Just been twittered by Irishelection.com with the results of the last Red C poll before election day tomorrow: FF 38% (+2); FG 26 (-1); Labour 11 (N/C); SF 9 (-1); Green 6% (-2); PD 3 (+1)) Ind 7 (+1) Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
Damien Mulley on some last minute dirty tricks in Dublin… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
Fair play to the Irish Times, they must have been inspired by Simon’s Paper Round project. But they have comprehensive graphs for media coverage on a range of factors. It looks like the ‘Enda’ campaign got Fine Gael the lion’s share of the coverage. But will his gentlemanly demeanour, get him the votes. Or will the Ali-on-the-ropes till a fighting last round routine keep in the bag for Bertie? H/T (once again) to Soupy! Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of …
It is possible to argue that Vincent Browne has had the best election of anyone so far. His handbagging of the Taoiseach at the beginning of the campaign was by far the heaviest punch taken by the government during the campaign and his more recent dig at Fianna’s Spinmeister General PJ Mara, delighted hacks, bloggers and political players. Now he turns his attention to the Labour party. He reckons the last place prospective Labour voters should seek to register their …
Front page of the Irish Times today touches on the vexed issue of Sinn Fein (for everyone, but Sinn Fein that is)… You can just smell the hidden agendas… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
If you missed it, that 18 Doughty Street TV discussion, which includes surprise guest Trimble (as much a surprise to him as to the rest of us) on the Republic’s Election is now available in archive. Why did Bertiegate not stick? Is the economy stupid? How STV in slows the long term progress of any rising political project, and pitting party colleague against party colleague. Ireland: a pioneer of post ideological politics? The third division parliament, and the political primacy …
Richard Waghorne has at last got his blog back up and running, and adds his Saturday column in the Irish Daily Mail. In it, he dissects in the ideological incongruence of the Mullingar Accord and argues that though Kenny may have brought his party back from the dead so to speak, post election Fine Gael “will need to put distance between the party and Labour, while taking on the thorny question of what the party is about”. That, Richard argues, …
Chris Gaskin has done the Irish blogosphere some service (some are barely worksafe) by pulling together some of the more memorable quotes from the treasure trove of one Charles J Haughey. The best at the beginning: In relation to Ahern he called him “the most clever, most cunning and most devious of them all” And of himself: “Deep down I’m a very shallow person” Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the …
Here’s a thing. IrishElection.com’s killer app for Friday’s result day is a text messaging system that will bring you results as they get them from the count centres. It will be hard to beat the speed and authority of RTE’s reporting, since they far and away outshone the BBC during the Assembly elections in March. But, they will do their best! The really clever bit: the guys at IE Central are using Twitter to transmit their messages, so whereas RTE …
There are some who say that the bookmakers, rather than the pollsters who make the more accurate predictions. BettingMarket.com has the latest from Betfair.com which currently suggests (at the moment) that the result will be a Fianna Fail/Labour coalition (if tonight’s barney between Rabbitte and Cowan is anything to go by there will have to be a lot of hard swallowing before that happens). And on PaddyPower.com has just moved into the same conclusion. The fastest drop though is the …
Tomorrow night at 18 Doughty Street, I’ll be on a panel discussion with, amongst others, Simon who also blogs over at IrishElection.com and Dan O’Brien of the Economist Intelligence Unit to try and tease out some of the issues being discussed and taking stock of some of the mixed messages coming from the polls and pundits. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and …
Here’s another cut out and keep moment. Gerry Adams is a cool performer, and is clearly looking a ‘seat’ in the Republic’s government. A seat in the Seanad? It would probably diminish him to be lower in protocol than his TDs. Not good for the brand. But then again, 2011 is not that far away. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is …
Here’s one to cut out and keep. Kevin Rafter has Noel Dempsey’s assertion that his party would go into opposition rather than play government ball with Sinn Fein. But why not Sinn Fein asks Rafter! If today’s opinion poll is anything to go by, they may not have many other choices, if the PDs bomb, and the Greens only progress by two or three seats. Besides, it would (the potential clincher) be popular with the voters! Mick FealtyMick is founding …
The Bitter Pill is written, so we are told, by a junior doctor in the Republic’s Health Service (H/T Cian’s blog round up). S/he takes the IMO’s recent objections to Mary Harney’s proposed contract to task, one by one. The crunchiest point is probably number 2: In Ireland we should be looking to move towards a comprehensive, round the clock health service. Consultants have no right to complain about a shift system or being asked to work weekends. A forty …
Frank Little had a conversation with a Sinn Fein activist friend yesterday after the wee four debate. It seems I am in a very, very small minority in thinking Adams had done well: …the conversation naturally turned to the election, and in particular the debate the night before where Adams had got what by any definition was a bit of a thrashing on Prime Time. “When,” my old friend wondered aloud, “will Adams and all the other Northerners realise that …
Enda versus Simon Cowell et al… Respect, to Harry Magee… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
If you didn’t see the big debate last night, you can pick it up here. Reactions on the blogosphere are mixed. Simon reckons the taoiseach is feeling very pleased with himself. Harry, accurately describes it as “a tense defensive battle”, that Bertie shaded on points, but in which Enda manages to look like a future taoiseach. Ahem, don’t think Damien was terribly impressed. Bloggorah has some insight into the tie situation. Shane Hegarty at the Irish Times, reckons that Bertie …
Is live here (Miriam O’Callaghan is doing a better job in pinning the Taoiseach down than the leader of the opposition)… discussions here and here. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
Rough stuff in the first session of the party leader’s debate. In an often unruly four way debate, the Justice Minister and leader of the Progressive Democrats Michael McDowell dropped a bit of a bomb shell when he accused Gerry Adams of grandstanding on drugs, and alleged that the IRA had charged the narco-funded Farc guerillas in Colombia $25 million for its services. Adams’ response: ‘That remark is proof that you’re not worthy to be Minister of Justice’. We’ll see …
The Greens launched their PEB on YouTube last night. Smart and slick, and according to a discussion yesterday on Irishelection.com, they did not take any of them out of school to film it. Harry reckons it’s the best one he has seen so far. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and …
