Irish Election - Coverage of Irish Politics, News and Current Affairs

How does Dermot Desmond always manage to pop up as a key shareholder in critical moments?  He sold his Greencore shares near their peak to Liam Carroll!

The first round of CAO offers went out today, but those who have done well enough in their Leaving Cert to proceed to university may be the last ones to do so for free. The return of fees was probably inevitable even before the economy ran dry. Even so, the performance of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) on the issue over the past year or so is [...]

The chemist chop I went into to pick up a few things had a notice on the counter to say it wasn’t their fault, it was Mary Harney’s. They couldn’t fill HSE prescriptions and their best advice to patients was to contact Mary Harney – office address and phone numbers supplied – or their local [...]

Constantin Gurdgiev rips into Alan Ahearne, the economic advisor to the minister for finance.

Warning 1: I am about to attempt mathematics. I am a journalist. Warning 2: I am about attempt electoral mathematics. I am a journalist. Warning 3: I know you can’t reduce voting preferences to maths, so don’t bring that up. Yes this is speculation for the sake of discussion. I am a journalist. – I [...]

Twitter / Fergus O’Rourke: The “yes” side look set to … The "yes" side look set to "blow-it " again

Veteran FF Deputy Ned O’Keeffe tells The Corkman “I have to put my hand up and admit that we did mismanage certain parts of the economy, in particular the construction sector. As a backbencher I was quick to point this out at the time, unfortunately my warnings fell on deaf ears”. Any one remember Ned [...]

I imagine that was the response of the government to that offer from a Canadian bank mentioned on the front page of the Irish Times today. Below however is the key paragraph for us all to recall. Canada is the only state in the Group of Seven largest industrialised countries not to support its banks [...]

Pat Cox yesterday morning delivered a speech down the country making plain the case for Europe. Of course Cox is running hard with his Ireland for Europe grouping trying to get some traction on the Yes side for Lisbon II as well as getting a credible claim in for credit at the other end. Many [...]

Whatever the Department of Finance believe, this is a big deal. Banks now get to put a receiver in place to get a hold of assets and return as much value to the creditor as possible. NAMA’s function with regard to these 6 companies and potentially all of Carroll’s other companies/liabilities is now moot. I [...]

Today one of the most important reports on Ireland was released. No not Bord Snip Nua Nua. The CSO’s Measuring Ireland’s progress. I would urge everyone to have a read of it. I am sure the papers will only cover it in passing. No special supplements but it is a great resource. It is a bloggers [...]

A spokesman for the Garda Representative Association speaking 0n Newstalk’s Lunchtime with Eamon Keane today said young gardai would be more  susceptible to bribery if they were paid less. Newstalk don’t podcast their shows so I can’t quote the GRA man directly, his basic argument was “cutting the pay of young guards would make bribes [...]

He was one of my potential movers. Is John McGuinness lining one up? He has been stirring it within Fianna Fáil and critical of party leadership but has yet to do anything about it, as far as I remember… “There will come critical times or moments or events that will determine whether a new leadership [...]

…that the people, in whose hands all power rests, will realise the appalling vista of a broken Ireland” Gavin’s latest post is a must-read… “What is wrong with Ireland?” Whenever and wherever corruption is discovered, nothing happens. Whenever and wherever whistles are blown, nothing happens. We live in a country where the very idea of accountability, [...]

What is Wrong with Ireland? Essential reading. That is all I can say.

As Cian points out, the Government’s majority is potentially down to the vote of one TD after Sligo-North Leitrim TDs Eamon Scanlon and Jimmy Devins resigned the Fianna Fáil whip today. The Government now has 83 votes, including Jim McDaid but not today’s two. It consists of 72 Fianna Fáil TDs, 6 Greens, two former [...]