Ireland

[DublinMagyar]

It's like the house of lords but elected. When push came to shove I guess the people wanted the status quo, another chamber of scrutiny. Like I say its members are elected so not as tragic as the Lords. Reason it would have gone to referendum is that any significant constitutional change must go to referendum hence Ireland has loads of them.[mention=51151]DublinMagyar[/mention]. May have some more insight

If I remember correctly the vote was pretty close but turnout not great. There was a lot of anger at the time that the Senate had done f**k all for years.

 

Had forgotten all about the referendum tbh

 

[Kejan]

Cheers Lambie and Dublin. I'll have a proper read tomorrow, but I thought it was something like the Taoiseach picked some of the Senators and the rest were elected through civil forums? That may well be nonsense I'm staying there. 

Roll on the election! It's STV isn't it? Like a Scots council election (so the count wouldn't be until 9am on the Sunday?) 

 

[John Lambies Doos]

If I remember correctly the vote was pretty close but turnout not great. There was a lot of anger at the time that the Senate had done f**k all for years. 
Had forgotten all about the referendum tbh
 

In fairness it's quite easy to forget about Irish referendums as there's one every 3 days [emoji23]

[Kejan]

5 hours ago, John Lambies Doos said:

In fairness it's quite easy to forget about Irish referendums as there's one every 3 days

Does your mum still get a vote Lambie? Or do you have to be resident in Ireland?

 

[John Lambies Doos]

Does your mum still get a vote Lambie? Or do you have to be resident in Ireland?
 

You need to be on the voting register which she's not. Voting in Ireland differs depending on citizenship.
Ie an Irish Citizen ( so my mum and also myself) can vote in presidential, referendums, dail(general), local and European.
A UK citizen can vote on all of above except Presidential and Referendum
EU citizens can vote in Local and EU elections only.
Obviously you need to be on voting register .@DublinMagyar. Have you got your citizenship yet, you must be well entitled to it now? Beneficial with Brexit looming

[Kejan]

Think FG had a wee bit of lead around the Brexit talks, think the last poll was quite tight between them and FF. 

How popular are SF in the south? IIR, they did quite well 2 council elections ago but did pretty poorly in the most recent local election losing most of those seats plus more. 

With the votes sitting over night, does RTÈ do a exit poll at 10pm? 

Will PBP make a break through of some sort? The odd time I've heard Eamonn McCann or Gerry Carroll, they've came across well in the north. 

Sorry, I should just Google this but nice we've got some locals on PnB, but last question for noo, but are the Rae-Healy clan still on the go? I was in Ireland before some election and I mind seeing the auld lad on some program.

[John Lambies Doos]

Think FG had a wee bit of lead around the Brexit talks, think the last poll was quite tight between them and FF. 
How popular are SF in the south? IIR, they did quite well 2 council elections ago but did pretty poorly in the most recent local election losing most of those seats plus more. 
With the votes sitting over night, does RTÈ do a exit poll at 10pm? 
Will PBP make a break through of some sort? The odd time I've heard Eamonn McCann or Gerry Carroll, they've came across well in the north. 
Sorry, I should just Google this but nice we've got some locals on PnB, but last question for noo, but are the Rae-Healy clan still on the go? I was in Ireland before some election and I mind seeing the auld lad on some program.

Re. SF I think there was a perception that they would do well when Mary Lou took charge (ie the old guard had moved on which had previously prevented some from the south voting for them). With saying that I don't think the support materialised at previous Local/European elections. However now stormont is back up and running and Brexit implications this may change.
Re. The Healy Rays, yes my understanding is the Kerry mafia still exist... In fact I was reading RTE few weeks ago and think one of them was done for assault. If the Healy Rae's had there way drink driving would be totally legal over in Ireland

[Jacksgranda]

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/news/healyrae-brothers-found-guilty-of-assault-38729355.html

[DublinMagyar]

You need to be on the voting register which she's not. Voting in Ireland differs depending on citizenship.
Ie an Irish Citizen ( so my mum and also myself) can vote in presidential, referendums, dail(general), local and European.
A UK citizen can vote on all of above except Presidential and Referendum
EU citizens can vote in Local and EU elections only.
Obviously you need to be on voting register .[mention=51151]DublinMagyar[/mention]. Have you got your citizenship yet, you must be well entitled to it now? Beneficial with Brexit looming

Haven't started the process yet.

I'll have Scottish EU citizenship in the next few years anyway

[DublinMagyar]

FG v FF head to head debate tonight

2 Blairs being Blair

Still a 100 times better than Corbyn v May/Boris

[John Lambies Doos]

FG v FF head to head debate tonight

2 Blairs being Blair

Still a 100 times better than Corbyn v May/Boris

How did it go? Two peas in a pod imo.
Btw, Wats the perception of sinn fein over there. I saw an opinion poll that had them on over 20% of vote, only couple points behind FG. Are they serious challengers, many people assumed they may be post Adams and McGuiness

[Bully Wee Villa]

Aren't Fine Gael and Fianna Foil basically the same? Always puzzled me that a nation of radicals fought for years to become independent so they could get to choose between two different Tory parties to run the place.

[John Lambies Doos]

Aren't Fine Gael and Fianna Foil basically the same? Always puzzled me that a nation of radicals fought for years to become independent so they could get to choose between two different Tory parties to run the place.

Fine Gael believed in the treaty, (Michael Collins), and Fianna Fail (de Valera) didn't. In fact some saw it as pure opportunistic behaviour by the latter. This of course led to the civil war etc etc. Fine Gael were also seen during the 30's as slightly facist whilst Fail was staunchly Republic. Gael used to get a large farmers vote, Fail business. However as you say over the last decade or two they have been virtually the same. In fact in the last dail, Fail have been propping up Gael in a confidence and supply. It would be like labour propping up Tories... Ian Murray [emoji23]

[Bully Wee Villa]

That explains it, ta. Knew it was to do with the treaty but can never remember which side is which.

I've always been sympathetic to Collins (this may just be because I've seen the film) and not so keen on EDV (sending a letter of condolence to Germany when Hitler died wasn't a good look).

Edited January 23, 2020 by Bully Wee Villa

[DublinMagyar]

How did it go? Two peas in a pod imo.Btw, Wats the perception of sinn fein over there. I saw an opinion poll that had them on over 20% of vote, only couple points behind FG. Are they serious challengers, many people assumed they may be post Adams and McGuiness

Sinn Fein polling just behind FF at the moment. Definitely an improved perception of SF especially amongst the young but they still have "baggage"I expect they'll pick up a few TDs but nothing spectacular-yet!

 

 

 

[DublinMagyar]

How did it go? Two peas in a pod imo.
Btw, Wats the perception of sinn fein over there. I saw an opinion poll that had them on over 20% of vote, only couple points behind FG. Are they serious challengers, many people assumed they may be post Adams and McGuiness

And the debate was feckin awful

[speckled tangerine]

On 16/01/2020 at 19:45, Jacksgranda said:

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/news/healyrae-brothers-found-guilty-of-assault-38729355.html

Jackie Healy-Rae (senior-deceased) was actually a bang on local TD in all fairness. When my sister in law had a brain anyneusm there was all sorts of nonsense about payments but he saw that everything was sorted.

He was bent as f**k though. I think he got done for fiddling expenses before he died. Also, when I was working in Killarney in 2002 during another election time I was introduced to him by a mate. He asked if I was voting for him but said I wasn't  registered. "I'll get you a vote" and true to his word he did. I voted sinn fein.

Danny Healy-Rae is a clown. Fairies and all that pish. I think Michael is a councillor. There's  a daughter kicking about these days maybe also a councillor. The really young ones are total arseholes just as the article describes.

I have no doubt my in laws will vote Healy-Rae as they do manage to get a bit done in Kerry. They're always available too round the pubs.

Avoid kilgarvin though.

[John Lambies Doos]

That explains it, ta. Knew it was to do with the treaty but can never remember which side is which.
I've always been sympathetic to Collins (this may just be because I've seen the film) and not so keen on EDV (sending a letter of condolence to Germany when Hitler died wasn't a good look).

EDV really set Collins up to be fair. It was always going to be very difficult to sell the treaty. A bit like if the liebor scottish branch try and sell Devo max max max ultra max etc etc

[John Lambies Doos]

The Healy Raes are everything that's wrong with Irish politics and the people that vote for them are everything that's wrong with Ireland

You have to admire the brassballs of their central conceit though, that they are the little guys sticking up for their own kind when they are multimillionaires whose businesses rely massively on government contracts

It will be blueshirt /FF coalition in some form again,the electorate is to risk averse to vote Sinn Fein

Pearse Doherty as potential Taoiseach would win them more votes across the board than Marylou though 

Throw in Michael Lowry to this too

 

[Tutankhamen]

11 hours ago, John Lambies Doos said:

Fine Gael believed in the treaty, (Michael Collins), and Fianna Fail (de Valera) didn't. In fact some saw it as pure opportunistic behaviour by the latter. This of course led to the civil war etc etc. Fine Gael were also seen during the 30's as slightly facist whilst Fail was staunchly Republic. Gael used to get a large farmers vote, Fail business. However as you say over the last decade or two they have been virtually the same. In fact in the last dail, Fail have been propping up Gael in a confidence and supply. It would be like labour propping up Tories... Ian Murray

Not as far fetched in present day Scotland.

Tories and SLAB would probably back each other if it came to it faced with grabbing power from the SNP.