According to Charlie McCreevy I’m neither sane, decent nor Irish because I've tried to read the Lisbon Treaty in full before casting my vote in next month’s referendum.

Good Lord.

What kind of impression must the Europeans have of the Irish people with someone like McCreevy on the wing in Brussels (Peter Sellars in ‘Being There’, I should think.)

When people come out with the kind of thing McCreevy came out with last week, it’s really hard to argue without getting personal. My urge is to explain my compelling theory of how Charlie would make the perfect Boxer-in-Animal-Farm’s Evil Twin, if Boxer had an evil twin (if you’re not familiar with the reference, I’m not being nice). Seriously, it was like a flashback to a 1970s era, ITV Saturday night variety show ‘What did the Irishman say…’ type routine. What kind of vision does this man have for our society? A nation of proud, educated, civilised, sophisticated thinkers? Or a trailor park of ninnies?

McCreevy's nonsense represents a vertiginous new low in the Lisbon discourse (which is quite an achievement given such strong challenges from the likes of Ahern, Roche, Cowen, Cullen and O’Dea since the Treaty debate began). He has somehow found yet another way to make me feel ashamed of those who claim the leadership of the Irish people.