steered us into the growth of the 90s. Unfortunately Ireland got lazy, with irresponsible pay and tax deals in the guise of partnership and a classic property and construction boom...