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

Is it time for an Irish variation on Godwin’s Law? You know, the bloggers’ convention that says anyone who invokes Jews or the Holocaust in a political discussion is automatically deemed to have lost the argument? Our version might apply to anyone raising the spectre of the men of 1916. Anyone with a case to [...]

Lots of late night announcements accompanied the NAMA committee session which ended at 5.30 or so this morning with the National Asset Managmenet Agency bill passing through committee stage. But hold on a second, two vital changes have been made with a further one promised. The SPV – if you dont want people to know [...]

If you look up the definition of young you come across amongst other meanings Lacking experience; immature. So Young Fine Gael can easily be called “Immature Fine Gael”. From The Irish Times: Young Fine Gael members clashed with Cóir representatives outside the anti-Lisbon Treaty organisation’s headquarters in Dublin city centre this morning. Fine Gael’s youth [...]

From Labour Halloween is now well and truly here. What was once a time for religious celebration is now in many cases an excuse for anti-social behaviour. Yes indeed Halloween was once a religious celebration but before it was actually called Halloween. As we all know Halloween comes from the festival of Samhain a pagan [...]

The emerging description over the last 24 hours concerning what caused shares in Irish banks to crash is a good case study in how easily a distorted narrative takes hold in the media. Let’s work backwards. Today Brian Lenihan said that his remarks during the Dail committee stage of NAMA yesterday were not a significant [...]

The latest round of social partnership is like watching a bunch of regular patrons at a country dance; each prepared to give the other a twirl around the floor but in a tired, bored, half-hearted sort of way since they ran out of meaningful things to say to one another a long time ago. The [...]

John Bruton actually got the presidency of the European Council? Mr Bruton, the current EU Ambassador to Washington, has declared his interest in the position and has written to the US-based ambassadors from all 27 EU member states seeking the support of their governments. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has also been lobbying hard [...]

From the Irish Independent. JUNIOR minister Conor Lenihan lobbied his older brother, the Finance Minister, to have his friend – Allied Irish Banks’ whistleblower Tony Spollen– appointed to the board of one of the banks last year. Ah Conor Lenihan he of Kebabgate is again in the news. It seems that when ever I hear [...]

This is Bank of Ireland’s ordinary share price on the Irish Stock Exchange today. It fell 18 percent in early trading before recovering a bit (edit: and then closing down 25% on the day). Market chatter said it was because there would be a delay in transfer of loans into NAMA, which had been expected [...]

It is difficult to know what to make of the article in today’s Irish Independent that suggests the Euro-crat elite in Brussels would look favourably upon the Irish proposing Mary Coughlan as the next Commissioner – with her likely portfolio being in Agriculture. The idea is not entirely preposterous, her style of governing (yes, she [...]

Now I have not previously posted a strictly “Ireland not as bad as you think” post but I will submit our Health Service being listed as 13th out of 33 European Countries and our low crime rate to the not as bad as you think list. So today the World Economic Forum has released their [...]

The whole Donal Og Cusask controversy has passed me by the last few weeks. Now Donal Og coming out has not really changed my opinion of the Guy. He is still a crap goalie. (Then again I am from Tipp). But the media forray that this has created has shown a very deep set prejudice [...]

It all appears quite settled at the moment. Tomorrows Sunday Business Post poll figures are as follows (via Neil): Ff 25 +1, fg 35, lab 19 +1, g 3-1, sf 9+1, ind 9-2. No other figures It is very interesting that two pieces of political theatre-keenly watched by media and politicos, ourselves included; the resignation [...]

In case the drink-driving situation is acting as a distraction (as suggested in our comments yesterday), the Committee stage of the NAMA legislation begins this morning. You can watch it live in our sidebar for the day. There are loads of amendments to get through – 99 from Fine Gael (pdf), 56 from Labour as [...]

From Front page of Fianna Fail website advertising their Youth Conference in Bundoran I have to wonder what Hector is doing there.

It seems backbenchers have found their issue on which to fracture the government. After the meeting with Noel Dempsey last night relating to new lower drink-driving limits the backbenchers from the Soldiers of Destiny are out, in the open, attributable and briefing against their own transport minister. From the Irish Times: Mr Dempsey presented a [...]