GE16 – Page 3 – Slugger O'Toole

Voters have the opportunity to make history when they elect the 32nd Dáil

Soapbox on February 6, 2016, 11:03 am | Readers 346

Suzanne Collins is the Director of Campaigns and Operations for the organisation Women for Election. As candidate selections continue apace for the Assembly elections in May, potential members of the 32nd Dáil are already out of the traps. As TDs hightailed it out of Leinster House on Wednesday morning, RTÉ correspondents caught up with some of the now no-longer-technically-TDs. Seven (former) TDs were interviewed and they were all men. Finally, a woman got in front of a microphone. The next …

#GE16 Laois: A week out from close of nominations, this looks like an ‘as you were’…

Statler and Waldorf on February 5, 2016, 12:32 pm | Readers 986

Laois Current TDs (The following were the Laois representatives elected in the Laois – Offaly constituency in 2011): Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan TD (Fine Gael), Sean Fleming TD (Fianna Fáil) Brian Stanley TD (Sinn Féin) Total seats in 2016 General Election: 3 Main areas: Portlaoise – population 20,145 Portarlington – population 7,788 Mountmellick – population 4,735 Monasterevin (Co. Kildare) – population 3,710 Abbeyleix – population 1,827 Mountrath – population 1,661 The constituency redraw has divided the old five seat …

#GE16 – The Goss

Johnny Fallon on February 5, 2016, 9:00 am | Readers 983

FF adding candidates, Burtons seat worries, New Party rivalries and the Alan Kelly Rap…its all the Goss from #ge16

Minister’s brother on the miraculous recovery that [almost] no one feels…

Mick Fealty on February 5, 2016, 7:05 am | Readers 1268

Not a great start to the campaign on what should be their strongest card, the economy. Now the Minister of Agriculture’s brother rather inconveniently adds his tuppenceworth: While hailing the achievements of the Government in turning around the economy, Greencore CEO Patrick Coveney said the “great mystery” of the recovery is that “no-one feels it”. At a business conference in Cork, Mr Coveney questioned the success of the Government in ensuring the benefits of the economic recovery were evenly felt …

Election 2016 could be the real ‘earthquake’ Irish election

Soapbox on February 5, 2016, 7:00 am | Readers 1343

In advance of a QPol symposium on General Election 2016 in Queen’s University on 11th February, Dr Muiris MacCarthaigh, a Lecturer in Politics and Public Administration at Queen’s, reflects on the changing political landscape in Ireland Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s recent announcement confirmed that a general election for the 32nd Dáil will take place in a matter of weeks. The last general election in February 2011 was at the time referred to as an ‘earthquake’ in Irish politics. It was precipitated …

#GE16 Dublin South East: Transfers may help Eamon Ryan win a very tight final seat…

Statler and Waldorf on February 4, 2016, 2:50 pm | Readers 940

Dublin Bay South Current TDs (Dublin South East) Ruairi Quinn TD (Labour Party), Lucinda Creighton TD, (Renua – elected as Fine Gael), Eoghan Murphy TD (Fine Gael), Kevin Humphreys TD (Labour Party) The constituency review renamed the old Dublin South East to the much more salubrious sounding Dublin Bay South. An additional population of about 12,500 from around Terenure has been moved into this constituency. Total seats in 2016 General Election: 4 Main Areas: Terenure, Ranelagh, Rathmines, Ballsbridge, Ringsend Candidates: …

#GE16 – The Goss 1

Johnny Fallon on February 4, 2016, 9:03 am | Readers 411

ROUND UP: As #GE16 gets underway we will be taking a look behind the scenes to keep you informed of the latest gossip from the front lines. If you have views or news from your constituency then email [email protected] and keep us posted. All the gossip doing the rounds on the ground from #GE16.

#GE16 Meath West: Strong FF council showing indicates Shane Cassells is for the Dail…

Statler and Waldorf on February 3, 2016, 12:49 pm | Readers 773

Meath West Current TDs Minister for State, Damien English TD (Fine Gael), Ray Butler TD (Fine Gael), Peadar Tóibín TD (Sinn Féin) Total seats in 2016 General Election: 3 Main Areas: Navan – population 28,559 Trim – population 8,268 Enfield – population 2,929 Athboy – population 2,397 Oldcastle – population 1,384 Candidates: Minister for State, Damien English TD, Fine Gael (Navan area) Ray Butler TD, Fine Gael (Trim area) Peadar Tóibín TD, Sinn Féin (Navan area) Tracy McElhinney, Labour (Trim area) …

#GE16 and finally they’re off, let the postering begin…

Mick Fealty on February 3, 2016, 12:31 pm | Readers 343

So, it’s finally happened. The Taoiseach has announced the date of the general election in the south… …Friday February 26 – on Twitter and the phoney war was over – the election campaign is officially over way. Mr Kenny entered the Dáil chamber at 9:32 to make the briefest of statements to announce that it will not sit again until March 10. This is the first of what should be four big news events for Slugger this year. The others include the NI …

7 things to look out for in the Irish General Election

David McCann on February 2, 2016, 8:19 pm | Readers 1781

Enda Kenny will finally call the general election tomorrow, which is likely to be held in the last week of February 2016. In that spirit, I thought I would do up a piece for some folks not as familiar with Southern elections and things to generally look out for. 1.Look out for the canvassers- There was a famous story about the Fine Gael TD, Nora Owen who thought she had a decent chance of topping poll in Dublin North, until …

#GE16 #Donegal: Big push from ‘the Cope’ should ensure Fianna Fáil takes one back…

Statler and Waldorf on February 1, 2016, 4:37 pm | Readers 1408

Donegal Current TDs Donegal South West Pearse Doherty TD (Sinn Féin), Dinny McGinley TD (Fine Gael), Thomas Pringle TD (Independent) Donegal North East Pádraig Mac Lochlainn TD (Sinn Féin), Charlie Mc Conalogue TD, (Fianna Fáil), Joe Mc Hugh TD (Fine Gael) Total seats in 2016 General Election: 5 Donegal is a new 5 seat constituency which has been created by the amalgamation of two former three seat constituencies. Additionally, almost 9,000 people from south of the county have been unceremoniously dumped …

#GE16 Guide to Limerick County: Little time for any “new-fangled” kind of politics…

Statler and Waldorf on January 28, 2016, 12:00 pm | Readers 805

Limerick County Current TDs Patrick O’Donovan TD (Fine Gael), Niall Collins TD (Fianna Fáil), Dan Neville TD (Fine Gael) Total seats in 2016 General Election: 3 Main Areas: Newcastle West, population – 6,327 Abbeyfeale, population – 2,007 Kilmallock, population – 1,635 Rathkeale, population – 1,550 Askeaton, population – 1,149 Adare, population – 1,106 The recent constituency redraw has returned over 13,000 people from around Abbeyfeale in the west of the county who had been exiled to the North Kerry constituency in …

#GE16 Guide to Louth: Champagne on ice for a Sinn Féin two seater certainty…

Statler and Waldorf on January 27, 2016, 1:52 pm | Readers 1279

Louth Current TDs Fergus O’Dowd TD (Fine Gael), Peter Fitzpatrick TD (Fine Gael), Gerry Adams TD (Sinn Féin), Minister of State Ged Nash TD (Labour), Seamus Kirk TD (Fianna Fáil)* * Was automatically returned in 2011 as the outgoing Ceann Comhairle Total seats in 2016 General Election: 5 Main Towns: Drogheda – population 38,578 Dundalk – population 37,816 Ardee – population, 4,927 Candidates of interest: Fergus O’Dowd TD, Fine Gael (Drogheda) Cllr. Imelda Munster, Sinn Féin (Drogheda) Ms. Emma Coffey, …

#GE16 Guide to Mayo: Enjoying the reflected glory of having a Taoiseach..?

Statler and Waldorf on January 25, 2016, 11:44 am | Readers 895

MAYO Current TDs An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD (Fine Gael), Minister of State Michael Ring TD (Fine Gael), Michelle Mulherin TD (Fine Gael), Dara Calleary TD (Fianna Fáil), John O’Mahoney TD (Fine Gael)* *Ballinrobe and its surrounding area in South Mayo, with a population of 10,306, is transferring to the Galway West constituency. Fine Gael’s John O’Mahony has decided to follow these vote into a different constituency. Total seats in 2016 General Election: 4 (Reduced by one) Main Towns: Castlebar – …

#GE16 Guide to Dún Laoghaire: Hanafin to play the ‘hare’ for Labour and Fine Gael candidates

Statler and Waldorf on January 22, 2016, 12:39 pm | Readers 956

HARD ROAD: Candidates who get into the frame on the first count generally hang in to take the seats. Fianna Fail’s Mary Hanafin will hope that this rule of thumb holds, but unless her party’s fortunes improve during the course of the campaign she may play the role of hare for the Labour and Fine Gael candidates coursing behind her.

#GE16 Guide to Cork SW: A bellwether for Fianna Fáil’s revival (or lack of one)…

Statler and Waldorf on January 20, 2016, 6:15 pm | Readers 1365

MUST WIN: Leader Micheál Martin has invested a lot of personal energy into the promotion of Margaret Murphy O’Mahony. She’s geographically well placed and the party generally has enough support for one seat. If they don’t succeed here it will be a dark day for Martin’s leadership.

Fine Gael’s #GE16 pre-campaign campaign does not augur well for the real thing…

Derek Mooney on January 15, 2016, 4:55 pm | Readers 1182

MORE DAVRO THAN BERTIE: This is now a zero sum game. Loss of ground by Fine Gael over the campaign will automatically translate into a Fianna Fáil gain. Fianna Fáil will have to make its own ground in this one and will need to land some hefty punches on Enda, Leo, Michael and Simon. It cannot depend on Enda and Fine Gael to just lose it.

S&W’s #GE16 Guide to Wexford: Beware the independent who doesn’t fix potholes

Statler and Waldorf on January 14, 2016, 2:43 pm | Readers 1201

#GE16 PROFILE: For many years Wexford has been considered one of the country’s most stable constituencies. This cosy set up was blown apart in 2011 by Mick Wallace, the larger than life socialist developer originally from South Wexford, who announced his candidacy less than four weeks from the election day.

#GE16 is shaping up to be a three (and 4/3) horse race…

Mick Fealty on January 7, 2016, 7:07 am | Readers 1090

ELECTION 2016 (I): A grand coalition is unlikely. FF’s messages may be fuzzy and narrative unclear, but the machine is in working order with good candidates coming through. FG may have to patch up Labour, Renua, the Soc Dems and/or the rag bag independent rest. Or, they might just have do it all on their own.

Monaghan FF candidates all withdraw from convention

Johnny Fallon on December 1, 2015, 2:49 pm | Readers 1081

Fianna Fail has been having a lot of problems with conventions to select General Election candidates. Normally the problems arise because someone doesn’t get on the ticket. However, the exact opposite will be the case in Monaghan tonight. While Fianna Fail will select a Cavan based candidate the strategy is also to have a running mate in Monaghan. This makes electoral sense for the party. However as of today, the three names in the running, Robbie Gallagher, Seamus Coyle and …