Stroke waits for white smoke on Pope’s visit

By TONY GALVIN MAYOâ€â„¢S Enda Kenny was left in the halfpenny place this week when his attempts to lure US President Barack Obama back to Ireland were upstaged by Galway Co Councilâ€â„¢s Michael â€Å“Strokeâ€Â Fahy who arranged for County Hall to invite newly elected Pope Francis to Galway. This may be the first official invitation from Ireland the new Pope has received, and the Stroke is pulling out all the stops to ensure that Ballybrit will again be the location where he will receive St Peterâ€â„¢s successor. Cllr Fahy also wants to commission a special DVD of Pope John Paul IIâ€â„¢s 1979 visit and to send a copy to the Vatican post haste, so Francis will have an inkling of what to expect when he flies in to visit Cllr Fahy â€â€ and possibly some others â€â€ if he finds the time. It is understood that Michael is currently constructing a mansion of Castel Gandolfo proportions in Ardrahan and sources indicate that the guest suite is fit for a Medici. Should Francis be uncomfortable with such opulence, Michael can accommodate him in the home place. Security wonâ€â„¢t be a problem as the land around it is better fenced than Guantanamo Bay. Everyone remembers Pope John Paulâ€â„¢s words, â€Å“Young people of Ireland, I love you,â€Â Cllr Fahy told the meeting of Galway Co Council, adding that now these young people are adults (and voters, we presume), they would love to see another Pope coming to visit Galway. He reminded his fellow councillors that one of their number who graced the Co Council chamber in 1979 â€â€ none other than his former colleague Michael D Higgins â€â€ has since been elevated to the position of El Presidente of Ireland. With Michael Dâ€Ëœs beatification now a mere formality, the Stroke probably feels the two men can iron out any little issues when His Holiness touches down on Galway soil. Single-handed Scorning the Doubting Thomases in the council chamber who accused the Ardrahan bachelor of engaging in yet another publicity stunt, the councillor argued that in 1979 the then County Manager Seamus Keating had arranged the event practically single- handed. Today, he was sure that Keatingâ€â„¢s successor, County Manager Martina Maloney, with the assistance of City Manager Joe Oâ€â„¢Neill, could step up to meet the challenge. It seems Galway Co Council members agreed with him because when Connemara Cllr Joe Lee seconded the invite-the-Pope proposal, there wasnâ€â„¢t a squeak of opposition from any quarter of the chamber. Even the Godless lefties stayed schtum. Speculation is now rife that the bachelor rancher might be planning the biggest stroke of his career. Could it be that the pay-off for arranging the invite might be Pope Francis officiating at the nuptials when some lucky lady finally entices Co Galwayâ€â„¢s most eligible man up the aisle?