20/06 The Morning JOE

The Sunday papers are full of shenanigans today – from political to banking and from sports to marital.

The Front Pages

After the week we’ve just had, it’s little surprise that the Sunday papers are a political animal once again, with each of the main Irish broadsheets giving their own angle on Fine Gael.

“Revealed: How Kenny beat revolt” – Sunday Times

“Kenny to axe seven” – Sunday Tribune

“FF and FG dissidents planning new party” – Sunday Independent

As its headline promises, the Sunday Times’ front page story reveals the details behind the leadership heave, which was first mooted back in February after two poor media performances by Kenny, on RTE’s Late Late Show and on Newstalk radio, and the resignation of George Lee.

It claims that several back-benchers, led by Meath TD Damien English, initiated discussions about a challenge to Kenny but the move was foiled when Richard Bruton refused to come on board. With knowledge of the growing unrest, Kenny had been putting plans in place to fight off a heave during the intervening four months – including, the report states, socialising in the Dail bar on Wednesday evenings in order to foster relationships with party members.

The Sunday Tribune looks at the ins and outs of Kenny’s new opposition cabinet, claiming that he will axe seven front-benchers, including Olivia Mitchell, Brian Hayes and Simon Coveney.

Among those to oppose Kenny who are likely to be offered front-bench roles are former deputy leader Richard Bruton and Leo Varadkar, although neither are certain to accept the positions.

In an interestingly tangential angle, the Sunday Independent suggest that Fine Gael’s problems, combined with the ongoing plummet in the popularity of governing party Fianna Fail, could prompt the establishment of “a new political party within months”.

A nationwide survey conducted by the newspaper in conjunction with Quantum Research on Friday found that a narrow majority (51 per cent) of people felt that a new political party is necessary. An unnamed Fianna Fail TD is quoted as saying, “There is no doubt there is an appetite for it, and a market for it too.”

If the main stories are centred on Fine Gael, the rest are designed to have people choking on their Sunday roast in indignation.

The Sunday Independent stirs the pot once more with the news that “dozens of wealthy AIB bankers enjoyed a lavish jaunt to the Ascot races – as millions of Irish taxpayers continue to struggle in the grip of the credit crunch.”

The report claims that the bank splashed out €20,000-per-day on a private box at Royal Ascot this week, with “champagne and fine food” on the menu and the needs of those present tended to by a team of waiting staff and hostesses.

Across in the Tribune, there’s the news that Willie O’Dea has been claiming thousands of euro in travel expenses “even though he has been hitching a lift with a Fianna Fail colleague.”

Apparently, the presence of a ministerial driver meant that O’Dea had not required to drive himself in years, and discovered in the wake of his resignation earlier this year that his driving licence had lapsed. Since then he’s been blagging a lift of Niall Collins – but “continued to claim the full amount in his travel and accommodation allowance”.

The Sports Pages

One story dominates the back-pages and sports supplements – and that’s England’s woeful performance at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

“England in meltdown” shouts The Irish Daily Star Sunday in big red capitals, with subheadings pointing out the extent of their problems.

The main points are that Wayne Rooney has been forced to apologise for his anti-fan rant into a pitchside camera immediately after Friday night’s dismal 0-0 draw with Algeria; that manager Fabio Capello has blasted the mental strength of his players, particularly Rooney; and that Capello’s attack could be construed as an exit strategy in case his side flops against Slovenia on Wednesday and makes an astonish early exit from a group in which they were expected to coast into the knock-out stages.

The more sober Sunday Times offers a story that is no less worrying for England supporters – that the players have been lobbying Capello to select Joe Cole. It would not be the first tournament that English players had attempted to exert an influence on selection and tactics – Sven Goran Eriksson altered his midfield shape at the 2006 World Cup in Germany under pressure from senior players including David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

The Sunday Tribune sport is focused on GAA matters, including Tyrone’s dominant performance in weathering an early onslaught from Down to emerge on top in Saturday’s Ulster SFC semi-final.

There’s also a two-page feature on the first steps of Kilkenny’s hurlers on the road to a possible five-in-a-row. The Cats face Dublin at Croke Park this afternoon, and star man Henry Shefflin needs just four points to eclipse fellow Kilkenny man Eddie Keher as the highest scorer in the history of the game

Tales From The Tabs

The Irish Daily Star Sunday is refusing to let the Ronan Keating story drop. The dancer with whom the Boyzone singer has been enjoying some extramarital dalliances has pledged to ignore lucrative offers to tell her side of the story.

Nonetheless, the Star has steadfastly chosen not to let a non-story get in the way of a two-page spread, reporting that “even though Francine [Cornell] was dumped … as he attempts to win back his furious wife Yvonne, the dancer has given her silence as one last act of loyalty.”

The Irish Mail on Sunday claims to have unearthed an intriguing first: a High Court judge telling jury members not to Google for information on the case of the murder of Brian McGrath in Co Westmeath in 1987.

The victim’s wife, Vera McGrath, and son-in-law Colin Pinder both plead not guilty to murder, and Mr Justice John Edwards has urged the jury to steer clear of old facts surrounding the case. “This is a cold case,” he said. “Please don’t Google it … I would advise you to step away from print and broadcast material and commentary in any other sphere, all forms of media. Decide the case on the evidence you hear.”

The case is the first involving Ireland’s “cold case unit” to come to trial.