Not Into Politics? Here’s a Quick Cheat Sheet For You!

By Kayleigh Campbell
WhatToKnowNow Contributor
@kayleigh_cam

Not so long ago, I was asked who the Tanaiste was and I’m going to put my hands up and wholeheartedly admit that I honestly hadn’t a clue. Now if you had asked me who my favourite Kardashian was, then that would be a different story

Many young people, myself included, live in our own bubbles. Caught up in socializing, relationships, friendships, college life, work, etc, it’s little wonder that more serious issues such as who is running our country are not at the forefront of our minds.

There are so many things going on in our lives that it can be hard to keep up with current affairs and the like. So, I’ve put together a cheat-sheet of some political peeps to know. You may not have any interest but at least knowing who they are could save you from an embarrassing situation in the future…

We’ll start with the Tánaiste whom I mentioned above. I now know that this is indeed a man named Eamon Gilmore.

Photo: irishtimes.com

Gilmore Stats: Leader of the Labour Party; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade;
Former Minister of the Marines

It’s everyone’s favourite shorty… Introducing the President of Ireland, Michael D.Higgins.

Photo: driminaghisgood.com

Higgins Stats: Michael D has been our President since 2011. He is a former Labour Party Leader and served as Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht from 1993 until 1997.  He also was a close friend of Seamus Heaney and once spent a tipsy night with the beloved poet trying to think of a word to rhyme with orange. Legend.

*Cue tense music* …. Next up,  Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton.

Photo: richardbruton.ie

Bruton Stats: A member of the Fine Gael party, Bruton’s  role is very important.  He is responsible for nurturing enterprise, innovation and growth in the Irish jobs market and ensuring Ireland is represented fairly in a number of international organisations such as the EU and the World Trade Organisation.

Next, we’ll look at a famous face in the Irish media: Vincent Browne 

Photo source: Limerickvoice.com

Browne Stats: Browne is an influential columnist with The Irish Times and The Sunday Business Post. He is most famous for his talk show, Tonight With Vincent Browne in which he analyses the most recent going-on’s in Irish politics and current affairs. His approach to interviews and hosting is controversial and you haven’t yet seen his program, take a look at this clip for a sample of his approach:

And to finish, we present the Queen of Multi-tasking: Ms Miriam O’Callaghan

Photo: independent.ie

O’Callaghan stats: Presenter of RTÉ’s flagship current affairs program Prime Time, radio show presenter and ambassador to a number of charities. How she manages this with eight kids, we have no idea. She doesn’t take crap from politicians and is adept at personal and sensitive issues. All hail to Queen Miriam!

Think we left someone out? Let us know!