Fianna Fail – Page 3 – Slugger O'Toole

SDLP’s ‘unprecedented’ conversations begin

Daithi McKay on June 14, 2017, 3:18 pm

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The Belfast Telegraph today reports on the first of what will presumably be a number of “unprecedented” conversations within the SDLP. The SDLP’s Mid Ulster constituency council will discuss a possible merger with Fianna Fáil at a meeting in Maghera. Local Councillor Martin Kearney said “These are normal discussions which happen after every election, “We’ve a great variety of old members and the young SDLP branch in Maghera is very active. “We want to listen to them, there’s been such …

Fianna Fail must not make the same mistake with Bertie, that Labour have with Blair

David McCann on May 7, 2017, 2:46 pm

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1st May 2017, marked the 20th anniversary of the election of Tony Blair as British Prime Minister. For the current Labour Leadership, a huge part of their existence is owed to a repudiation of the Blair years with its mix of missed opportunities and misadventures such as the War in Iraq. Fianna Fail and Ireland face another anniversary over the coming weeks as the 6th June marks the 20th anniversary of the 1997 General Election which brought Bertie Ahern to …

Left to themselves, the parties won’t agree. The time has come for the governments to bring forward solutions which involve the people directly

Brian Walker on April 9, 2017, 11:11 am

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Observed from London, the political atmosphere at home is surreal. The volume of comment on the talks is in inverse proportion to hard information. Expectations of agreement by Good Friday are so low that the local media can barely be roused from torpor. Emergency action for feeding the Stormont cats occupied more space in the Belfast Telegraph the other day. Further emergency action to fund the regional government must be taken within a week followed by the crunch decision to …

Should the other Dublin parties denounce Sinn Fein if they’re gaming the Stormont talks?

Brian Walker on March 30, 2017, 9:40 am

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The Irish Times political editor Stephens Collins enjoys an unusual dual role of senior political reporter and opinionated commentator. It’s not always clear if he’s getting a bead on emerging trends of opinion in politics or simply speaking for himself. Perhaps what Stephen thinks today, many of the guys in Leinster House think tomorrow? Today, he asks the blunt questions about Sinn Fein’s real intentions towards the Assembly. While most of us were struggling with conflicting feelings, he writes off …

Gerry Adams ups the ante on Unity, just as it comes under fresh critical examination

Brian Walker on March 16, 2017, 12:48 pm

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Gerry Adams knows exactly how to deploy sweet reasonableness as a weapon and end up with a perfect circle of obstruction. He had had several “businesslike, friendly engagements” with DUP leader Arlene Foster since the talks began, and he had “no reason to doubt” she was innocent of accusations over the “cash for ash” Renewable Heat Initiative which precipitated this month’s Northern Assembly election. However, the affair needed to be “properly scrutinised”. Why block a resolution of the impasse if …

Even after Enda, the Republic has enough elected politicians with an appetite to get on with their work

Mick Fealty on February 17, 2017, 9:57 am

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After the big confidence debate in the Dail passed with the abstention of Fianna Fail, it does seem that we have a result. It’s looking like the Taoiseach’s ‘false memory’ of a conversation with one of his independent minister has done for him. In reality, it exposes the extent to which Enda Kenny has been reliant on his advisors that he misremembered him having a conversation which in reality happened only between his advisors and those of Katherine Zappone. The …

Stephen Donnelly (late of the Social Democrats) joins Fianna Fail…

Mick Fealty on February 2, 2017, 1:26 pm

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Interesting breaking news in the south concerning Wicklow/East Carlow Independent TD Stephen Donnelly. As The Journal notes “sources say the Wicklow TD had been “actively interested” in joining a political party.” He had been a founding member of the Social Democrats till last summer. He’s shown an impressive grasp of policy ever since coming into the Dail in the wake FF’s defenestration in 2011, but I suspect his search for a party home is born out of frustration at having …

Indian Summer School: Nationalism After Brexit

David McCann on September 17, 2016, 6:50 pm

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THREE rising stars of Irish politics are set to come together to discuss whether Brexit will help or hinder the future prospects for a united Ireland. Sinn Féin MEP Matt Carthy, Fianna Fáil foreign affairs spokesman Darragh O’Brien and the SDLP’s Claire Hanna will take part in a roundtable discussion on the impact of June’s EU referendum result on nationalism at the Lighthouse Summer School in Killough, Co Down. The discussion is based on the premise that Article 50 will be …

Post #Brexit northern nationalism needs its politicians to step up. Enter Fianna Fáil?

Mick Fealty on September 13, 2016, 2:57 pm

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Maybe we were far too rigid in our approach [to partition], too tenacious of our point of view, too proud to temporise or placate… whatever may have been the reason, we made no headway, so our successors must start from “square one”. Sean MacEntee, 1970 The head-quote is from Stephen Kelly’s Fianna Fail, Partition and Northern Ireland 1926 – 1971. It could fit the situation nationalism faces now that Brexit looks set to alter intra-island relations more profoundly than any …

In Brexit dialogues the DUP must be included. The Good Friday Agreement requires it.

Brian Walker on July 18, 2016, 11:39 am

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Sadly, the Sunday Politics programmes have registered no closing of the gap between the DUP and Sinn Fein over “Brexit means Brexit.” Inevitably there is a real danger that narrow politics and positioning will confuse already very difficult issues. But at least they are not the ones aggravating the disagreement at the moment. They appear to be waiting on others for constructive responses. In a measured editorial the Irish News has identified “ an overwhelming case for the introduction of …

Two polls show good news for Fianna Fail

David McCann on July 16, 2016, 6:53 pm

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Two polls out tonight from RedC and the Sunday Times/Behaviour and Attitudes survey show good news for Fianna Fail NEW SBP/Red C Poll: FG 26 (-) FF 29 (+3) SF 13 (-2) Lab 6 (-) IA 5 (+1) Ind 7 (-4) AAA/PBP 5 (-) SD 4 (-) GP 4 (+2) Ren 1 (-) Other 1 (-) — Hugh O’Connell (@oconnellhugh) July 16, 2016 POLL STimes/B&A (Jul 1-11, ±3.3%) FF 30(+5 4wks) FG 25(-1) SF 14(-3) Lab 6(+1) AAAPBP 5(+1) Inds …

SDLP to feed a key NI perspective into the EU’s negotiations with the UK?

Mick Fealty on June 28, 2016, 6:46 am

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So what to make of the implications of Brexit for Northern Ireland? To get the big one out of the road first, no one is going back to war. In fact of all the parts of the UK Northern Ireland is probably the calmest and the least hysterical, and as Newton Emerson put it last night, least embarrassing. There’s been no substantive response from the administration. The Executive has yet to meet and figure out how it will respond. Sinn …

New Dail will be all about who can tag whom with legislative responsibility…

Mick Fealty on April 18, 2016, 10:03 am

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Brilliant from Jason O’Mahony, on the awkward situation Fine Gael now find themselves in. If you still struggle with understanding the difference between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail (and despite all guff being written recently there definitely is one: it’s just not ideological), read this: Someone once said to me that the problem with Fine Gael is that they’re that lethal mixture of being both arrogant and stupid. You can survive by being arrogant but clever, or by being dim but …

A new election would favour no one but Fianna Fáil…

Mick Fealty on April 8, 2016, 6:24 am

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Sarah Bardon in the Irish Times quotes Willie O’Dea… ’ Limerick City TD Willie O’Dea said the people of this country voted to get rid of the outgoing government and the party could not accept any partnership or coalition. He said: “The people who are supporting me and who are asking about my views . . . certainly didn’t contemplate that I would be part of this arrangement which would ultimately involve putting Enda Kenny back as taoiseach and sharing …

Why a Grand Coalition would be a Grand Mistake for Fianna Fail

David McCann on April 7, 2016, 11:01 am

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There is a lot of talk about coalitions and minority governments going on these days since the Irish electorate gave a collective “huh?” to the main parties. As I noted earlier there have now been the first talks between the Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader about possibly forming some sort of grand coalition. It has to happen some commentators say and it has surely been a long time coming, but I want to give a different perspective as to why …

Kenny makes his first serious move towards forming a grand coalition

David McCann on April 7, 2016, 10:09 am

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In the first meeting between the Micheal Martin & Kenny, the Fine Gael Press Office told us about this offer; This evening the Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the Leader of Fianna Fáil Micheal Martin had a positive and constructive meeting during which they discussed the current political situation and options for the formation of a stable and lasting Government. The Taoiseach made a formal offer for the formation of a full partnership Government including Fine Gael, Independents and Fianna Fail …

Leinster House’s deadly slow choreography aimed at giving the 32nd Dail a meaningful narrative?

Mick Fealty on April 6, 2016, 8:52 am

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In the Irish Times Pat Leahy lays out what he thinks will happen in the days after what’s likely to be another choreographed failure to form a government in the Dail today. What will be discussed is not a coalition or even a shared programme, but the terms under which Fianna Fáil might enter into a “confidence and supply” arrangement with a Fine Gael-led minority government. Under such an arrangement, Fianna Fáil would consent to the formation of government (probably …

Sean Haughey, Aodhan O’Riordain and 1916

Johnny Fallon on March 15, 2016, 4:04 pm

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Two 17 year olds took up arms that Easter Monday and waded into a revolution. Two youngsters who would not even have a vote today. Yet they knew what they wanted and believed.

Government Formation: Reconciling Irreconcilables?

Soapbox on March 9, 2016, 9:06 am

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The noise that has emanated from politicians – past and present – and pundits about what the next government might look like has been difficult to make sense of in recent days. Equally trenchant arguments have been made, on the one hand, that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will form a coalition and, on the other, that such a grand coalition is impossible. Some have advocated for a minority Fine Gael government, supported from the opposition benches by Fianna Fáil. …

After #GE16… Fianna Fail emerges with a fresh team and a practical agenda for reform

Mick Fealty on March 1, 2016, 11:29 am

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RISING TIDE: A quick election would only result in small changes up or down, so further ‘executions’ on the electoral field must wait. So Fianna Fail will seek a realignment via engagement and by shifting the narrative frame to the question of who can and cannot deliver change and reform.