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

Much of page 12 in today’s Irish Times is given to follow-up articles on yesterday’s conference on political reform. Like most conferences, it had its good parts and…
I spent the day in a bunker-like lecture hall deep in the bowels TCD’s Arts Block listening to highly-informed journalists and academics. The vast majority of the speakers were either insightful, educational or [...]

So the new Lisbon deal will be formally agreed with our EU colleagues over the next couple of days.  The media coverage is going be particularly unreliable on this one, because the line to the media from Brian Cowen and Micheal Martin will be to show their efforts in extracting every possible concession and driving [...]

In case you missed it earlier here’s the entrance of Maureen O’Sullivan TD and George Lee TD into the Dáil Chamber this afternoon.

The Fianna Fáil second tier are dripping into the count centre as we speak. Sean Haughey was first – arriving about an hour ago. Pat Carey popped in a half-hour later. Mary Hanafin is the latest, she sauntered in quietly under the radar and hugged Maurice Ahern while most cameras wern’t switched on – mine [...]

The first analysis from 1990 to the 2009 (tallies only) of the local election results in Limerick City with special thanks to John Browne and FiannaFuddy (politics.ie).

Blink and you would miss it, a speech written to get traction with the press on how Cowen is ‘getting a grip of the campaign’ and taking it ‘by the scruff of the neck’ to bring his demoralised troops over the line kicking and screaming. Like when he intervened in the general election 2007, the [...]

Whether you are angry or calm, voters need to get on the register to vote at the June elections. Not only have we a local and a European election, we have two by-elections and the potential to send major political messages. Whatever your feelings privately on politics and leadership, you need to make them public [...]

From Labour Angry voters urged to check their electoral register
So should people who are not angry possibly only slighty mift not check it? Anyway.  As the man says. 
With the electoral register for the local elections, due to close at 5pm, Monday 18 May, it is vitally important that voters make sure that they are on it!
You [...]

Fintan O Toole has an interesting article in the Times this morning from an electoral point of view. The thesis has been expounded before, at key points in recent electoral history, Labour has stepped forward to prevent the implosion of the civil war division and give either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael the kiss of [...]

It’s that time again with the European election nominations just closed that you might actually be interested in what your MEP has been up to for the last term. Want to check how they voted or how often they were in Brussel ? Thanks to http://votewatch.eu you can.

From the Corkman 
Fianna Fail politicians have disclosed the highest proportion of donations at more than €94,000.
The Labour Party declared more than €40,000 and Fine Gael more than 24,000, while the Greens disclosed just €1,200 worth of donations.
Labour Senator Alan Kelly received the highest amount at more than €35,000, followed by former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at [...]

The German ambassador’s reply to inquiries as to his comments at an event in Tralee on Tuesday. The ambassador was there because of new cultural linkups between Tralee and Frankfurt, his reported comments were incendiary locally – consdiering the high number of ‘no’ voters at the last Lisbon campaign and the re-election of Martin Ferris [...]

John Bowman and Questions and Answers are to finish up at the end of its June 2009 run. Maybe it was all Suzy and Simon’s live blogging shenanigans or just the need to take a format that was running tired and get something in. For politicos it is probably a sad enough day, especially if [...]

Some intersting tweets coming out of the Ard Fheis, it is definitely boiler plate stuff so far. Perhaps it is understandable that the bulk of the non televised event would be run of the mill stuff. As it moves toward a midday lull, the good news is bloggers are fed and watered. GAvin is posting [...]

We don’t discuss the topic of electoral reform here on Irish Election, so I thought I’d throw out some crazy ideas I’ve had on how we can reform the process to fix some of the endemic problems in our system of government.