Sinn Féin are 'spinning' an election disaster as a victory, while party president Gerry Adams needs to stop claiming he is being victimised by the media and realise "this is senior hurling", according to writer and former politician Eoghan Harris.
Speaking to Newstalk Lunchtime today, Harris reviewed the election and the performance of each of the main parties.
You can listen to his full assessment on the player above - below are some of the highlights.
Sinn Féin
“Sinn Fein are spinning that they had a good election,” Harris said.
“It’s a load of nonsense, they had an appalling election. They went from 22% down to 13 or 14% - they are between a rock and a hard place in Dublin (and) all along the border.
“Fianna Fail are squeezing them along the border and they are squeezing them in Dublin.”
“And could we get a break from Gerry Adams whining in Louth about how he's being victimised by everyone in the media? Hey Gerry, this is senior hurling,” Harris said.
“Sinn Fein is avery , a kind of a slightly-constitutional party with a lot of sinister stuff that hasn’t been resolved.”
Labour
Some older Labour figures looked “very bitter” that the Irish public didn’t re-elect them Harris said, but “there was no great sacrifice for them going into government and keeping their fat salaries and pensions.”
The TDs should have taken a pay cut “Instead of that they did the symbolically most stupid things they could”
Fianna Fáil
“They’ve got these young, smart TDs (and) an extraordinary weapon in Micheal Martin.”
Fine Gael
“The Fine Gael front bench just foled its tents and left,” Harris said.
“(Leo) Varadkar did not step up to the plate. He’s still not stepping up to the plate by the way.”
