Ireland General Discussion

[Tetro Kornbluth]

hahahaha...

Will make a thread on this shortly. Might be a few by-elections coming up actually.

[Oakvale]

Well that happened.

[Јas]

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http://www.thejournal.ie/nicky-mcfadden-death-1377081-Mar2014/

RIP

[ObserverIE]

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http://www.thejournal.ie/nicky-mcfadden-death-1377081-Mar2014/

RIP

Didn't know her personally (I'm in a different end of the constituency), but she always came across as being one of the nicer people in national politics.

In other news, the Garda Commissioner has resigned, and an inquiry has been launched into the prolonged recording of calls into and from Garda stations which seems to have been authorised by the Gardaí themselves. These revelations apparently came to light during a currently ongoing criminal trial *cough*Anglo*cough*.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

RIP.

Didn't expect that.

[MaxQue]

51 is way too young to die. My thought to her children and family.

RIP

[ObserverIE]

RedC (changes since last month):

FG 26 (-3)
FF 22 (-)
SF 21 (+5)
Ind/Oth 19 (-1)
Lab 9 (-2)
GP 3 (+1)

Lowest figures for both FG and Lab in RedC polls since the 2011 election (and RedC's methodology is relatively friendly to parties which are currently unpopular).

[ObserverIE]

[Trigger warning: may cause outbreaks of nausea]

Ipsos/MRBI for the Irish Times (changes since last poll in December):

FG 25 (-5)
FF 25 (+3)
SF 21 (-)
Ind/Oth 21 (+3)
Lab 8 (-1)

I left FG ahead of FF so as not to traumatise the other IE posters too much.

In other news, our local chip-wrapper mentions Aengus O'Rourke (son of "Mammy" and cousin of the Lenihans) as a possible FF candidate for the Longford-Westmeath by-election. Because FF really need to remind the electorate of all of the old dynasties.

[Oakvale]

RIP Ireland (1916-3/4/2014).

[ObserverIE]

RIP Ireland (1916-3/4/2014).

We replaced drunken incompetents with a collection of arrogant and cynical compulsive liars (who are looking to be no less incompetent). What exactly were you expecting?

[Oakvale]

RIP Ireland (1916-3/4/2014).

We replaced drunken incompetents with a collection of arrogant and cynical compulsive liars (who are looking to be no less incompetent). What exactly were you expecting?

The predictability makes it no less depressing.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

[Trigger warning: may cause outbreaks of nausea]

Ipsos/MRBI for the Irish Times (changes since last poll in December):

FG 25 (-5)
FF 25 (+3)
SF 21 (-)
Ind/Oth 21 (+3)
Lab 8 (-1)

I left FG ahead of FF so as not to traumatise the other IE posters too much.

In other news, our local chip-wrapper mentions Aengus O'Rourke (son of "Mammy" and cousin of the Lenihans) as a possible FF candidate for the Longford-Westmeath by-election. Because FF really need to remind the electorate of all of the old dynasties.

For what it's worth FG would still be the largest party (comfortably) if that were to transpire in a GE.

Also, even at that poll FF are still only at the level of the last local elections which was widely considered a disaster for them.

Yes, I'm taking these as crumbs of comfort, thanks...

[ObserverIE]

What poll internals we're likely to get are here.

Figures not really surprising. What recovery there has been is localised in Dublin (and to a lesser extent places like north Kildare and the Lee estuary).

The rest of the country (and the non-middle class areas of Dublin) is still stagnating or going backwards.

Why would they vote for a government mainly composed of upper-middle class Dubliners? (And arrogant, cynical, and not especially competent upper-middle class Dubliners at that.)

[ObserverIE]

Millward/Brown IMS (changes since last month):

FG 29 (+2)
FF 22 (+1)
Ind/Oth 21 (+1)
SF 20 (-1)
Lab 6 (-2)
GP 2 (-)

Behaviour and Attitudes (changes since February):

Ind/Oth 26 (+5)
FG 21 (-9)
FF 20 (+1)
SF 20 (+2)
Lab 9 (-)
GP 4 (+1)

[Tetro Kornbluth]

A bit of.... variation there.

Worth noting: That B&A puts (no, I don't believe the Greens are on 4%, why do you ask?) FG at a lower level than what they achieved in 2002.

We are where we are

[ObserverIE]

A bit of.... variation there.

Worth noting: That B&A puts (no, I don't believe the Greens are on 4%, why do you ask?) FG at a lower level than what they achieved in 2002.

21% and 6% are what the two government parties deserve.

As for the 4%, please spare us that smug bicycling Ranelagh git and his crew of fingerwaggers.

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We have turned so many corners that we have lost count.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

A bit of.... variation there.

Worth noting: That B&A puts (no, I don't believe the Greens are on 4%, why do you ask?) FG at a lower level than what they achieved in 2002.

21% and 6% are what the two government parties deserve.

As for the 4%, please spare us that smug bicycling Ranelagh git and his crew of fingerwaggers.

Oh, I don't disagree with any of that. Although I suspect that's too low in reality (more like 25 and 9%). Also I suspect the Green total is just an artifact of the poll (or people just saying whatever party comes into their head that they don't automatically disapprove of).

The most interesting thing is that SF seem incapable of getting much beyond 20%.

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We have turned so many corners that we have lost count.
[/quote]

Most of us have turned so many corners we've ended up in London, Toronto or Perth.

[ObserverIE]

Most of us have turned so many corners we've ended up in London, Toronto or Perth.

Tell me about it.

In RL, I'm involved with one of the groups in Irish society to whom ritual lip-service is always given during discussion of emigration - the small rural GAA club.

Out of a panel of about 25-30, five have left since last September and I'd only be optimistic about one of those five returning in the foreseeable future. Another two had gone the year before. We're struggling to field teams every week - not always successfully - and every other club I'm dealing with is in the same situation. I take the trumpeted announcements of falling unemployment with bucketloads of salt.

[Јas]

Thanks for the link to the B&A data.

Labour voters approve of Enda Kenny more than of Eamon Gilmore

15% of Farmers went to a performance of ballet or opera in the past year
Women were more likely than men to go to any/all cultural activities over the course of the past year.
C2DE voters were more likely than ABC1 voters to go a book reading over the past year.

The plurality of theatre goers are FF voters.
Green voters don't seem to like going to the circus  - but FF and SF voters are much more enthused by it.
SF voters are the most likely to go to public book readings; but the least likely to read a book yourself for pleasure.

[ObserverIE]

Thanks for the link to the B&A data.

Labour voters approve of Enda Kenny more than of Eamon Gilmore

That one is entirely credible.

FG voters give Gilmore his highest approval rating. They know a good doormat when they see one.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

We are where we are

We have turned so many corners that we have lost count.

Turn enough corners and you find you've ended up back where you started without having accomplished anything for all your travels.

[ObserverIE]

Millward Brown/IMS again (a companion piece to the European election polls discussed elsewhere, and changes since earlier this month):

FG 25 (-4)
FF 23 (+1)
Ind/Oth 23 (+2)
SF 21 (+1)
Lab 6 (-)
GP 2 (-)

A member of the walking dead Labour MEP thinks the Labour leader should resign before the local and European elections.

[Јas]

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http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/socialist-td-higgins-to-retire-at-end-of-d%C3%A1il-term-1.1775871

[Oakvale]

Gerry Adams has been arrested in connection with the murder of Jean McConville.

SF are styling it as a "voluntary meeting".

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Gerry Adams has been arrested in connection with the murder of Jean McConville.

SF are styling it as a "voluntary meeting".

He'll get off on the Cadbury egg defense.