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

Hopefully they won’t burn themselves out. The Irish Pirate Review is only a few hours old, but is producing excellent stuff - their take on the de Rossa story is hilarious.

“If I tell ‘ee that most chroniclers hold that the Republic be a landlubber economy, you will laugh the joyless, sardonic laugh of the true sea dog.” So opens the Irish Pirate Review, a satirical version of the Irish Left Review.

A name like Balls will always give rise to some obvious slagging, so with the British Secretary for Education Ed Balls and Jack Straw reputedly having exhcanged ‘verbals’, A Kick in the Balls game was born. Well worth a look - thanks to Guido for the pointer.

Fine Gael launch a detailed policy document with plans to streamline government by reducing the number of state agencies, increase their accountablity and make savings of €200m for the tax-payer.

How MEPs Work is ideal for all you worried about the minute of our MEPs actions. If you fret about how those attendance records stack up in a European comparison or spend your nights wondering about how strong the whip system is in the European Parliament then How MEPs Work from the Romanian Public Political [...]

Comments on political PR and the web from a European perspective.

The most peculiar, Pravada like behaviour of the Anderstown News, which saw the censorship of a columnist and a front page apology to Gerry Adams for suggesting he may not be God incarnate, has (unfortunately) not been much covered in the Free State. Slugger is continuing to run on it, while the Splintered Sunrise has [...]

EU Commissioner Margot Wallström has called for more women to hold positions at the top end of the European Union, and suggested a number of names of prominent women who could hold the Presidency of the European Council, Parliament or Commission, including our own Mary Robinson. Robinson would have strong appeal amongst the Socialist Parties, [...]

British Trade Mark blog, IPKat has an interesting piece about how a Patrick Melly (a most interesting character) tried - and almost succeeded - in a sharp stunt to gain legal ownership of the names of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

All Smoke and Mirrors: Johnny Gormless
JL gives his response to yesterday’s political machinations. Nice bit of cartoon-photoshopping.

Michael Smith’s Blog
Remeber Michael Smith? he is back, and he is blogging about corruption and politics in Ireland. Have a read.

Blogging in the third person
As an example of politicians blogging - talking of oneself in the third person is not a great idea.

The New York Times on birthright citizenship in Ireland, when the parents are illegal immigrants. It’s a big issue in the USA too.

Paisley Jnr to Step Down
The Paisley dynasty takes a big hit putting the legacy and future of the DUP on the line too, it seems. The Dromore result has had an effect on the thinking, follow slugger for more. Does this mean a return to hardline DUP-ism?

Bertie to Visit Slovenia, Austria and Poland
Not to curry support for a top EU job rather to discuss the revolving preseidency and make another set-piece speech, this time to the OSCE. He will then meet Angela Merkel and if he is to head off to theEU, then she will be essential in getting him there.

Obama - “Just words?”
Time and time again Barack Obama has made the hairs stand on the back of my neck through his speeches alone. This is no different and it also acts as a simple and powerful rebuff to Hillary Clinton and John McCain’s attempts to undermine Obama as just a g