Bertie's explanations all greek

The Taoiseach is to address the joint Houses of Congress in Washington on 30th April and doubtless his scriptwriting team is already working hard to finalise his speech. Presumably this is the same team which scripted his very well received Westminster speech to the joint Houses of Parliament. That speech drew on Greek mythology for an appropriate analogy for the Northern peace process, likening it to the toils of Sisyphus, who was condemned to eternally push a rock uphill, only for it to roll back down each time.

Did the speechwriters, or Bertie Ahern, ever suspect that Sisyphus would also provide a perfect analogy for the ongoing efforts of the Taoiseach to explain his financial dealings in the 1990’s at the Mahon Tribunal?

So I’m awaiting with interest the further mythological references which will undoubtedly appear in the Washington speech. Pandora’s Box, perhaps?

Footnote: Published as a letter in The Irish Times.