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The peace process not such a good model after all
Which reminds me…. Platform for Change’s driving force Robin Wilson has produced a corrective to the notion that the lessons of the NI conflict are easily exportable. Like myself, Robin is associated with the Constitution Unit. He introduced his new book in a CU blog which I here reproduce. The water crisis in Northern Ireland [...] read our review »
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O’Toole’s New Republic – unfinished business or just a dream?
More as a trailer than a review – as it’s out on Thursday– I draw attention to Fintan O’Toole’s latest polemic “Enough is Enough – how to build a new Republic“. Fintan has been promoting the book vigorously on this side of the water, on Radio 4’s Start the Week and here at greater length [...] read our review »
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Of the Old North and other Vanished Kingdoms..
I’m currently trawling through Norman Davies’s fabulous new tome – “Vanished Kingdoms” – Five stars in the (London) Telegraph’s review from Ben Wilson: All the nations that have ever lived have left their footsteps in the sand,” writes Norman Davies. “The traces fade with every tide, the echoes grow faint, the images are fractured, the human [...] read our review »
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Was just on RTE, he hasn’t conceded but admits it is unlikely.
SuperSoupy,
RTE initially reported he had on their ticker and then he came on and didn’t concede defeat officially but pretty much admitted he wouldn’t win.
Even the Fine Gael posse were surprised at that one. They thought he was safe.
I think he was more pessimistic on Newstalk, someone must have had a word with him.
Still, early results are disappointing for SF but it can still be interesting as a clear FF majority doesn’t seem there and the PDs have melted.
The Greens/Inds may be the real winners yet even with the squeeze.
I’m sure we’ll be talking about it until the early hours.
Crowe over 3,300 short of the quota.
O’Connor (FF) just 500 short and Rabbitte just 5 while Lenihan and Hayes are elected on the first count.
Crowe is gone.
THANK GOD THE CRIMINAL SINNER VOTE COLLAPSING
Yes he’s gone. Strangely he lost 7% and FG picked up the same. A clear FF/FG battle with former SF voters going to FG to get FF out? Very strange.
Supersoupy
Thats exquisite logic bearing in mind there will be two FF people put in and Fine Gael’s win was at the expense of Crowe.
There isn’t listing anywhere else on any of the main Irish election forums of a tactical vote to get Fianna Fail out. Not mooted.
He was simply trampled by better campaigns or he didnt get hsi vote out.
He was simply trampled by better campaigns or he didnt get hsi vote out.
Or Brian Hayes took his eye off the ball last time around but wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.
Better campaign..eye on the ball..same difference..
The performance of the front runners has been pretty astounding, two elected with an almost perfect vote to hit the quota, Rabbite within a mere note and the second FF not far off at all.
Having canvassed for Sean I was surprised that his team seemed unwilling to step outside the comfort zone of Tallaght into more affluent areas. I did encounter issues from former SF no.1 voters that were concerned we had not ruled out coalition with FF.
I think a get the bastards out vote may have went to FG even in the poorest areas as a reaction to the neglect of FF and SF failed to expand outside traditional areas.
A lot to learn from this for SF.
Super Duper,
quote of the day. Goes to:
A lot to learn from this for SF
LOL
Or this gem from a poster on politics.ie: “this was always going to be a difficult election for SF”. Yet, strangely, up until this morning SF were predicting 10 seats? My, how SF love to rewrite history using their own warped pen.
WE DON’T BELIEVE YOU & WE’RE NOT DAFT!!!
Gerry for the Viceregal Lodge? Only if he gets put there by HM The Queen!!!
Hi,
Sean Crow might have had a bad day but it looks like Old Oilibhear with this prediction yesterday is not far behind. Some would say that is not unusual for Oilibhear. LOL
quote I’m going to put my head on the block and suggest a FF bad day. They’re going to lose in or around twenty seats. And that’s going to put the cat among the pigeons. Unquote
Posted by Oilibhear Chromaill on May 24, 2007 @ 12:23 PM
Classic. Cat amongst the pigeons. LOL
Ingram
Maybe Oilibhear’s words got lost in translation?
Aren’t the electorate just so irritating for not doing what all the politicians want them to do?
Finally, SF shown up to the be the fringe, minority party they truly are who have absolutely hit their ceiling (if not reversed) when they can’t rely on tribal voting or the insinuated threat of a return to murdering people.
Adams was emptied on RTE tonight and his performance in the TV debate is now demonstrated to be the real beginning of the end for him.
SF will never be in power in the south. They may get to administer a county council in Northern Ireland under UK juristiction but their expansion is conclusively finished. This was their one chance to capitalise on the peace process and their performance has proven that, now the IRA are defanged, only a very small minority at the fringes of the Republic’s society want anything to do with them. A very good day for Irish democracy.
He was one of their better politicos so a great loss for them.
Certainly worth a mention in the history books. After all, Crowe was the first Sinn Fein politician elected in Dublin since the 1918 breakthrough, which saw Markiewicz land a seat in Westminster.
He lost because he wasn’t “on the ground”. The electorate aren’t stupid enough to be fooled by politicians who only want “to be seen” in the papers. The Crowe team thought it could con the elctorate and, ultimately, he paid the price.
Crowes gone…, good ridence!
Nathan, Caoimhin O’Caolain was elected five years before Sean Crowe.
I think the SF canvasser was correct on the point that Sinn Fein was hurt in this election by constantly talking about going into government with Fianna Fail. It seemed to be the party’s number one objective. Why vote Sinn Fein to get Bertie when you can vote FF to get Bertie.
I think also the left wing veneer fell off a bit when you see how accomadating they are in Stormont to pushing through the right wing agenda.
It was a shame that genuine community activists like Larry O’Toole didn’t get through while it was something at least that the Mary Lou / Armani wing off Sinn Fein did poorly as well.
Looks like Sinn Fein’s impersonators let him down. They were probably busy stealng old ladies votes in South Dublin. Let’s hope O’Snodaigh gets turfed next time.
Hi Dublin Socialist, I’m was focusing on Dublin here not the rest of the country.
Apart from the wannabe Countess, and Sean Crowe more recently, Sinn Fein hasn’t had a great deal of meaningful electoral success in the capital
“Thats exquisite logic bearing in mind there will be two FF people put in and Fine Gael’s win was at the expense of Crowe. ”
If you are puzzelled by an SF seat going to FG it can be explained by the tallies. In 2002 Pat Rabbitte lost a lot of his support in Tallaght to SF and picked up a lot of traditional FG votes in middle class areas such as Templeogue in a successful bid to retain his seat.
In 2007 the FG votes Rabbitte borrowed in 2002 went back home and Rabbitte reclaimed much of his old vote from SF in West Tallaght. Sinn Fein took their supporters for granted.
As the have now learnt they are not up against the SDLP in Tallaght
that’s a pity. I rather liked Crowe.