Is there west Limerick hurling in von der Leyen?

Was there a small bit of west Limerick hurling in Ursula von der Leyen’s statement on Friday last regarding the Mercosur deal, The Dealer wonders?

The European Commission president was certainly pulling no punches in setting out the global context of the trade agreement. Indeed, to use the hurling analogy, von der Leyen dropped the blade and was pulling three times for every ball – before it, for it, and after it.

If Donald Trump thought his recent reassertion of gunboat diplomacy and the Monroe Doctrine had the world running scared from the western hemisphere, von der Leyen’s hard-hitting statement gave no hint of reticence regarding the trade deal in Brussels.

However, Europe’s beef farmers have said they cannot be collateral damage in this geopolitical power play.

Equivalence of food standards still matters – as last weekend’s Athlone demonstration clearly showed.

One Brussels insider pointed out another GAA link in the deal here at home.

Seán Canney, who led the regional independent charge against Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael leaders to vote no last week, is from Corofin, Co Galway.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin is a Nemo Rangers man.

We all know that there was only ever one winner when those two sides took to the field for a big match. It appears to be the same on Mercosur.