I won’t lie. Yesterday, while the Dáil was in session, I tried to blog about the goings on between John ‘The Bull’ O’Donoghue, our gracious Ceann Comhairle, and some of the members on the right-hand (physical) side of Dáil Éireann, before giving up because (a) there was no way I could possibly capture the lunacy of goings-on, and (b) I was confused as hell about what really was going on with Standing Orders.

However, Nat King Coleslaw has pretty much come to the rescue…

Behold, the Gong Clanger!! (CurryChips.com)

Meanwhile, the official Dáil transcript of yesterday’s goings-on is worth a nice read. It all kicks off with the Election of a Leas-Cheann Comhairle…

Michael Ring: You are making it up as you go along.

The Bull: Deputy Ring will withdraw that statement.

Ring: I will not withdraw it.

The Bull: If the Deputy will not withdraw that statement, he will leave the House.

Ring: You are making up the rules as you go along. I will not withdraw it.

The Bull: Then Deputy Ring, you will leave the House.

Ring: I will not leave the House. You may put me out, but I will not leave the House. I am elected to this House and not selected like you are.

The Bull: You must withdraw the statement you have made.

Ring: I will not withdraw the statement. You are making up the rules as you go along.

The Bull: That is a disgraceful statement and completely untrue. The Deputy will force me to name him.

John Deasy: Will he be treated like Deputy Morgan?

Ring: Tell me, under what rule—–

Iiinda Kenny: Name the Standing Order.

Ring: Quote the Standing Order.

The Bull: [clannnnnging!] I move: “That Deputy Ring be suspended from the service of the Dáil.”

Update: thanks to Shane Hegarty for linking to me in his Present Tense blog at ireland.com.

Further Update: Twenty Major has posted the video of the RTE News bit. Great stuff.

[YouTube=http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=_wZX_Jfvm_Y]

As soon as the Dáil Playback system gets the video online, never you fear, I’ll be pointing you right to it.