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Silly Irish Punts

It’s not just the merchant bankers up the City that can make a few bob off Ireland’s misery you know.
"Irish economy to recover? So, you like the longshots..."
You too can take a flutter on a faltering democracy, either down the bookies or online as most bookmakers will be running Irish specials. Here are just a few.


Paddy Power, if you’re interested, is offering odds of 1/6 that the budget will be passed and 7/2 that it won’t.....
And what about William Hill’s tempting little 20/1 flutter on Fianna Fáil disbanding before the end of 2012?
They are also offering odds on Sinn Féin forming part of the next government starting at 20/1 in cahoots (excuse me, coalition) with Labour and Fine Gael.
But for the same money, Boylesports would give you 50/1. The more attractive bet has to be the Sinn Féin/Greens/Labour coalition at 40/1 with William Hill; these are better odds than Boylesports at 33/1 for the same punt.
Ladbrokes is missing a trick; its Irish specials are just not that special; Michael D Higgins at 9/2 is behind favoured Finlay (3/1) for the Irish presidency but surely John Hume for the Áras at 40/1 might be worth a few quid? (Start talking that one up now....)
Boylesports is offering evens on the Greens not getting any seats in the next election. They are also offering plenty of odds on Brian Cowen’s tie colour or the frequency of certain ‘Cowen-isms’ during his budget speech.
But the most depressing news on that site was that Boylesports thinks that Enda Kenny is 1/4 to become Taoiseach. Eamonn Gilmore at 13/8 might be a better bet but an equally unappetising reality.

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