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

Wednesday’s Irish Independent is a case-in-point for those of us who suspect the press of siding with the Establishment against the people over Lisbon. With jobs losses growing by the week, they cynically attempt to link the issue to the possibility of a “No” vote to the June 12th referendum. This article is pure facile [...]

RTÉ News: Dublin council concedes to dog owners
Is it technically possible to make a ‘partial U-turn’?

Edwards to Endorse Obama - The Caucus - Politics - New York Times Blog
Well that is some way to overcome a dramatic electoral setback. Media management by Obama’s team has been quite good in my view, despite the unforseen stuff like Wright. They have managed to capitalise on set pieces far more than Clinton.

Republicans Crossing Over to Democrats in Primaries
Intersting to note that almost 10% of Primary voters for the Dems are Republican voters. Where those votes go at election time will be crucial in deciding the race.

Gavin’s Blog · Bertie Ahern addressing Congress
Gavin gives his take on Bertie Ahern’s final address as a statesman and the legacy he leaves behind. You won’t be surprised to note that Gavin is not unhappy to see the back of El Berto

Indymedia has a very interesting piece on Anti-Lisbon Treaty group Libertas, and their principal backers, Declan Ganley and Ulick McEvaddy. Well worth a read.

Dublin City Council is considering the merits of imposing a “tourist tax” of €1 per night on beds in hotels, hostels and B&Bs in the city in order to raise additional revenue.
Ignoring the fact that this is the taxation equivalent of licking your plate clean after large a steak dinner, there are many questions that [...]

“Only one country in the world has eliminated the shortage of transplant kidneys. Only one country in the world has legalized financial payments to kidney donors. That country is”… Interesting piece from the Marginal Revolution. Hat tip to the Foreign Policy blog.

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, [...]