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Author Topic: Ireland General Discussion  (Read 275970 times)
ObserverIE
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« Reply #1025 on: December 05, 2014, 06:21:21 PM »


I dtreo an bhua i gcónaí, as Che Guevara might have said had he ended up in Kilgarvan.
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Oakvale
oakvale
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« Reply #1026 on: December 06, 2014, 10:00:27 AM »

Some interesting findings from that horrible poll here. SF somehow score best on "lowering taxes" and "protecting the most vulnerable" which really says everything you need to know about Irish politics at the moment.
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ObserverIE
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« Reply #1027 on: December 06, 2014, 10:53:03 AM »

Some interesting findings from that horrible poll here. SF somehow score best on "lowering taxes" and "protecting the most vulnerable" which really says everything you need to know about Irish politics at the moment.

If you classify the water charge as a tax and look at it from the standpoint of those who are not in a position to benefit from FG's insistence on income tax cuts for the better-off, then it's not as illogical as it looks.
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ObserverIE
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« Reply #1028 on: December 06, 2014, 02:30:27 PM »

Some interesting findings from that horrible poll here.

Nothing to worry about in any case; the incomparable Stephen Collins sees "germs of hope" in the poll for Fine Gael.

I'm not exactly sure which germs, though. Hopefully not Ebola.
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Tetro Kornbluth
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« Reply #1029 on: December 06, 2014, 04:52:30 PM »
« Edited: December 06, 2014, 09:18:32 PM by Tetro Kornbluth »

Stephen Collins is a demented parody of himself. The worst sort of Irish journalist.
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ObserverIE
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« Reply #1030 on: December 07, 2014, 12:08:12 PM »
« Edited: December 07, 2014, 12:22:23 PM by ObserverIE »

What's this I've heard about a supposed new party lead by Shane Ross and/or Lucinda Creighton?

There's been talk about a new political party led by Creighton ever since she was driven out of FG in the summer of 2013 (a move by Enda Kenny which was wildly and unanimously applauded at the time by our sheep-like political press corps and commentariat).

I think there are two difficulties with a potential Creighton party.

1) It gets taken over by the culture-war brigade. The flock of sheep with laptops referred to above would have us believe that a conservative stance on bedroom issues is in itself electoral poison. I'm not convinced by that argument myself (the country extends well beyond the sheep's South Dublin paddocks), but I don't think that there are very many voters who are solely concerned with these issues - on either side of the arguments - although the ones who are tend to shout very loudly.

2) I don't see how you outflank a FG party, seemingly solely focussed on cutting income tax on higher earners and serving the business interests of the American Chamber of Commerce and a certain Maltese-based O'Ligarch, from the right on economics. I'm not even sure that there's much of an appetite for wingnut economics beyond the internet.
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politicus
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« Reply #1031 on: December 07, 2014, 12:19:38 PM »


Name?
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ObserverIE
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« Reply #1032 on: December 07, 2014, 02:03:12 PM »




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_O%27Brien
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Oakvale
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« Reply #1033 on: December 07, 2014, 02:29:14 PM »

Never let it be said that I'm an admirer of the Irish political punditocracy but exiling Lucinda Creighton to (however temporary) political Antarctica is probably the best thing Kenny's done in his career. I can't imagine her long-awaited political party - the, er, RA - would amount to much if it actually happens considering it would be little more than Fine Gael, but more so.

Sidenote about Dennis O'Brien (who I don't particularly care about either way - he's a bit of a sleazebag but that's millionaires for you) - there were four or five crusties "protesting" at a Topaz garage down the road from me. Apparently because Dennis O'Brien owns a ~25% share in the business they were hoping to blockade the place and stop cars from entering. No shrieking of PEACEFUL PROTEST while throwing bricks at the police, though.
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ObserverIE
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« Reply #1034 on: December 07, 2014, 02:46:12 PM »
« Edited: December 07, 2014, 03:05:23 PM by ObserverIE »

Never let it be said that I'm an admirer of the Irish political punditocracy but exiling Lucinda Creighton to (however temporary) political Antarctica is probably the best thing Kenny's done in his career. I can't imagine her long-awaited political party - the, er, RA - would amount to much if it actually happens considering it would be little more than Fine Gael, but more so.

They can try presenting themselves as a more principled, less compromised version of FG. The candidate they supported in the Dublin South West by-election (McMahon) came close to outpolling FG (although that was as much due to the collapse in government support as anything else).

I think Kenny overplayed it by announcing that none of the expelled TDs would be allowed to stand in the following election. Better to have let things cool down gradually.

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http://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/water-protesters-interpret-topaz-chief-s-call-for-dictatorship-as-high-octane-1.2011077

Little trifles like mobile phone licences and contracts for water meter installation seem to have a habit of falling into Denis's lap under FG governments. I don't think FG are going to repeat the mistake of antagonising the country's main media owner that the Rainbow made over MMDS and television deflectors in the 90s, and indeed Independent Newspapers seem to have moved into full-on fawning mode on Kenny and FG in recent times. Not that it's doing FG much good.
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Oakvale
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« Reply #1035 on: December 07, 2014, 02:58:48 PM »
« Edited: December 07, 2014, 03:00:29 PM by oakvale »

Never let it be said that I'm an admirer of the Irish political punditocracy but exiling Lucinda Creighton to (however temporary) political Antarctica is probably the best thing Kenny's done in his career. I can't imagine her long-awaited political party - the, er, RA - would amount to much if it actually happens considering it would be little more than Fine Gael, but more so.

They can try presenting themselves as a more principled, less compromised version of FG. The candidate they supported in the Dublin South West by-election (McMahon) came close to outpolling FG (although that was as much due to the collapse in government support as anything else).

I think Kenny overplayed it by announcing that none of the expelled TDs would be allowed to stand in the following election. Better to let things cool down gradually.

That's true but (as I recall) McMahon very explicitly ran as I AM AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE despite his support from the Creighton circle. Once the shine wore off a new party - and I don't think that would take long - I'm not sure that a Reform Alliance candidate would do as well. I could see the 'RA ending up as at best a kind of Independent Fianna Fáil organisation for cowering Fine Gael candidates.

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Hahahahaha I did not see this. That's incredible. He should be a Reform Alliance candidate. Or at least learn that people on the political left tend to lack a sense of humour.

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...there was about three people when I wander past a couple of weeks back but perhaps I was early (or this was some unrelated protest).
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ObserverIE
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« Reply #1036 on: December 07, 2014, 03:44:56 PM »


Hahahahaha I did not see this. That's incredible. He should be a Reform Alliance candidate. Or at least learn that people on the political left tend to lack a sense of humour.

I would have thought he would fit perfectly well into the Fine Gael golf/rugby club bore demographic.
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ObserverIE
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« Reply #1037 on: December 08, 2014, 08:32:57 PM »

Sinéad O'Connor announces her decision to join Sinn Féin.

The beleaguered Labour leader decides to relax a little on hearing the news:

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morgieb
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« Reply #1038 on: December 09, 2014, 02:43:34 AM »

Nothing compares to Sinn Fein, I guess.
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ObserverIE
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« Reply #1039 on: December 16, 2014, 12:29:10 PM »
« Edited: December 20, 2014, 01:11:23 PM by ObserverIE »

Referendum on same-sex marriage to be held next May.

Along with a by-election in Carlow-Kilkenny and two other a referendums on lowering the voting age to 16 and on lowering the age requirement to stand for the Presidency from 35 to 21.

Both of these were proposed by the Constitutional Convention, though narrowly in the case of the reduction in voting age.

A related Constitutional Convention proposal to make it easier for candidates to actually acquire a nomination to stand in the Presidential election by lowering the hurdles (currently 20 members of the Dáil or Seanad or the support of three county councils) and which received more widespread support from the Convention than the other two proposals (forum members may remember the difficulties that David Norris had in standing in 2011) isn't being put to the people. Funny that.
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ObserverIE
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« Reply #1040 on: December 20, 2014, 01:34:17 PM »
« Edited: January 05, 2015, 11:53:11 AM by ObserverIE »

Christmas presents for our dear leaders:

RedC for the Sunday Business Post:

Ind/Oth 28 (+1)
SF 24 (+2)
FG 21 (-1)
FF 19 (+1)
Lab 6 (-2)
GP 2 (-1)

IMS/Millward Brown for the Sunday Independent:

Ind/Oth 32 (+9)
FG 22 (-)
SF 21 (-5)
FF 18 (-2)
Lab 5 (-2)
GP 2 (+1)

Behaviour & Attitudes for the Sunday Times:

Ind/Oth 29 (+4)
FG 24 (-1)
SF 22 (+3)
FF 18 (-)
Lab 5 (-4)
GP 1 (-2)
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Tetro Kornbluth
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« Reply #1041 on: December 20, 2014, 02:15:07 PM »

as I said earlier: lol
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Oakvale
oakvale
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« Reply #1042 on: December 20, 2014, 02:17:42 PM »

Grim. At least I can enjoy the Sindo spin.

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afleitch
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« Reply #1043 on: December 27, 2014, 10:45:34 AM »

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/26/ireland-court-rules-brain-dead-pregnant-womans-life-support-switched-off

Thank f-ck.
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Tetro Kornbluth
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« Reply #1044 on: December 30, 2014, 04:50:20 PM »



God bless the 30 year rule.
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Filuwaúrdjan
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« Reply #1045 on: December 30, 2014, 07:49:13 PM »

Best 30yr rule revelation ever?
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ObserverIE
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« Reply #1046 on: December 30, 2014, 07:57:47 PM »

It doesn't really tell us anything about Boxcar Willie that a protozoan of moderate intelligence couldn't have guessed.
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politicus
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« Reply #1047 on: December 31, 2014, 06:31:00 AM »

1986 isn't 30 years ago. How is this related to the 30 year rule?
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afleitch
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« Reply #1048 on: December 31, 2014, 06:48:37 AM »

1986 isn't 30 years ago. How is this related to the 30 year rule?

The 'rule' is in transition. Some documents from 20-30 years ago can be released if cleared.
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ObserverIE
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« Reply #1049 on: January 14, 2015, 08:43:12 AM »
« Edited: January 14, 2015, 06:12:36 PM by ObserverIE »

RedC for Paddy Power

Ind/Oth 27 (-1)
FG 24 (+3)
SF 21 (-3)
FF 18 (-1)
Lab 8 (+2)
GP 1 (-1)
#Lucinda 1 (+1)

As a matter of interest, in comparison with the Paddy Power poll carried out this time last year, changes over 12 months are: FG -4, FF -4, Lab -2, GP -1, SF +3, Ind/#Lucinda +8
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