The best #promnight tweets as the Government votes to wind-up the former Anglo Irish Bank

From: Leinster House

The Irish are known for making the best of a bad situation. We joked when horse meat was found in our beef burgers and when the harshest budget in years was being announced, we couldn't help but take the mickey out of that too.

Which brings us nicely to last night's extraordinary events at Government buildings, which was quickly bestowed with the inspired Twitter hashtags #promnight and #promnishambles – the 'prom' in question referring to promissory notes, or the money that the Government promised to pay the former Anglo Irish Bank when the institution was in a disastrous state following the property market collapse.

The problem is the repayment schedule for these promissory notes proved cripplingly harsh for the Government – €3.06bn every year until 2023. So they've been seeking an agreement with the European Central Bank to help reduce that yearly burden by extending the amount of time in which Ireland would have to pay these promissory notes to IBRC.

Legislation was rushed through the Houses of the Oireachtas late last night to liquidate Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (the new name for Anglo), after details of a possible ECB agreement on promissory notes were leaked to foreign media that the bank may eventually be wound-up as part of the deal.

Still with me? Good. That's the background in a nutshell, but the important thing is you don't really need to know any of it to find these tweets funny. Enjoy!

But where does this leave Anglo The Musical? #promnight

— Caroline Lynch (@caroline_lynch) February 7, 2013

I feel like Homer Simpson watching Twin Peaks. I have absolutely no idea what's going on! #promnight

— Ronan Lyons (@ronanlyons) February 7, 2013

The Irish govt clearly haven't watched enough US teen movies: you don't have to put out and give it all up on #promnight

— Declan Cashin (@Tweet_Dec) February 7, 2013

RT @mrsbeckybarker: I slept through last night's dail debate... So pretty much like our TDs ... #promnight #screwed

— Ciara O'Brien (@ciaraobrien) February 7, 2013

Ah sure 40 minutes is grand to decide the fate of €40 billion. A billion euros a minute. What could possibly go wrong? #promnight #Dáil

— Eoghan McDermott (@eoghanmcdermo) February 6, 2013

Bunch of squabbling politicians, €40 BILLION, 40 minutes and a bar full of booze. What could possibly go wrong? #promnight

— Jennifer O'Connell (@jenoconnell) February 6, 2013

IBRC bill will now get to the Seanad so late (past 1am) that finally the Senators will have an excuse to be asleep in their seats #promnight

— David Cochrane (@davidcochrane) February 6, 2013

Apparently Beyonce is going to do the entertainment between now and midnight #promnight

— Paddy Logue (@paddylogue) February 6, 2013

So, can I crack open the #promnight prosecco or what?

— Catherine Crichton (@ccrichton) February 6, 2013

#promnight in a nutshell: With any luck, the ECB will forget we owe them money by 2040 and we'll get away with it.

— Kilian Doyle (@kiliandoyle) February 6, 2013

There's a Dáil vote now on whether #promnight has a late licence to operate

— Suzy Byrne (@suzybie) February 6, 2013

Reading about a Special Liquidation Order in the legislation. Don't think it has anything to do with getting the beers in. #promnishambles

— Lise Hand (@liseinthecity) February 7, 2013

So our new policy is to hope against hope for a grand bit of inflation until 2059. #promnishambles

— Sinead Ryan (@sinead_ryan) February 6, 2013

Goodnight all. Make sure to leave a pliers under your pillow in case the ECB swoop by looking for more teeth. xxx #vinb #promnight

— Colm Tobin (@colmtobin) February 7, 2013

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